taking charge of your chapter - junior state of...

P A R T O F T H E J S A C H A P T E R S E R I E S

TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR CHAPTER

JUNIOR STATE OF AMERICAC H A P T E R M A N A G E M E N T G U I D E

TABLE OF CONTENTS

JSA WELCOMES YOU / ORGANIZING A SUCCESSFUL MEETING 2Preparing For A Chapter Meeting 2

AT THE CHAPTER MEETING 4

DEVELOPING A CHAPTER PROGRAM 9

Involving Your Whole Campus & Community 15

1CHAPTER MANAGEMENT GUIDE

Sample Agenda 3

Sample Evaulation 6Guidelines & Procedures 4

Chapter Meeting Checklist 8

Common Chapter Meeting Activities 9Common Social Activities 11Political Awareness Events & Political Activism 13Sample Political Awareness & Activism Activities 13


JUNIOR STATE OF AMERICA WELCOMES YOU!Before doing anything at all for a chapter meeting, you must ask yourself one question: Why are we having this meeting? Is it just to fill time? Is it just so we can say we have regular meetings? Or is it because we have something we want to accomplish -- some purpose in holding this meeting? If your answer is anything but the last one, you need to keep searching. Chapter meetings should be held with a purpose in mind, not just

because you want to have a meeting.

Preparing for a Chapter Meeting

Most chapter meetings center around an activity such as a debate, thought talk or guest speaker. Chapter business may be taken care of before or after the activity, but the majority of the time is spent on the activity. The purpose of this type of meeting is to discuss and learn about a certain issue with the chapter. Having a chapter program (see the section on “The Chapter Program”) can give each meeting the purpose of fulfilling a larger goal.

You must decide when to hold the meeting. Most chapters hold regular weekly or biweekly meetings during lunch or right after school, but you do not need to limit yourself to these times. Decide what times you think will work best for your chapter members and will draw the largest audience. Lunch times often work well since students are usually at school then anyway, but often, lunch meetings are too short to have a decent debate. After school meetings offer more time, but you may lose some attendance from people who prefer to go home than hang around school an extra hour or so. If another time will work out well, then try it. Take other school activities and club meetings into consideration when deciding on a time. To keep things simple, it is usually a good idea to have regular chapter meetings at a specific time on the same day each week. If you feel the need for a change from your regular meeting time, make sure that the new time is, very, very well publicized.

When To Hold The Meeting

Where To Hold The MeetingYou must find a suitable place to hold your chapter meeting. Most chapters find that their Teacher Advisor’s classroom is the best place to hold the meeting. Some larger chapters use their school auditorium or gymna-sium. Smaller chapters may meet outdoors on a quad or lawn. Be careful not to select a location where there will be too many other distractions. In general, it is a good idea to hold most of your chapter meetings at the same place so that people will always know where to go and be able to find it. However, the occasional change of location, if well publicized, can add variety.

Teacher Advisor, School Administration & TransportationIf you haven’t already, you should now inform your Teacher Advisor of the proposed meeting and make sure that (s)he can attend. If for some reason (s)he cannot attend, you need to make arrangements to change the date or for another adult school official to be there. You cannot have a meeting without adult supervision. You may also need to clear the meeting with your school administration. Make sure they understand what the meeting is and what it will accomplish. If your meeting is scheduled for sometime out of regular school hours, or if it is being held somewhere other than your school, now is the time to arrange for transportation to the meeting as well. Carpools will usually work best.

Activities

If you need tables, chairs, podiums, microphones or any other special equipment, arrange for it well in advance. Most school campuses have one person who oversees the use of many of those things and can usually arrange for their use fairly easily if given proper notice. Last minute arrangements usually fall through.

Equipment

LiteratureYou should prepare and publish any literature necessary for your meeting. If you will be holding a debate, distribute some background information or a JSA debate brief on the topic. If you are inviting a speaker, distribute a biography of the speaker or background information on the cause or organization the speaker represents. If you are holding a thought talk, distribute a questionnaire on the issue being addressed to get chapter members thinking about their own opinions.

RefreshmentsIf you are planning to offer (or sell) refreshments at the meeting, start making arrangements early. Inexpensive snack-like foods can give the meeting a relaxed, inviting atmosphere. Food has a way of attracting new people who may come to your meeting for the first time just to chow down but return subsequently to participate in the exciting activities. Consider selling food such as cookies or drinks at the meetings as a fundraiser.

