Month-by-Month Meeting Ideas

The best-prepared delegations begin to recruit members during the fall, have one or two organizational meetings in November and December, then begin preparing in earnest in January. Weekly meetings from January through April are preferred if you can find the time to schedule them!

There are many things that can be covered in Y&G Club meetings to help everyone prepare. Here are some ideas:

Specific Meeting Idea Links:

Logical Fallacies

General Ideas (good any time):

• Bring in Guest Speakers: Legislators, Attorneys, Judges, Lobbyists, Local Elected Officials, Political Party Activists, or anyone else who has an expertise in state government of the legal process.
• Plan fundraisers: Help offset the cost of fees, food, and any other expenses that people might otherwise have to pay out of pocket. Click here for ideas.
• Stage a debate: Bring in people with knowledge of an issue, but different political positions and have them explain their points of view in contrast with one another.
• Learn how to debate an issue. Click here for the Logical Fallacies page.
• Practice Debating: Have members of the club debate an issue, bills for last year's billbook, or bills introduced for the upcoming year.
• Rehearse Legal Arguments: Have Attorneys practice their oral arguments while other delegation members act as opposing counsel and Justices.
• Study Party Platforms: Learn what each party believes. Click here to find more info.

Meeting Ideas month by month:

January:

• Have an election to choose a delegation leader and any other officers your club wants. (Clubs can organize any way they want.)
• Go to an Internet lab and explore what is available at the Y&G Web Site!
• Go to the school and public libraries to find research materials for bills and position papers.
• Discuss who wants to be in what role at the Y&G Session.
• Study Party Platforms (Legislators need to declare a party preference)
• Review the cases for the Model Supreme Court Program and discuss the issues they cover.
• Discuss current events, especially issues of importance in Montana.
  
   

February:

• Prepare applications for Committee Chair assignments (Due Feb. 15)
• Prepare applications for Newspaper Editor (Due Feb. 15)
• Prepare applications for Supreme Court Justice (Due Feb. 15)
• Complete research and begin bill writing (Due March 1)
• Complete research and begin writing legal briefs (Due March 15)
• Complete research and begin writing Lobbyist Papers (Due March 1)
• Choose your delegation's appointed official, if you are given a position to fill.
  
   

March:

• Discuss logistics of travel/meals/lodging when you go to Helena.
• Practice debating bills your delegation will submit.
• Review the Joint Rules of the Youth Legislature
• Practice using Parliamentary Procedure (Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure Governs this program)
• Give Committee Chairs time to publicly practice presiding over a mock committee meeting.
• Give Attorneys time to publicly practice their oral arguments.
• Give Lobbyists time to publicly present their committee testimony.
• Have reporters write up an article for the first edition of the Youth and Government paper. (Due March 15.)
   

April:

• Review Code of Conduct and Dress Code.
• Review Bills in this year's billbook. (To be released by April 1)
• Continue practice sessions. Give every club member who has to speak in public a chance to practice in front of the group--more than once if possible!
• Do as many mock committee hearings as possible. Practice debating other delegation's bills from the billbook.
• Bring in Guests with expertise in State Government to help you with your legal and legislative arguments.
• Recruit people to run for Y&G Statewide elected offices.
• Contact other schools to see if you can form a Governor/Lt. Governor ticket ahead of time.
• Organize logistics: Know where you are staying, what to bring, where to eat, etc.
  
   

After the Session (May):

• Hold at least one follow-up meeting to:
• Organize CONA applications for anyone who wants to go.
• Come up with ways to thank local volunteers and sponsors who helped your club go to Y&G!
• Come up with a recruitment plan for next year!