Difference between revisions of "2012trainingmanual"

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'''CHAPTER 1: FIRST STEPS'''
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OTHER GROW WIKI DOCUMENTS: http://wiki.cagreens.org/index.php/Grassroots_Organizing_Working_Group
  
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'''CHAPTER 2: THE WEEKLY CYCLE'''
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'''GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA'''
  
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'''CHAPTER 3: A SAMPLE ORIENTATION'''
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'''ORGANIZING VELCRO COUNTY: A VOTER REGISTATION TRAINING MANUAL'''
  
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'''CHAPTER 1: FIRST STEPS'''
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'''CHAPTER 1: ORGANIZING VELCRO COUNTY'''
  
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1. Set your local voter registration goal.
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BY JOE LOUIS WILDMAN
  
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The General Assembly of the Green Party of California agreed to a goal of registering 100,000 new Greens in 2012. 
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'''NOTE'''
  
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Below are suggested goals for your county.  If you live in an area that is especially progressive, feel free to increase your goal.
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This chapter was written by Joe Louis Wildman in 1991 for the Green Party of California.
  
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2. Calculate the number of tabling hours you need to reach your goal. 
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'''DISCLAIMER'''
  
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A volunteer tabler can get 4 to 7 registrations per hour; pick a number in this range and make your initial calculations.  In a few weeks, update all your calculations using your actual average number of registrants per hour.
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This is a first draft of notes on setting up a county organization for registering Green Party members.  I'm trying to get this draft done in time for a statewide meeting.  Look for future drafts--they will be better written and even more useful.  This draft has not yet been read or approved by the Bay Area Green Party Qualifying Committee, and so it represents only my viewpoint--until some consensus is reached.  Also, I don't mention bumperstickers, buttons, direct mail, paid membership, newsletter, etc. Registrations are the only thing I deal with in this document.
  
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3.  Calculate the number of tabling shifts (one person) you need to reach your goal, then the number of tabling-teams (two people) you will need altogether.
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I was hired to give orientations in the flesh, talking to people, (which is my strong suit), and I find it somewhat difficult to put this stuff into writing--partly because there's no interplay and questions, but also because my comic timing is verbal.  Also, in writing, I can't point to things and gesture, and I can't use incomplete sentences.  Another important difference is that I'm explaining how to go out and talk to people, and alot of what I get across in an orientation is by example, talking to them with the same enthusiasm and joy that I hope they bring to talking to people when they're out registering voters.  I'm not a skilled enough writer to transmit alot of this between-the-lines, by-example information on how to talk to people.
  
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A tabling shift comes out to about 2.5 hours of actual "asking time".  It's best to send volunteers out in 2-person teams, so divide your single-person tabling shifts estimate by 2 to get the number of tabling- teams you will need.
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If you have any questions, or if anything I've written here is ambiguous, please give me a call at the Bay Area Regional Office, (415) 649- 9773.  I really would much rather be talking with you than writing to an abstract person.
  
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4.  Calculate the number of tabling-teams you need to average per weekend from now to the end of the year, to end up with your total needed tabling-team.
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'''MY TWO CENTS'''
  
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5.  Calculate the number of volunteers you need for each weekend Your goal will be to sign up at least this many for each tabling weekend.
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I've had the pleasure of working with some of the best organizers in the country.  They all had their own systems that differed from each other, and there's clearly more than one system that works.  What they all had in common is using a systematic approach to reaching a well-defined goal.
  
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6.  Calculate how many core volunteers you need.
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The system that I'm going to outline is a hybrid of basic components from several different systems.  You'll probably need to modify this system to match the needs and resources in your county, but when you modify it, don't do it piecemeal; consider the overall implications to the system.
  
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Core volunteers are highly dedicated registration-getters who will go out often.   
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Lots of people will have lots of good ideas to get extra registrations, and there's no reason not to pursue them as long as they don't detract from your systematic approach.  But be careful, because there are no magic levers that will guarantee success.  What will guarantee success is a steady, systematic approach.
  
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Figure you'll need 4 core volunteers for every 100 (single person) tabling shifts you need (or for every 50 tabling teams).   
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Your systematic approach should begin with setting a goal for total registrations in your county, based on our statewide need for 80,000 registrants, along with a realistic assessment of your resources and the character of the people in your county.  All calculations as to the number of volunteers, the amount of literature, the number of ironing boards, etc., should be based on the goal you've set. 
  
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Here's the logic: Applying the 80/20 rule, you can figure that 80% of your tabling shifts will be covered by 20% of your volunteers.  Figure, too, that a core volunteer will probably do a shift on two-thirds of the weekends you send people out. For every 100 shifts, 80 will be done by core volunteers.  If you have 30 weekends, a core volunteer will work approximately 20 shifts.  So you will need 4 core volunteers for every 100 shifts it will take to reach your goal.  You can also figure that the remaining 20 shifts will probably be covered by about 15 volunteers who will do 1 or 2 shifts each.
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Having a realistic plan gives you control over the situation. Don't hesitate to share your plan with new volunteers.  Often they're wondering, "How the hell do these people really think they can succeed?" They will be inspired more by our practical approach than by our hifalutin' rhetoric.
  
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7. Figure out your tabling schedule.
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We're not just trying to qualify for the ballot; we're trying to build a functioning political party in California (perhaps the first). It's important to design a system that BOTH reaches the number goal AND builds an effective organization.  The system should be designed to bring in more and more people over time (the number of volunteers should increase exponentially); and to turn new volunteers into future organizers by developing their skills in strategizing, organizing, and leadership.
  