The Meeting AgendaNow the time comes to actually plan out the meeting. What are we trying to accomplish? What activity do we want to hold? What business must we take care of first? Are there any events we should be publicizing? These are the questions one must ask in planning out the meeting. Once the issues that need to be dealt with are laid out, you need to come up with an agenda. An agenda is a ordered list of all the items that the meeting will address. Chapters that consistently distribute agendas for their meetings find that they run more smoothly and more efficiently. A sample agenda for a meeting is featured below.

This may seem like a lot to cover in a chapter meeting, but most of the items on this agenda can be handled very quickly. If the meeting was scheduled to last a half hour, the first five items could be handled in less than ten minutes, leaving twenty minutes for the debate and the last few items. If there is a great deal of business to take care of, such as preparing for a convention or chapter conference, you may want to call a purely business meeting where you won’t need to rush. It is a good idea to plan the agenda at a cabinet meeting with your Teacher Advisor before the chapter meeting itself. With everyone’s input, you are less likely to forget things (i.e. upcoming events) and the agenda is likely to be of higher quality. Additionally, if the chapter leaders are included in the planning of the meeting, they are more likely to actively participate in it and help keep it orderly and productive. Chapter meetings are the core of your chapter and they should be the product of all the chapter leaders working together.

Washington High School Junior State Chapter

Chapter Meeting AgendaMonday, October 24th

I. Call to Order

II. Distribution of minutes from last meeting

III. Reports from officers

IV. Evaluation of last activity

V. Discussion of upcoming events

VI. Activity: Debate on the death penalty

VII. Distribution of fliers for events, newsletter, etc.

VIII. Financial Matters

IX. Adjournment

PublicityYour next step in preparing for a chapter meeting is publicity. Publicizing is indeed one of the single most important factors in determining of the meeting. A well publicized meeting will bring in a large crowd full of diversity and enthusiasm while a poorly publicized meeting will flounder due to lack of participation. If you hold weekly meetings, you should start publicizing one to two weeks ahead of time. For a thorough look at methods of publicity, see the section in this guide on publicity.

Sample Agenda



At The Chapter Meeting

Arriving EarlyYou should try to arrive at the room a few minutes early. Make sure that everything is in order and that all necessary equipment is there. By being there first, you will make it clear that you are leading the meeting and that you are the one in charge. Welcoming people as they arrive gives the meeting a nice feel. Say hello and introduce yourself to new or prospective members as they arrive.

It is best to wait a short while before starting the meeting. If the meeting is scheduled for lunch or after school, people need time to leave class, go to their locker and use the restroom. Give them five or so minutes for a lunch meeting and ten for an after school one. If enough time has passed and many people are still not there, start without them. If you always wait for everyone to show up, people will arrive later and later, whereas if a person is late to a meeting they are much more likely to show to up on time to the next meeting. If many people are missing, you may choose to leave important business for when more people are there.

Calling the Meeting to OrderUsually, the Chapter President calls the meeting to order even if someone else will be moderating/leading the activity. Be sure to start the meeting off right. It should be upbeat and exciting. Starting the meeting off by reciting some memorized lines in a monotone voice about how glad you are that they could attend will not convince the audience half as well as a dynamic, exciting speaker getting up there and putting some real thought and energy into what is said. Keep your opening remarks brief. Avoid starting with an apology or announcement. Get their attention, talk about the activity and then move on to any necessary business.

When to Start the Meeting

Keeping the Audience’s AttentionRunning a chapter meeting can be a very difficult task. From the very beginning of the meeting you have many different demands on you and the constant burden of competing with everything else for your audience’s attention. Newspapers, food, daydreams, and even homework are all fighting with you over your audiences attention. Your meeting needs to remain more interesting than them. Once you have lost their attention to something else, it is difficult to get it back. Therefore, every aspect of a chapter meeting must be planned and orchestrated ahead of time. People must know when they are expected to speak and about what. Fliers and forms that need to be distributed need to be easily accessible. Any sign of confusion and disorder will lose your audience’s attention and damage the meeting.

JSA meetings in general are held using a system known as parliamentary procedure. Parliamentary procedure is a system for running effective meetings using motions and votes to handle decisions. This system maintains order while still allowing people to voice their opinions. Parliamentary procedure may seem intimidating at first, but it is not all that difficult once you get the hang of it.

While debates at conventions and conferences stick to parliamentary procedure very strictly, many chapters find that they can relax the rules somewhat during their debates and run the business parts of their meetings more informally. Having people raise their hands when they wish to speak and voting on simple decisions can work very well for the business parts of meetings. Chapters that find their meetings end up too disorderly may want to try appointing a parliamentarian to help enforce some parliamentary procedure, or a sergeant-at-arms to help keep a large audience quiet and in order during a meeting. Most chapters find that there is an appropriate time for an amount of parliamentary procedure that best allows their chapter to work.

