Meeting Ideas

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

Email us if you have suggestions we can add to this page!

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.
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• 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!