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Start early on Saturdays, with a 10:00 a.m. orientation.  Send people out to locations by 10:30.  Tabling teams should arrive at headquarters between 2:30 and 3:00 for debriefing.  
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It is important that we ask everyone in the state of California, "Will you register with the Green Party?"  This can be done only with a systematic approach.  Avoid the tendency to go after environmentalists and progressives first at the expense of a systematic approach.  They also shop at grocery stores, and can be reached through the system you've designed to reach the maximum number of people.  There's no reason to sit at the bowl of strawberries eating the sweetest first, when you know you will finish the entire bowl anyway.
  
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If your calculations require more than 5 tabling-teams per weekend, you may want to schedule an orientation for Sunday starting around 11:00.
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The system should also be designed to maximize our visibility in the community, because we are not likely to be able to afford advertising, and the press is not likely to be generous in their coverage of our effort.
  
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If you find yourself needing more than 10 tabling-teams per weekend, you may want to schedule a second time-slot for Saturday; a 1:30 orientation would be good.  But if your operation is getting that big, consider dividing the county up geographically and having someone else run a separate operation.
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And it's very important that we use this opportunity to talk to people who do not know that they may indeed be Green.  The Green Party is not just a think-tank, where the already converted discuss details of Green politics with the already converted--but an effort to spread our message and put people to work to bring about change.
  
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8.  Get blank voter registration cards from the voter registrar's office at the county building.  Sign them out under the name of the Green Party of your county.
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One final important point:  When someone volunteers to help build the Green Party, they are volunteering to go out and do work, not to go to meetings.  If someone volunteers, invite them to a meeting AND put them to work.  You will lose the people who want to work if you only subject them to meetings and fail to put them to work.  The tendency is to set up a self- selecting process that retains people who'd rather go to meetings than work, and eliminates the people who'd rather work than go to meetings.  As much as possible, incorporate necessary meetings into the cycle of work; do not have unnecessary meetings.
  
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9.  Contact Marnie Glickman at the Green Party of California help identifying and communicating with potential Green Party volunteers in your area.
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Good political organizing is about positive thinking and effective work, not about wishful thinking and make-work.  It's important to have fun.  If the process is not fun, you will not succeed, and that's no fun at all.
  
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Marnie can be reached by email at marnie@cagreens.org or by phone at 415.259.7121.
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'''OVERVIEW -- ORGANIZING VELCRO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA'''
  
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She will help you create and distribute email invitations to Greens in your area.  She will also give you lists of phone numbers for potential Green Party volunteers.
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If I were to wake up one day and decide to take responsibility for organizing my county, the imaginary Velcro County, California, here's what I would do.
  
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If you have computer skills, she may be able to train you to use our Green Party of CA online database to organize volunteers in your area online.
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First I'd set a goal for Green registrations in Velcro County.  It's important to have a target goal in order to estimate the resources needed for the registration drive.  Since Velcro County has a population of approximately 1,000,000 people, we'd need to register 2400 Greens to do our part towards the 80,000 statewide total.  But because I'm confident about organizing in my county, and uncertain how organizing will go in other counties, I'd be ambitious and set my goal at 5000.
  
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If you don’t have computer skills, don’t worry, she will help you organize your work using paper and email.
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Next I'd do some calculations about resources.  I know from previous experience that a volunteer, standing in front of a supermarket with ironing board and clip boards, asking everyone who walks by to register, should be able to average 5 registrations per hour.  So getting 5000 registrations should require 1000 hours of volunteer tabling time.
  
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10. Select a date for your voter registration orientation and action.
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Figuring that the average volunteer works a shift of 2.5 hours of actual "asking" time, I conclude that 400 tabling shifts will be needed.  I always send 2 people out together; that means 200 tabling team-shifts are needed. With 30 weeks to go until the end of our period to qualify for the June, 1992 ballot, I will need to average 7 tabling teams per weekend, or 14 tabling volunteers per weekend.
  
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11. Work with Marnie to write and send an email invitation at least two weeks beforehand.   
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Applying the 80/20 rule, which tells me that 80% of the work will be done by 20% of the people, I know that I need to identify 16 core volunteers, each willing to do a shift on 20 weekends out of the 30 remaining. They will account for 320 of the 400 shifts.  The remaining 80 shifts will probably be covered by 50 or so different individuals who will go out once, twice, or a few times.
  
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12.  Follow up your postcard with a phone call a few days later. Figure that perhaps 3% of your invitees will actually show up for the orientation.
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For my 7 tabling teams per weekend, I want to have 7 ironing boards, each equipped with a sign, a donation can, literature, and six clipboards. Each clipboard should be loaded with about 20 registration forms.
  
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13.  Choose your tabling locations.   
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Next I go to the voter registrar's office at the county building and sign out a box of blank registration cards under the name of the Green Party of Velcro County.   
  
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Major grocery stores, farmer’s markets and other high- traffic areas are prime spots.   
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While I'm there, I ask how to obtain a list of Velcro County residents who have registered as Greens.  Availability of lists varies from county to county, but I'm lucky; in Velcro County, they can give me a list of Green Party members with phone numbers for only ten cents a page.  And because there are currently only 170 of us, it costs me less than 50 cents.   
  
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Look in the yellow pages; call all the local supermarkets and get the names and addresses of their regional managers.  
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I send each of these 170 Green registrants a postcard inviting them to my house on a Saturday morning about a week away for an orientation followed by tabling.
  