Parliamentary Procedure

Guidelines & Procedures


Taking Care of Chapter Business

The rules and mechanisms of parliamentary procedure that JSA follows are laid out in Robert’s Rules of Order and are summarized in the Junior State Debate Handbook. * http://jsa.org/wp-content/uploads/Debate_Handbook.pdf *

Try to keep the amount of business down to a minimum at activity based meetings. If people are expecting a debate, they are not going to appreciate spending half the meeting hearing about upcoming events, convention registration and taxes. If need be, hold a separate business meeting for the chapter where you can focus entirely on chapter business, such as convention registration or a chapter conference. Business the cabinet and officers can take care of themselves should be handled at separate cabinet meetings. Business that must be handled at the meeting should be kept short, exciting and simple.

Being in Touch with your Audience

Most of the business should be handled before your activity for two main reasons. First of all, by the end of the meeting, your members are less likely to concentrate on what is being discussed. Secondly, if the business

When covering the issues that need to be dealt with, try to keep the number of different speakers down to a minimum. Make sure each person speaking knows exactly what they are discussing and when they are up. Have them each prepare what they are going to say and don’t let anyone

When leading a meeting, try to be perceptive to your audience. If their reactions are making it clear that they are not happy with what is going on, work with them to change that. If they are angry that you are dealing with too much business and they want to move on to the activity, explain to them why you need to take care of the business and make it as short as possible. You need your members to enjoy themselves at your meetings so do what you can.

takes longer than expected, it is easier to cut short the activity than to postpone necessary business. You may want to leave such things as upcoming event announcements for the end since they take little time and will be best remembered if last.

babble. If you lose your audience’s attention now, you will have a difficult time gaining it back for your activity.


Taking MinutesChapters may want to get into the habit of taking minutes at meetings -- both general meetings and cabinet/officer meetings. Minutes serve as a record of what was discussed and what was decided and can be valuable for future reference. Be sure to appoint someone - your recording secretary if you have one - to take minutes at each chapter meeting. Type them up and pass them out at the start of the next meeting.

It is a good idea to look over the agenda for the meeting beforehand, so you have a feel for what is going to be discussed. The agenda and minutes are different. Minutes are what was discussed, not what was supposed to be discussed.

Before the Meeting Starts:1. Write down the time, location & title of the meeting.2. Write down everyone who is present including their positions, unless the attendence is very large.3. Write down who is leading the meeting.

During the Meeting:1. Write down every main point and who said it.2. Write down people’s reactions or rebuttals to each main point.3. Write down what the consensus or vote of the group is on each point.

Depending on the intensity of the meeting, good minutes will probably be roughly 1-2 lines for every minute that the meeting runs (That is roughly one page every twenty minutes). If you are writing much more than that, you are probably going into more detail than necessary. If you are writing less than that, you are probably not including enough details.

After the Meeting1. Summarize concisely in a few paragraphs the topics discussed and the decisions made (You may want to go over this with the person who led the meeting).2. Hand the minutes over to the Chapter President or other person in charge of collecting or publishing them.3. Put a copy of the minutes in a permanent file.

Activity EvaluationsHolding some sort of evaluation at the end of your chapter activities is an excellent way to improve upon them and better meet the needs and wants of your chapter members. This is especially true with new or controversial meeting activities. A printed handout is usually the best way to go. In advance, make some sort of brief questionnaire that addresses the key issues you and your chapter leaders want feedback on. Make sure to bring enough copies to the meeting.

Sample Evaluation

Chapter Activity Evaluation

Did you enjoy the activity? Why or why not? ___________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

How much and what did you learn from the activity? ____________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Did you find the topic(s) interesting? Most Interesting------ 1 2 3 4 ------Least Interesting

What would you have done differently if you were planning the activity? ____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

What made you come to the activity? ________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Additional comments: _____________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

*Note that an evaluation like this can be used for several different types of events including trips and other non-meeting type activities. You may want to use the same form for all your meetings, or you may want to print up a specific one with specific questions for individual activities.*

After collecting the evaluations, you should go over the results and discuss them with the chapter leadership either at a regular chapter officers meeting or at a special evaluation meeting. You should include your Teacher Advisor in these important discussions. You may want to have the chapter leadership and Teacher Advisor write a brief summary of the strengths and weaknesses of the meeting based on the evaluations for future reference (Chapters can often learn a great deal by looking at what has and has not worked in the past). You may also want to have your chapter leadership and Teacher Advisor answer a few other questions such as:

1. Did the activity attract new members?2. Was anyone turned off from JSA by the meeting?3. Did the activity cause any problems for your school administration?4. Did the activity attract any reaction or support from your community?5. Was the activity too expensive for any of your members? (If there was a fee)6. Was the activity constructive and educational or of value to your school and community?

Your chapter leadership and you should then discuss the things that are going well with the chapter meetings and those that are not. Make a list of both and keep it in your chapter files. Looking back at problems of the past can often give you a real sense of how much your chapter has managed to accomplish and give you hope when things seem difficult.

Take the list of problems and discuss possible solutions to each. Figure out how important the proposed changes are and how much work each one will take. Rank the changes according to their importance and ease of accomplishing, and start working on them. If your meetings are not publicized enough, appoint someone to look into possible new methods of publicity. If people feel your activities are covering too narrow a range of topics, plan a few activities addressing something very different. Whatever the problems are, fix them. Just solving one problem at a time can make huge changes in your chapter strength over several weeks. Whatever you do, make sure to use your evaluations the best you can -- they are your key to improving your chapter.

After the Chapter MeetingAfter the chapter meeting there are a few final things you should do to finish up. First of all, always remember to thank any guest speakers and other participants in the activity. Adults should be thanked in writing promptly after the meeting. Student participants in the meeting can be thanked in person although a written letter to students contributing an exceptional amount may be greatly appreciated.

Second of all you should try to get coverage of the event in your school or local newspaper. If it was a regular debate, you may just have a brief summary stressing how the chapter voted on the resolution (many people find this very interesting). If it is a larger event or on a particularly controversial topic, try to have a member of your school newspaper staff write a full article and see if one of your local community papers will cover the event in some detail. If you were able to take pictures of the event, send copies with a simple press release.

Finally, you need to sit down with your chapter leaders and Teacher Advisor and discuss the meeting. Did it go as planned? What went really well? What could have gone better? If you had students fill out evaluations, discuss their comments in detail. Decide what changes should be made for next time (any meeting, no matter how good, can be improved upon) and decide how you will implement them. Finally, take a moment to be proud of what you have accomplished, and then start planning for your next meeting. The work of a chapter leader never stops.



During the MeetingArrive early to make sure the room is ready

Assign someone to take minutes (especially of business)

Call the meeting to order (President or other leader)

Follow the agenda / run the meeting

Keep business short

Hold the audience’s attention

Remain in touch with their reactions

Evaluations of the meeting

Dismiss the meeting

Clean up the room

After the MeetingThank any guest speakers or other participants

Try to have the meeting covered in a local or school newpaper

Evaluate the meeting with chapter leaders and Teacher Advisor

Decide what changes should be made for your next meeting

Start planning for your next meeting

Chapter Meeting Checklist

As you prepare for a chapter meeting, all of the following questions and items should be addressed in this order.

Before the MeetingPurpose for the meeting

What sort of activity will be held

When will you hold the meeting

Where will you hold the meeting

Clear the meeting with your Teacher Advisor

Clear the meeting with the school administration

Publicize the meeting as much as possible

Arrange for the use of chairs, tables, microphones

Prepare any literature and written evaluations

Arrange for refreshments

Prepare the agenda

We have now discussed how to run a chapter meeting from start to finish, but we have not yet discussed the actual activities that most chapter meetings center acound. Any type of political awareness activity can be the core of your chapter meeting. This section discusses possible activities you may want to hold.

Advance planning is the key to running good meetings. Meetings planned the night before are not as good as ones that are thought out ahead of time. Ideally, you should start preparing for a chapter meeting at least two weeks in advance. Assuming you are holding weekly meetings, this gives you the meeting the week before to publicize the next meeting, ask for help and recruit participants.

Variety is also important in planning meetings. Many chapters find that experimenting with a variety of formats and topics keeps members interested and excited. Remember that not everyone will like each topic. One meeting may bore a member while the next one may facinate the same person. A wide variety of topics along with consistent high quality and excitement in your meetings will keep your members coming back.

Many chapters find that having a long term plan for their meetings, such as a series exploring some problem from different angles, gives their chapter a greater sense of excitement and purpose. Some suggestions for long term planning and balancing your chapter meetings are discussed at greater length in the section on developing a Chapter Program.

Common Chapter Meeting Activities

The most typical chapter meetings are debates, thought talks, guest speakers, Model United Nations, talk shows and mock trials; however, there are no real limits on the variety and creativity you can have with your meetings. Below is a brief description of a few of these common activities and some sugguestions on when they might be right for your chapter. A few of the more difficult ones to run are explained in greater detail later in this section.