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Send each regional manager a letter stating your intention to send trained volunteers to do voter registration at their markets (list the locations) on weekends.  This is merely a courtesy; you have a constitutional right to register voters at these places.   
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I get out my yellow pages and call the Luckys, Safeways, Alpha Betas, etc. in my area and get the names of the regional managers.  I send off a letter to each regional managers stating my intention to send trained volunteers to do registrations in front of their stores; in each letter I list the stores from the phone book.  I make copies of this letter to put in a packet each tabler will take to their tabling site.  (Nothing solves a conflict with a grocery store manager better than when a volunteer actually knows the name of the regional manager.)
  
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Put a copy of the relevant letter in with the materials sent to each tabling location; if a store manager tries to chase your volunteers away, it's handy for your volunteers to be able to drop the boss's name.
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I don't own a computer but a friend of mine who is also a Green Party member does, and I ask him to enter the 170 Green registrants from my list into a database and print one sheet per registrant--these are our initial calling lists.  My friend and I divide up the list, and we follow up the postcard I sent out (inviting Green Party registrants to the orientation) with a phone call.
  
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14.  Find and equip ironing boards.   
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Because I am always a positive thinker, but not a fool, I figure we'll probably have no more than 6 volunteers that first weekend, and my friend and I get 3 ironing boards set up.  We make signs to hang from the ironing boards.  We decorate 3 coffee cans to say something like, "Donations to help build the Green Party" and we bolt them to the ironing boards.  We cut some corrugated cardboard into pieces to use as clipboards and rubberband 20 registration forms to each (we don't want to spend money on real clipboards).  We put some literature on the clipboards, too, so that something on the clipboard says "Green Party" when the person registering is holding it.
  
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How many tabling teams will you send out at once? Get this many ironing boards plus a couple extras.   
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Saturday comes.  It's 10:00 a.m., and there are 4 cheery volunteers along with my friend and me.  I've determined the 3 best tabling locations in advance--at least, I think they're the best locations, but I'm flexible in case someone else knows something I don't. My friend and I do an orientation; I don't want people to get bored with my voice and tune out, so I've asked my friend to do part of the talk.  My section is first and deals with the voter registration form and techniques to maximize the number of registrations per hour; then my friend talks about the Green Party, how far we are in the registration drive, the 10 "key values", and other Green sorts of things.
  
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Equip each ironing board with:   
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When we're done with questions and answers, it's about 10:30.  Alot of information has been imparted, but no one's eyes have yet glazed over. It's time to go out to our locations.  
  
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(a) At least 6 clipboards; rubberband 20 registration forms and some literature to each clipboard.   
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I try to pair people up because no one should go out alone.  For one thing, it's more fun in teams.  People are more likely to actually stay out the length of time they agreed on when they're with someone else, and people can take bathroom breaks without leaving their ironing boards unattended.  When I pair people up, I use these 3 criteria, in this order: One member of the team must have transportation to the site; one member of the team should have experience (or at least confidence) in registering voters and in talking about the Green Party; and it's nice to pair men and women together because some potential registrants will not stop and talk to men, and some will not stop and talk to women.
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(b) A coffee can (bolt it to the table) decorated to say "Donations to help build the Green Party".   
 
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(c) A nice, big, easily-readable sign saying "Register to Vote - Green Party". Hang the sign from the front of the ironing board.   
 
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(d) A bungie cord, or rocks, to hold down your literature. 
 
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(e) 7 or 8 pens that work. 
 
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(f) A volunteer sign-up sheet.  Most volunteers will register (and be coded as volunteers on their registration forms); but some non-citizens, folks under 18, and an occasional felon who is not eligible to vote may wish to volunteer.  They should sign up on this sheet.
 
  
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[['''CHAPTER 2: THE WEEKLY CYCLE''']]
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We agree to meet back at my house at 3:00 p.m. to count up our registrations, the volunteers we recruited, and the donations we collected. I have drinks and snacks ready.  I know this debriefing and socializing time is essential in building a base of volunteers.  It's a chance to find out who is good at this sort of work and who isn't, and which volunteers would like to take on more responsibility for making sure that all the tasks in the system are carried out.  I also find out what questions "people on the street" have asked about the Green Party, so our literature can be modified to address people's questions and concerns.
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My friend takes the voter registration cards home and enters our new registrants into the database.  We plan to invite these people who have just registered with us to next Saturday's orientation.  My friend prints out the calling pages for the new people.  One of the new volunteers is a real estate agent and agrees to let us meet every Monday and Tuesday after work at her office to use the phones, so now we have a good phone bank site.  (At this point, we need only one night to call through the 50 or so names, but we arrange two nights because as the drive goes on, we will probably have many hundreds of numbers to call, and we want to get an early start on our systematic approach).
  
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The weekly cycle is the core of the systematic approach.  Because it's a cycle, I could start anywhere; but I'd like to start with phonebanking, because it's the engine that keeps the cycle moving.
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Through phone calls Monday night we get commitments from 9 people to show up for tabling on Saturday, and that very evening we mail each person a reminder postcard thanking them for their commitment and reminding them of my address and Saturday's starting time.
  
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'''Phonebanking and reminder postcards'''
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Also, I start a calendar book because 2 of the 9 also agreed to go out the following Saturday, and I want to have a page for each Saturday with the names and phone numbers of the people we are expecting that day.  My friend has agreed to make reminder calls to people on these sheets every Friday night.
  
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Call through the volunteers and ask people to sign up for the coming weekend's tabling shifts.
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On Tuesday, I break down all the clipboards looking for completed registration forms we may have missed on Saturday.  And I take $13 from the donations we collected and buy a fourth ironing board.  By Wednesday night, the materials are ready for the following Saturday and I am determined that at next Saturday's debriefing I will identify a volunteer to take care of the clipboards and literature for the next few weeks.
  
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Note their response on you call sheet or directly in the Green Party of California online database.
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At each debriefing, I look for people willing to take on components of the organizing effort.  I want to spread the work around so that no one person burns out.  Also, I encourage people to rotate responsibilities so that people can fill in for each other when necessary.  By the fifth week we have identified a core of 10 regulars and about 25 people have done some volunteering.
  
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(You may want to develop codes for wrong numbers, busy signals, etc.) 
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As much as I hate meetings, I now schedule a regular meeting for Saturday at 3:30 p.m., following the debriefing so that the business of the Green Party of Velcro County can be taken care of.  We are now collecting in excess of $50 per weekend, and we need a bank account and a treasurer. Also, the people doing the Hemp Initiative want our endorsement and we need to decide whether or not to give the endorsement.
  
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Anyone who commits to do a shift the coming weekend should be sent a reminder email that very night.  The reminder email is particularly important for people who were unable to come out this coming weekend and signed up for some future date; if they've signed up really far in advance, put their contact information in a tickler file for mailing closer to the date. Their name and phone number should be listed on a sheet in a calendar notebook so that reminder calls can be made the day before people are expected.
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At this point the cycle of phonebanking, orientation, tabling, debriefing, delegating, policy meeting, and data entry is up and running. Things are going well.
  
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'''Materials ready for next weekend
 
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'''
 
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Clear off all the clipboards used during the previous weekend.  You will often find completed registration forms hidden among the blanks.  Load clipboards and prepare literature, pens, etc.  It's best to make self-contained packets, one per ironing board, with six clipboards, literature, pens, donation can, etc.  Do this early in the week, so that you are not rushing at the last minute as volunteers arrive on Saturday morning.
 
  
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'''Reminder calls
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'''
 
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Make reminder calls the night before the person is expected for tabling.  If you are uncomfortable calling a grown human being to remind them, you may want to make the call to give them additional information, if there is some.  I often call to ask whether they've succeeded in recruiting a friend to come with them, so that I can estimate how many materials I need for the following day.  The concept of bringing a friend should be mentioned during debriefings and phonebanking.
 
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'''Orientation'''
 
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Conduct an orientation on weekends to prepare volunteers for tabling.  Split the orientation between two people for variety.  Cover voter registration techniques and Green Party positions.  Be informative and entertaining.  Refreshments are a good thing to have.
 
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'''Tabling
 
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'''
 
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Go out to high-traffic areas and ask as many people as possible to register Green.  Ask them to volunteer, and ask them for a dollar.
 
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'''Debriefing
 
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'''
 
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Have volunteers come back to headquarters after tabling. Refreshments should be available.  Tally up registrations, volunteers recruited, and donations collected.  It's important for volunteers to see how well other volunteers have done.  Often a volunteer will come back with $5--because they didn't ask people for money--and another will come back with $35.  The next weekend the person who raised only $5 before will raise considerably more, because they now know it's possible. Debriefing is a good time to find out who's good at tabling and who isn't, and to recruit people to take on responsibility for other tasks in the system.  It's also a good opportunity to find out what people "on the street" have been asking about the Green Party, so that literature can be modified to address their questions and concerns.
 
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I cannot overemphasize the importance of this debriefing and socializing time; it's essential in building a base of volunteers.
 
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'''County Council meetings'''
 
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I recommend that county council meetings should immediately follow your debriefing.  This allows people who have  been volunteering to become more involved at a policy level.
 
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'''Data entry'''
 
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Completed registration cards should go promptly to data entry, and the information necessary for making a mailing list and phone sheets should be entered into the database. 
 
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If you are interested in learning how to do data entry directly into the Green Party of California online database, contact Marnie Glickman at marnie@cagreens.org and 415.259.7121.
 
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If you do not have the resources to enter every card, at the very least enter those with phone numbers.  However, I strongly recommend entering every card for mailing list purposes.  From  time to time you should check the county list, to pick up names of people who have registered with the Green Party but mailed in their registration forms.  Look into purchasing the registrar's database of Green Party  members in electronic form.  This is usually too costly.
 
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'''
 
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Delivering registration cards and picking up new ones'''
 
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After registration cards have been used for data entry, they should be hand-delivered to the registrar's office.  Blank registration cards can be picked up, as needed, at the same time.  It's not a bad idea to have the same one or two people doing this task each week, so that they can  develop a friendly relationship with folks at the registrar's office and perhaps get better service in the future.  State law requires that the cards be turned in within three days of completion.  While I do not find xeroxing to be environmentally sound, it may be necessary if data entry is going slowly. Check with your registrar's office to see how big a problem they believe late turn-ins to be.  Since no election is coming up, they may not mind a slight delay.  Currently no one is serving time in any California penal institution for late turn-in of a registration card, but every effort  should be made to comply with the law.
 
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[['''CHAPTER 3: A SAMPLE ORIENTATION''']]
 
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I divide orientations into two parts.  The first part deals with registration cards and techniques for maximizing the number of valid registrations.  The second part deals with the Green Party's history and platform.  If one person does both parts, volunteers will start tuning out the speaker's voice; so I have two people do the orientation, and if possible I have a man do one part and a woman do the other.  This sample orientation covers only the first part--registration cards and techniques.
 