The debate is usually the most common activity for chapters to hold. In a debate, a limited number of people get to speak in some depth about their opinions on a cetain topic. For issues that students feel passionately about, the chapter debate can be the best way to exchange ideas and educate one another while still maintaining order. Some newer chapter members may feel a bit uncomfortable speaking during the more formal debate atmosphere. Most chapter debates differ from debates at conventions and conferences in terms of how long they last and in their degree of formality. Chapters may also try alternative styles of debates such as Cross-Fire and Cross-Examination debates.

Debates

Thought TalkThought talks are an excellent way to address an issue without the formality of a debate. In a thought talk, more people get to speak, although usually in less depth. Many less experienced speakers may also feel much more comfortable speaking at a thought talk where there are fewer rules, and one generally does not need to go to the front of the room or take questions. Thought talks lend themselves to topics where there is no clear cut division between two sides but rather many different ways of looking at it.

Developing A Chapter Program


Problem Solving ForumsProblem Solving Forums are like thought talks where the focus is on proposing some solution to a given probelm. Problem Solving can be excellent for issues where everyone agrees something is wrong but just differ on how to go about fixing it. For example, a problem solving forum would not work well for the death penalty, since there is no “problem” there, just different opinions on whether or not it should be allowed. A problem solving forum on rising crime rates would work however. Then, administering the death penalty could be a proposed solution to the problem. Of course, for a complex problem like crime, dozens of solutions may be proposed. Frequently, a “plan” to address the problem will be proposed, debated, and adopted.

Guest SpeakersInviting guest adult speakers to your high school campus can be one of the most educational ways to address an issue. Make sure that speakers know they will be speaking to bright, politically aware high school students -- you don’t want speakers to talk down to your audience or go over their heads. Sometimes it is difficult to find an appropriate speaker to address certain subjects. You want someone who is engaging enough to keep the audience’s attention and knowledgeable enough to converse on the subject with confidence.

Mock United NationsHolding a Mock United Nations session is a great way to explore a current international issue. Your members will gain an appreciation for how world leaders solve an international crisis. The main participants should be willing to research their assigned countries thoroughly and keep on top of world events. Mock U.N. sessions take a great deal of organizing, so make sure your chapter member are excited and willing to participate. A mock U.N. Security Council, which has 15 members, may be more feasible than simulating the General Assum-bly which has well over 100 members states.

Mock TrialMock trials are a great introduction to the judicial process. Many of your members will be intrigued by the judicial issues, but may not know very much about the judicial system and courtroom procedure. You should extend a mock trial over several meetings in order to completely act out the case. Although only a few main participants are needed (two lawyers, a judge, and a defendant), try to include more chapter members as wit-nesses and jury members. Although covered briefly in the next section, to run a mock trial you should contact the JSA office for ready-made mock trial packets.

Impromptu Speech ContestsImpromptu speech contests involve many people giving short ‘impromptu’ speeches on topics they are given only moments before they have to speak, and then voting on who gave the best speech. Impromptu speech contests are a great way to strengthen your chapter members’ on-your-feet speaking skills and are usually a lot of fun. They can be an excellent alternative activity one meeting during a long string of more serious activities. They can also be a great way to prepare for the convention or to maintain member interest right after the convention. Although they are a great deal of fun, do not resort to having them too often, as the more in-depth traditional activities are much more educational.


Creative Chapter MeetingsOne of the key things to remember in leading a chapter is that to a great extent, it is yours. You are the leader of the chapter and with those many responsibilities comes many privileges. One of these is being able to be creative with your chapter meetings.

The above activities are just suggestions for what other chapters and leaders have tried in the past. While you may find that these activities work very well for your chapter, you never know what will work better until you try. Be creative! Be original! Unlike Date Clubs, Model U.N., Mock Legislatures and other clubs, JSA does not restrict its activities to any one type. You are free to try whatever educational activities you think will work, provided your school administration and Teacher Advisor agree to it.

Hold brainstorming meetings with your chapter leaders to create new ideas for activities. Try combining activities, changing orders around, involving more and different types of people, altering formats or go for something entirely different. If there is an important issue your chapter should address, don’t feel limited to addressing it in one of the traditional formats. A creative format specialized for the issue may be the most educational way to handle it. Do whatever will interest, excite, involve and educate your chapter members.

Let the tranditions and patterns in JSA give you a foundation upon which to build -- don’t let them box you in and prevent you from trying new things. Many of JSA’s greatest activities started as original creations of a leader’s inspired imagination.

Common Social Activities

You should not feel limited in your chapter activities to only very serious and dry chapter meetings. After all, the JSA is a social organization. People join it primarily to meet other interesting people and exchange ideas with them. Maintaining the right balance between educational and social activities in your chapter is extremely important.