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Before beginning, I give each volunteer a clipboard.  Then I say something like this:
 
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* * * * *
 
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I'm going to be going over the registration form and some techniques; and after I talk, Jessica will talk a little bit about the  Green Party's platform and history.  And then we'll answer some questions before we all go out and register voters.
 
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Has everyone here registered to vote with the Green Party?  Then you already have a basic idea how to fill out the registration form. Fortunately it asks only questions that people know the answers to:  Name, address, birthdate, occupation...
 
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This registration card can be used to register any resident of California, from any county, but is good only for residents of California. If someone from another county fills out this card, our registrar will forward the card to their county.  We are obligated to register anyone regardless of what party they choose to register with.  However, if they indicate they are not interested in registering with the Green Party,  simply hand them a registration card and send them on their merry way.
 
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  If they are registering with the Green Party, keep the registration card on the clipboard and fold it under to expose the next registration card.  We will turn the cards in ourselves after we've copied the information we want from them.  If a registrant wants a receipt, fill out the receipt at the bottom of their card and give it to them.  Be sure that the number on the receipt matches the card they have filled out (sometimes people peel a receipt off the wrong card).  Almost no one will ask for a receipt.
 
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If you look at the registration cards, you will see boxes labeled 1 through 12.  This is the 12-step program for registering with the Green Party.  Only 2 of these boxes are labeled optional, so make sure that everything else is filled out by the registrant.  The most common things people forget to fill out are their birthday, their occupation, and their state or country of origin.  Make a special point of checking these to make sure they're filled in.
 
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Let me go out of sequential order, and start by talking about Box 7.  This is where people indicate their desire to join the Green Party. This is done by checking "Other" and writing the words "Green Party" on the line.  Because this is so critical to us, I strongly recommend that when  you hand someone a registration form, you ask them to start with Box 7 by checking "Other" and writing in "Green Party".
 
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Many people--out of habit or because they think they're to indicate their PREVIOUS party in this space--check one of the parties above  "Other". If they do, and their intention was to register Green, they must thoroughly cross out their mistake, and they must initial the change.  Now let's go back to sequential order.  Everyone must have an address in Box 2 that is not a post office box, and is an address where someone can actually live, so that the registrar can determine what districts the voter resides in.  It also asks for the county they reside in.  Most people aren't used to writing the name of the county, so make  sure it's there.  If someone is homeless, they can still register, but they must fill in Box 3 with the address of a shelter, or an intersection, or description of a place they stay.
 
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Box 4 is where people can list a post office box, if that's where they receive their mail.
 
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Alot of people think their birthdate is nobody's business, but if Box 5 is left blank, their registration will not be processed.
 
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Box 6, birthplace, should be a simple abbreviation of a state or foreign country.
 
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Box 8, for occupation, is not labeled optional--though most counties are not putting this in their databases--so make sure people fill in something, even just N/A.
 
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You will notice that the phone number, Box 9, is optional; however, we want to make a point of asking everyone who registers with the Green Party to please put their phone number so that we can contact them in the future.  For a registrant who wants to volunteer, a phone number is essential!
 
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In some counties Box 10 is used to indicate a preference for voter materials in a foreign language, but most counties no longer use this box.
 
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Box 11 is there so that the registrar can look up the person's previous registration and either remove it or modify it.  If a person has moved, they should put the address of their previous registration.  However, if the only information that is changing with this registration is their party affiliation, they can write the word "same" across the box and their previous party on the line labeled "political party".
 
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Box 12 is for their signature and the date.  The Secretary of State, in an effort to make the box for the signature more visible, has put a blue border around it.  As a result, many people think it is a box "for official use only" and skip it.  The signature is absolutely essential.  Be sure  it's there.  Also make sure that the date is filled in.
 
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Box 13 is there in the event that you register someone who is blind, has no hands, or for some reason needs you to actually fill the form out  for them.  You need to sign here only if you have filled out the form.  It is not necessary for you to sign it just because you have answered their questions about the form.
 
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You do not have to be a citizen or a registered voter to go out and register people.  You don't even need to be an animate object, as cards are often placed in boxes at supermarkets and libraries.
 
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Are there any questions about registration cards?
 
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Now let's talk about techniques for getting people to register Green.
 
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  It's important to remember that we are out there performing a service.  You aren't asking anyone a favor by offering them an opportunity to register with the Green Party.  You can be proud and keep your spirits high--even though most people will walk right past you as though you don't exist.  There is no need to feel insulted.  And there is no need to chase people down.  Some of these people, at another time, will decide to stop  and check us out; in the meantime, we should respect their desire to be left alone.
 
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However, we should ask EVERYONE, as they approach, "Will you register with the Green Party?"  While this may get tedious, be assured  that for the 2.5 hours or so you are asking people, 10 to 20 people will express gratitude and admiration for your being there and register with the Green Party.  We want to ask everyone, because we want everyone to know the Green Party has arrived in California.  Also, don't try to guess who will or  won't register by their appearance.  You will often be fooled.
 
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Set your ironing board up in a visible place where most people will have to walk past it.  You may be wondering why we use ironing boards instead of card tables.  They are at a much better height for people to write on; they are less likely to block a sidewalk or an entrance because they are so narrow; they are lightweight and easily transported--and  because many people are not used to seeing ironing boards out of their usual context, you are much less ignorable.  I highly recommend ironing  boards.  I swear by them.
 