Ideally, a chapter should try to create activities that are both educational and social, such as watching a politi-cal or controversial movie together. Chapters may want to end their more serious activities with something on the lighter side, like scheduling a few debates before a school dance or hosting a beach party or barbecue after an afternoon of debating.

In addition to making the club more enjoyable, holding regular social activities can do wonders for your chap-ter’s image, morale and sense of unity. A bunch of people who dont’ know each other getting together once a week to debate is not a fun club to be in. A group of diverse individuals who are all friends and respect and like each other is much more what your JSA chapter should be like. Social activities also let people see other sides of your members other than their political faces. It gives them a sense of togetherness and unity which can really create chapter spirit. Your chapter’s image will be changed as more and more people who once saw your chapter as ‘not for them’ will join in and bring their friends as well.


Local Government SimulationsA simulation of a school board, city council, county board of supervisors or county commissioners meeting serves two important purposes. First, the simulation will educate chapter members about a particular issue. Second, chapter members will get firsthand experience with how local government is run.

Select a controversial local government issue. For example, if you were to hold a Mock School Board Session, you may choose the issue of condom distribution. Next, find out how your local school board conducts its meetings. How many members are on the school board? What type of agenda do they follow? Then select participants to be the school board members. The school board member should have different opinions on the topic at hand. Let the school board members debate the issue and allow time for audience members to address the board with their opinions.

Installation and Awards BanquetAn installation and Award Banquet can easily become an annual event. You can frequently hold it at a local restaurant. Call far ahead of time and find out what facilities they have. Some restaurants will give you an entire room for the evening if you promise to have so many people attend and order food. Hold the banquet at the end of the year after your new officers have been elected. Install the new officers, and give awards to honor those members who have worked especially hard in the last year. This type of activity can give people some time to reflect on the organization and really raise the support and enthusiasm for the organization in its next year.

Seeing a MovieSeeing a movie can be a lot of fun and very educational as well. Pick a time when most of your members can meet. Weeknights often work well, as many people make other plans for weekends. Pick a movie with a social, political or otherwise controversial theme. Some suggestions include, All the President’s Men, Bob Roberts, Reds, and many others. Make the meeting about an hour longer than the movie. Make some popcorn (or something else if you prefer). Before starting the moive, pose a few questions or things to take note of while watching the film (it is a good idea to have someone watch the film ahead of time). After the movie, start a discussion. Discuss the issues of importance in the movie, what message the writer was trying to convey, what reaction there was when it came out and anything else about the movie you think your members will find interesting. Let the conversation go on as long as it does naturally -- don’t force people to stay real late against their will.

If the movie is not too long, you might also consider showing it at three or four consecutive lunch meetings within the same week. This can be difficult if there are other clubs meeting, however. Don’t spread the segments out over several weeks as people will forget what is going on and not bother to show up.


Often, social activities are best held at different times from your regular chapter meetings. Evenings and weekends can work quite well. Social activities are usually very popular, but try not to overdo them -- too many social activities and not enough educational ones can change your club into a party club rather than a Junior State chapter. Keep an appropriate balance between the social and educational sides, and always make sure that the social side is in some way enhancing the overall education of the club.

The following are some examples of social activities that have worked in the past. Don’t be afraid to be creative and try other ideas as well.

Spaghetti DinnerFind a chapter member who is willing to host a spaghetti dinner and set a date that is convenient for your chapter (Of course, it doesn’t have to be shaghetti -- it is just a simple suggestion -- any simple, inexpensive food will do. Vegetarian food is often best as it will accommodate both vegetarians and those following most religious dietary laws). Have members sign up in advance so the host will know how much food to purchase. Have a fee that will cover the cost of the food. Consider having a debate before or some sort of discussion during the dinner. Remember to publicize it well in advance to make sure that people will not have conflicting plans.

Potluck DinnerPotluck Dinners can also be very successful social activities similar to the spaghetti dinner. Have chapter members sign up for each item that is needed. Either find a member willing to have the dinner at his/her house or hold it at a park or other suitable area. Remember to have someone bring cutlery, plates, cups and napkins and sign a few people up to stay after to help clean up. Consider having some sort of other activity or entertainment during the dinner.

Sample Political Awareness & Activism Activities

Inviting the candidates running for a particular local office to your chapter meeting or school for an assembly is a perfect way to get chapter members and others involved in politics. Candidates are always looking for volunteers to help out and speaking to your chapter is a great way to introduce the chapter members to the candidates and vise-versa.

Candidates Forum

For students that are not looking to get involved in a campaign, the event is still extremely educational. It lets them get to hear politicians up close and crystalizes the issues of the campaign for them. Further, they will gain an understanding of the position for which the candidates are running. Consider holding the Candidate Forum in the evening when parents can attend also.