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Put the ironing board against a wall.  This makes it more stable and prevents you from standing behind it.  If you stand behind an ironing board waiting for people to come to you, you may be lucky enough to register 4 or 5 people in your two and a half hour shift.  But if you stand out in front of your ironing board, make eye contact with people as they approach, and say, "Hello.  Will you register with the Green Party?", you should be able to get 10 to 20 people, and if we are to be successful, you need to do that.
 
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As you ask them, physically offer up the clipboard to them.  People almost by reflex will take something when you are handing it to them.  If they aren't interested, they will have to actively avoid taking it.
 
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Many people are afraid to ask for what they want.  Instead of asking "Will you register with the Green Party?", they feel safer asking something like, "Are you registered to vote?" or "Have you heard of the Green Party?"  This is a mistake.  You are likely to get what you asked for.  People will answer "yes" or "no", be satisfied that they have fulfilled their social contract with you, and go on about their business. If you want them to register with the Green Party, ask them to register  with the Green Party.
 
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  When someone stops and takes the board, direct them to Box 7 and tell them to check other and write in "Green Party" first.  This is the  best way to make sure we get them to register with us.
 
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Don't stand there and savor the moment as somebody fills in the form.  This is the time to ask other people.  When one person has  stopped to fill out a form, the likelihood of others stopping increases greatly.  They notice you more; you appear safer; and if someone else is doing it, maybe they should be, too.
 
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When the person thinks they are done, they will physically offer the board back to you.  Resist your reflex to take it!  Look at the board first and make sure they have filled in Boxes 1 through 12.  If they have missed something, and you need them to fill it in, it is infinitely easier to get them to do it while the board is still in their hands.  If it is all filled in properly, take the board from them, thank them, and welcome them to the Green Party.  I generally shake their hand.
 
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Remember:  Say hello.  Ask for what you want.  Physically offer them the clipboard.  Ask them to start with Box 7.  Check the board before you take it back from them.  Thank them and welcome them to the Green Party.
 
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You are not done with this person, because there are three things that we need today.  One is registrations.  The second is volunteers.  Ask the person, "Is it ok if we contact you to see if you're interested in helping us reach our goal of 80,000 registered voters by the end of the year?"  Make sure we have their phone number, and if they express an interest in volunteering, put a "V" in the upper right hand corner of their registration card after the red words saying "For U.S. citizens only". The "V" tells our data entry person to code them as a volunteer.
 
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The third thing we need is money.  There is a donation can on your ironing board.  Don't be shy.  I usually say something like, "We aren't interested in corporate contributions--or likely to get them.  Could you please help out with a dollar?  It would make a big difference."  If you  ask everyone who registers, and even some who don't, you are very likely to average 70 cents in contributions for every registration, and that's how we pay for these ironing boards and signs.
 
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Remember, ask everyone.  Don't be insulted by people who ignore you.  Ask everyone who registers if they can volunteer, and ask them for a dollar.
 
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Don't get into arguments.  Do get into (short) conversations, because we want to know what people are thinking and wondering about the Green Party.  We're a grassroots political party, and these contacts on the street are very important.  Presumably, you like to talk about politics, or you wouldn't be here, so don't hesitate to get into conversations--provided they do not become overly extended and prevent you from serving other  people who would like to register with the Green Party.
 
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Most people won't ask questions.  They have a general idea about what the Green Party is, and they either want to--or don't want to--join us.  But let's talk a moment about those people who do ask questions. Generally I find that the number of questions is inversely proportional to the likelihood of their registering Green.
 
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  If you don't know the answer to a question, don't fake it.  Refer them to the phone number on the flyer.  They can call the office for information.  If someone is really interested in talking, invite them to  the next meeting.  We do a lot of talking there.
 
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Jessica will go over some things that you may be asked about the Green Party, but my experience is the number one question you get asked is not about the Green Party at all.  The question is, "If I register with the Green Party, does this mean I can't vote in the Democratic primary?" 
 
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My answer generally is, "Yes, but that's not the only benefit you'll  receive." But it's important to let them know that we need their registration with  the Green Party until the end of the year.  After January 1, 1992, they will have until May 7 of that year to switch their registration back to the Democrats in time to vote for San Nunn or Diane Feinstein.  However, we  hope they stay with us, because when we get 80,000 registrants, we too will have a primary.
 
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  One other point.  Let them know that they should receive a card from the registrar, confirming their registration, in 6 to 8 weeks.  The card is not likely to say "Green Party"; it is likely to say "NP" for non-partisan.
 
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Be sure to come back for the debriefing.  We want to count up your registration cards, count up the volunteers you recruited, and count up the money you collected.  We also want to drink some coffee, eat some cookies, and chat about how the process was and any ideas you have to improve it. Also, I want to know whether or not you had fun out there--because it's supposed to be fun.  And if you didn't have fun, I want to talk to you  about how to have fun next time.  Thanks!
 

Latest revision as of 18:40, 13 January 2012

OTHER GROW WIKI DOCUMENTS: http://wiki.cagreens.org/index.php/Grassroots_Organizing_Working_Group

GREEN PARTY OF CALIFORNIA

ORGANIZING VELCRO COUNTY: A VOTER REGISTATION TRAINING MANUAL

CHAPTER 1: ORGANIZING VELCRO COUNTY

BY JOE LOUIS WILDMAN

NOTE

This chapter was written by Joe Louis Wildman in 1991 for the Green Party of California.