Letter writing campaigns are a good way for your chapter to focus on one particular issue or piece of legislation. Before you start the campaign, remember to provide lots of information on both sides of the issue. You may want to have adult speakers or a student debate on the issue before you chapter members sit down to write their letters.

Letter Writing Campaigns


Political Awareness Events & Political Activism

As stated earlier, the mission of JSA is to educate, involve and represent the youth of America. While most of the activities discussed thus far have focused on educating, political awareness and activism can include the latter two as well. Political awareness events and politcal activism are two things your chapter should seriously consider doing.

Political activism gives high school students who are not of voting age a voice in the real world of government and politics. It lets students experience, first-hand, how the system really works. Further, you chapter members are more likely to remain politically active after graduation if they get some experience dealing with government officials while in high school.

When planning political awareness and activism events for your chapter, you must remember that JSA is a non-partisan organization. This means that your chapter, nor JSA in general, can affiliate itself with a political party, partisan campaigns or with a single side of a controversial issue. In our American two-party system, this may seem to rule out any real political activism. This is not the case. Chapters that hold political activities make sure that both sides of the issue are represented and that chapter members are encouraged to take a stand on the side they believe in. For example, if you wish to tackle the issue of a dress code at your school, you chapter may be divided on the issue. Your challenge is to give the chapter members the tools they need to address this issue with the school administration and the school board, no matter which side they are on. Bringing in experts to address both sides of the issue will make the whole chapter more informed and better advocates, no matter which side of the sisue they believe in. Also, because you will have people on both sides working closely together, your chapter discussions may be instrumental in forging a compromise solution.

Taking a strong stance on an issue not all your members agree with may cause you to lose participation from those members. You need them to keep the political diversity that makes your chapter interesting and educational. If your chapter gets the image that is a bastion of conservatism or a haven for liberals, many people with differing points of view will be turned off from joining. You need them both in terms of strength and political ideologies, but that is not what JSA is for. JSA is for examining your own political ideology and challenging it - you can’t challenge it without other people feeling free to express their viewpoints. Always delineate between the members of your chapter and your chapter as a whole. Everyone must feel comfortable expressing their views at your chapter meetings. Be careful with political activism that you do not destroy this.

Your job will be to give chapter members the name(s) and address(es) of the elected officials for your area who have direct control over the issue or legislation at hand. Be careful not to write to office holders who do not have any jurisdiction over the matter. The chapter may also provide members with paper, envelopes and stamps. Do not give your chapter form letters to fill out and mail in -- this is a common technique of political action committees and most officials ignore these mass produced letters and post cards. You want to ensure that each member writes his or her own letter with his or her own feelings on the issue included. Members’ letters express their personal point of view, not the views of JSA. These letters are more likely to be read and acted upon.

Most JSA Chapters conduct voter registration drives on their campus for students who turn 18. Contact the Registrar of Voters in your county to obtain the proper forms. Find out the deadline for registering for the next election. Make sure to ask if ther are any special instructions you must follow. Some chapters obtain the birthdays of all members of their school and send the voter registration form to them in their homeroom as a birthday gift. You may also want to have all chapter members take forms home to make sure that their parents are registered.

Voter Registration Drive

Town Hall MeetingsIs your community currently debating an issue that directly affects youth? Maybe your chapter should sponsor a Town Hall Meeting where students, parents, and public officials can hash out all the pros and cons of the issue. For example, many cities have recently adopted or are considering teen curfews. City councils can adopt such an ordinace with or without input from young people. Town hall meetings give youth a chance to explain their feelings on issues affecting them to community members and office holders.

Field TripsOne of the best ways to learn about government is to observe it in action -- up close and personal. Arranging a field trip for your chapter to visit a school board, city council meeting or court trials involves a lot of work, but it is extremely rewarding.

The first step is getting school approval, especially when meetings will be conducted during school hours. Next, contact the clerk of the school board or city council who will be able to help you arrange the details of your visit and give you a copy of the agenda for the meeting. You may want to schedule your trip when their is a hot topic being debated. The clerk may also be able to tell you how you or your chapter members can get on the agenda to address the members of the school board or city council -- some of the chapter members may want to prepare short speeches to deliver. Make sure that your representative on the school board or city council knows that you are going to be in attendance -- they will probably give you special recognition during the meeting!

If you want to attend a trial, judicial officials can frequently tell you which trials are being held in which courtroom.