DISCLAIMER

This is a first draft of notes on setting up a county organization for registering Green Party members. I'm trying to get this draft done in time for a statewide meeting. Look for future drafts--they will be better written and even more useful. This draft has not yet been read or approved by the Bay Area Green Party Qualifying Committee, and so it represents only my viewpoint--until some consensus is reached. Also, I don't mention bumperstickers, buttons, direct mail, paid membership, newsletter, etc. Registrations are the only thing I deal with in this document.

I was hired to give orientations in the flesh, talking to people, (which is my strong suit), and I find it somewhat difficult to put this stuff into writing--partly because there's no interplay and questions, but also because my comic timing is verbal. Also, in writing, I can't point to things and gesture, and I can't use incomplete sentences. Another important difference is that I'm explaining how to go out and talk to people, and alot of what I get across in an orientation is by example, talking to them with the same enthusiasm and joy that I hope they bring to talking to people when they're out registering voters. I'm not a skilled enough writer to transmit alot of this between-the-lines, by-example information on how to talk to people.

If you have any questions, or if anything I've written here is ambiguous, please give me a call at the Bay Area Regional Office, (415) 649- 9773. I really would much rather be talking with you than writing to an abstract person.

MY TWO CENTS

I've had the pleasure of working with some of the best organizers in the country. They all had their own systems that differed from each other, and there's clearly more than one system that works. What they all had in common is using a systematic approach to reaching a well-defined goal.

The system that I'm going to outline is a hybrid of basic components from several different systems. You'll probably need to modify this system to match the needs and resources in your county, but when you modify it, don't do it piecemeal; consider the overall implications to the system.

Lots of people will have lots of good ideas to get extra registrations, and there's no reason not to pursue them as long as they don't detract from your systematic approach. But be careful, because there are no magic levers that will guarantee success. What will guarantee success is a steady, systematic approach.

Your systematic approach should begin with setting a goal for total registrations in your county, based on our statewide need for 80,000 registrants, along with a realistic assessment of your resources and the character of the people in your county. All calculations as to the number of volunteers, the amount of literature, the number of ironing boards, etc., should be based on the goal you've set.

Having a realistic plan gives you control over the situation. Don't hesitate to share your plan with new volunteers. Often they're wondering, "How the hell do these people really think they can succeed?" They will be inspired more by our practical approach than by our hifalutin' rhetoric.

We're not just trying to qualify for the ballot; we're trying to build a functioning political party in California (perhaps the first). It's important to design a system that BOTH reaches the number goal AND builds an effective organization. The system should be designed to bring in more and more people over time (the number of volunteers should increase exponentially); and to turn new volunteers into future organizers by developing their skills in strategizing, organizing, and leadership.

It is important that we ask everyone in the state of California, "Will you register with the Green Party?" This can be done only with a systematic approach. Avoid the tendency to go after environmentalists and progressives first at the expense of a systematic approach. They also shop at grocery stores, and can be reached through the system you've designed to reach the maximum number of people. There's no reason to sit at the bowl of strawberries eating the sweetest first, when you know you will finish the entire bowl anyway.

The system should also be designed to maximize our visibility in the community, because we are not likely to be able to afford advertising, and the press is not likely to be generous in their coverage of our effort.

And it's very important that we use this opportunity to talk to people who do not know that they may indeed be Green. The Green Party is not just a think-tank, where the already converted discuss details of Green politics with the already converted--but an effort to spread our message and put people to work to bring about change.

One final important point: When someone volunteers to help build the Green Party, they are volunteering to go out and do work, not to go to meetings. If someone volunteers, invite them to a meeting AND put them to work. You will lose the people who want to work if you only subject them to meetings and fail to put them to work. The tendency is to set up a self- selecting process that retains people who'd rather go to meetings than work, and eliminates the people who'd rather work than go to meetings. As much as possible, incorporate necessary meetings into the cycle of work; do not have unnecessary meetings.

Good political organizing is about positive thinking and effective work, not about wishful thinking and make-work. It's important to have fun. If the process is not fun, you will not succeed, and that's no fun at all.

OVERVIEW -- ORGANIZING VELCRO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

If I were to wake up one day and decide to take responsibility for organizing my county, the imaginary Velcro County, California, here's what I would do.

First I'd set a goal for Green registrations in Velcro County. It's important to have a target goal in order to estimate the resources needed for the registration drive. Since Velcro County has a population of approximately 1,000,000 people, we'd need to register 2400 Greens to do our part towards the 80,000 statewide total. But because I'm confident about organizing in my county, and uncertain how organizing will go in other counties, I'd be ambitious and set my goal at 5000.

Next I'd do some calculations about resources. I know from previous experience that a volunteer, standing in front of a supermarket with ironing board and clip boards, asking everyone who walks by to register, should be able to average 5 registrations per hour. So getting 5000 registrations should require 1000 hours of volunteer tabling time.

Figuring that the average volunteer works a shift of 2.5 hours of actual "asking" time, I conclude that 400 tabling shifts will be needed. I always send 2 people out together; that means 200 tabling team-shifts are needed. With 30 weeks to go until the end of our period to qualify for the June, 1992 ballot, I will need to average 7 tabling teams per weekend, or 14 tabling volunteers per weekend.

Applying the 80/20 rule, which tells me that 80% of the work will be done by 20% of the people, I know that I need to identify 16 core volunteers, each willing to do a shift on 20 weekends out of the 30 remaining. They will account for 320 of the 400 shifts. The remaining 80 shifts will probably be covered by 50 or so different individuals who will go out once, twice, or a few times.