Get School/Administration Approval FirstThe first thing to do (once you have your activity in mind) is to discuss it with your school administration and Teacher Advisor. These people will need to help you every step of the way, so good communication and a trusting relationship is crucial. If you want the activity to be school wide, discuss how you might achieve this with your school administration and student leadership. Some chapters have been able to hold a school-wide assembly run by their chapter. Others have had every class conduct a poll or other brief activity during the same period. Discuss your objectives in running the activity and figure out what options you might have. If you want the activity to be open to the entire community, your school administration needs to work with you even more. Your chapter represents your school, and your school’s administration is ultimately responsible for your chapter’s actions. Do not try to work around your school administration in any circumstances -- work with them and cooperate with them at every step of the way.

Publicize, Publicize, Publicize...Any school-wide or community based event is going to need extensive publicity. Even if the event is a mandatory school-wide assembly, students need to walk in already knowing about the activity and excited about it. Publicity for a school-wide or community based activity needs to start at least four weeks in advance and more if at all possible. If your event will be open for the public to attend, you need to get major coverage in local newspapers, fliers all over town and calls (if possible) to local community leaders. You cannot expect people to automatically be excited about something just because you are -- it takes a lot of work. Publicize as much as you possibly can and then publicize some more. It is essential to running a good event.

Take Your Audience Into ConsiderationWhen running a school-wide or community based event, you need to remember that you are not doing this for just your chapter members. While your chapter members may have a basic understanding of the issue(s) that your event is addressing, you cannot assume this of everyone at your school or in your community. Many JSA members know more about current events and issues than full grown adults do. You must assume that there are people attending who know absolutely nothing about the issue(s), and you must cater it to their needs. Also consder your audience when choosing the way you approach the issue(s). A school-wide audience’s attention can be much more difficult to keep than your chapter members’. Cater it to the interest of the typical member of your audience.

Any of the activities we have discussed in this binder can be made school-wide or open to the community. Much of the logistics of the event will depend on your school policies and community structure, but some guidelines for involving your whole school or community are outlined below.

Involving Your Whole Campus & Community

The ideal JSA Chapter serves not only as an educational tool for its members but as the center for political education and activism for the entire campus or even community. The benefits that your members can attain from educational activities and events can be brought to your entire campus or community with a little hard work. What these events can do for your school and your community makes it well worth the effort. In return, your chapter will have a heightened sense of purpose, greater enthusiasm and unity and a strengthened public image.

Involve Your Entire ChapterInvolving your entire chapter in planning the event is absolutely essential to the event’s success. You are trying either to get your entire school or your whole community interested and excited about your activity, and your chapter members are your closest link to both your school and your community. For students to be excited about a school-wide assembly (for more reasons than just missing class) they need to have heard of the event and how amazing it will be. By getting your chapter members involved and excited in the event, you have a much greater chance of accomplishing this goal. Your chapter members will tell their friends and their friends may mention it to their friends, and so on. In a school of 1,000 students, fifty chapter members each telling ten non-JSA member friends about an activity will mean that over half the school attends the activity having already heard about it directly. If your event is for the whole community, involved and excited members will tell their parents, friends and grandparents and will likely bring in a huge piece of your event’s attendance.

Getting your members involved in this type of activity does not just mean telling them to go out and get people to attend. People told to do that seldom will. Getting people involved means giving everyone a part on planning the event. Have chapter-wide meetings for everyone to put in their ideas and make everyone feel important in the planning process. Plan committees of members to take care of certain issues and appoint enthusiastic leaders who will excite their committee members. Show that it is not just one person but many different people who are excited about the event. Create a snowball effect of enthusiasm. As more and more people join the effort and get excited about the event, more and more people will want to participate. Invite everyone to help and find something for everyone to do. The success of an event like this depends on a huge amount of school-wide and community based momentum to keep it going. Make it big.

Thank All ParticipantsIf lots of people showed up to a school-wide activity, you obviously cannot thank each participant individually. However, if there were certain people who played an unusually large role or special people (like local government officials) who made a special effort to attend, thank them personally and in writing afterwards. They may not notice if you forget, but they cetainly will notice if you remember. Having people think well of your chapter is very important.

Using the Event to Strengthen Your ChapterThe possibilities to strengthen your chapter through such an event are limitless. Get as much publicity and media coverage as possible. See if the local newspaper or radio station will do a brief interview with the activity planners. Send out press releases before the event to as many local newspapers, radio and televion stations as possible. Take pictures and send them along with summaries to local papers after the event. Have your school newspaper do a large write up of the event, people’s reactions to it and what it accomplished.

Use the event’s success to raise your chapter membership and the respect for your club on campus and in the community. Show that the Junior State really is committed to political activism and educating and that the youth of your community really do care and can make a difference. Meet with your officers, Teacher Advisor and school administration if possible to discuss the event, what it accomplished and what you can do to make the most of it.


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