For my 7 tabling teams per weekend, I want to have 7 ironing boards, each equipped with a sign, a donation can, literature, and six clipboards. Each clipboard should be loaded with about 20 registration forms.

Next I go to the voter registrar's office at the county building and sign out a box of blank registration cards under the name of the Green Party of Velcro County.

While I'm there, I ask how to obtain a list of Velcro County residents who have registered as Greens. Availability of lists varies from county to county, but I'm lucky; in Velcro County, they can give me a list of Green Party members with phone numbers for only ten cents a page. And because there are currently only 170 of us, it costs me less than 50 cents.

I send each of these 170 Green registrants a postcard inviting them to my house on a Saturday morning about a week away for an orientation followed by tabling.

I get out my yellow pages and call the Luckys, Safeways, Alpha Betas, etc. in my area and get the names of the regional managers. I send off a letter to each regional managers stating my intention to send trained volunteers to do registrations in front of their stores; in each letter I list the stores from the phone book. I make copies of this letter to put in a packet each tabler will take to their tabling site. (Nothing solves a conflict with a grocery store manager better than when a volunteer actually knows the name of the regional manager.)

I don't own a computer but a friend of mine who is also a Green Party member does, and I ask him to enter the 170 Green registrants from my list into a database and print one sheet per registrant--these are our initial calling lists. My friend and I divide up the list, and we follow up the postcard I sent out (inviting Green Party registrants to the orientation) with a phone call.

Because I am always a positive thinker, but not a fool, I figure we'll probably have no more than 6 volunteers that first weekend, and my friend and I get 3 ironing boards set up. We make signs to hang from the ironing boards. We decorate 3 coffee cans to say something like, "Donations to help build the Green Party" and we bolt them to the ironing boards. We cut some corrugated cardboard into pieces to use as clipboards and rubberband 20 registration forms to each (we don't want to spend money on real clipboards). We put some literature on the clipboards, too, so that something on the clipboard says "Green Party" when the person registering is holding it.

Saturday comes. It's 10:00 a.m., and there are 4 cheery volunteers along with my friend and me. I've determined the 3 best tabling locations in advance--at least, I think they're the best locations, but I'm flexible in case someone else knows something I don't. My friend and I do an orientation; I don't want people to get bored with my voice and tune out, so I've asked my friend to do part of the talk. My section is first and deals with the voter registration form and techniques to maximize the number of registrations per hour; then my friend talks about the Green Party, how far we are in the registration drive, the 10 "key values", and other Green sorts of things.

When we're done with questions and answers, it's about 10:30. Alot of information has been imparted, but no one's eyes have yet glazed over. It's time to go out to our locations.

I try to pair people up because no one should go out alone. For one thing, it's more fun in teams. People are more likely to actually stay out the length of time they agreed on when they're with someone else, and people can take bathroom breaks without leaving their ironing boards unattended. When I pair people up, I use these 3 criteria, in this order: One member of the team must have transportation to the site; one member of the team should have experience (or at least confidence) in registering voters and in talking about the Green Party; and it's nice to pair men and women together because some potential registrants will not stop and talk to men, and some will not stop and talk to women.

We agree to meet back at my house at 3:00 p.m. to count up our registrations, the volunteers we recruited, and the donations we collected. I have drinks and snacks ready. I know this debriefing and socializing time is essential in building a base of volunteers. It's a chance to find out who is good at this sort of work and who isn't, and which volunteers would like to take on more responsibility for making sure that all the tasks in the system are carried out. I also find out what questions "people on the street" have asked about the Green Party, so our literature can be modified to address people's questions and concerns.

My friend takes the voter registration cards home and enters our new registrants into the database. We plan to invite these people who have just registered with us to next Saturday's orientation. My friend prints out the calling pages for the new people. One of the new volunteers is a real estate agent and agrees to let us meet every Monday and Tuesday after work at her office to use the phones, so now we have a good phone bank site. (At this point, we need only one night to call through the 50 or so names, but we arrange two nights because as the drive goes on, we will probably have many hundreds of numbers to call, and we want to get an early start on our systematic approach).

Through phone calls Monday night we get commitments from 9 people to show up for tabling on Saturday, and that very evening we mail each person a reminder postcard thanking them for their commitment and reminding them of my address and Saturday's starting time.

Also, I start a calendar book because 2 of the 9 also agreed to go out the following Saturday, and I want to have a page for each Saturday with the names and phone numbers of the people we are expecting that day. My friend has agreed to make reminder calls to people on these sheets every Friday night.

On Tuesday, I break down all the clipboards looking for completed registration forms we may have missed on Saturday. And I take $13 from the donations we collected and buy a fourth ironing board. By Wednesday night, the materials are ready for the following Saturday and I am determined that at next Saturday's debriefing I will identify a volunteer to take care of the clipboards and literature for the next few weeks.

At each debriefing, I look for people willing to take on components of the organizing effort. I want to spread the work around so that no one person burns out. Also, I encourage people to rotate responsibilities so that people can fill in for each other when necessary. By the fifth week we have identified a core of 10 regulars and about 25 people have done some volunteering.

As much as I hate meetings, I now schedule a regular meeting for Saturday at 3:30 p.m., following the debriefing so that the business of the Green Party of Velcro County can be taken care of. We are now collecting in excess of $50 per weekend, and we need a bank account and a treasurer. Also, the people doing the Hemp Initiative want our endorsement and we need to decide whether or not to give the endorsement.

At this point the cycle of phonebanking, orientation, tabling, debriefing, delegating, policy meeting, and data entry is up and running. Things are going well.


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