yds 2009 chapter organizing guide

8/14/2019 YDS 2009 Chapter Organizing Guide

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ORGAGANIZIIZINGGFOROR JUSUSTIC EIC E

A resource booklet for effective campus and community organizing

ydsydschapterchapterorganizingorganizingguideguide2009 edition


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YOUNG

DEMOCRATIC

SOCIALISTS

75 Maiden Lane Suite 505New York, NY 10038

office | (212) 727-8610fax| (212) 608-6955

[email protected]

www.ydsusa.org


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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

PART I ORGANIZING: Getting Started! Forming a YDS ChapONE Forming an Organizing Committee (OC)

TWO The First Meeting

THREE Turning the OC into a Chapter

PART II ACTION: Campaigns and Action for ChangeONE Planning an Event

TWO Organizing a Teach-InTHREE Organizing a Rally

FOUR Traveling

PART III THEORY: Democratic Socialism as a Unifying ThemeONE Education

TWO Challenging Supremacy

THREE Ideology

PART IV STRUCTURE & PROCESS: Structuring Your Chapter ONE Nuts & Bolts

TWO Structure and Process

THREE Facilitating a Meeting

FOUR We are All Leaders Here

FIVE The Future of Your Chapter and YDS

PART V PUBLICITY: Getting the Word Out!ONE The R Word

TWO Creating Propaganda

THREE Tabling

FOUR Creating Merchandise

FIVE Media

PART VI OUTREACH: Growing YDS and the Movement!ONE Working with Other Groups

YDS1


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INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Young Democratic Socialists!

As democratic socialists, we share a profound belief that a

etter world is possible. We are committed to working towards

reater economic and social justice so that the needs of

veryone can be met as opposed to the further enrichment of a

rivileged few. In order to achieve a truly just and democraticociety in which ordinary people assume control over their own

ves, the economy and many government institutions must be

adically transformed. Only by joining together in collective

ction are we able to bring about the progressive changes our

world so desperately needs. Activists who share our

ommitment to the ideals of democratic socialism have a vital

ole to play in building these movements for change.

The Young Democratic Socialists (YDS) are the youth

ection of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and

were the only U.S. member of the International Union of

Socialist Youth (IUSY), the largest youth political organization

n the world. YDS has a proud history of organizing for justice.

As an organization of youth and student activists, YDS was

eavily involved in the movement in the eighties against

partheid in South Africa and the movement against the prison

ndustrial complex that grew in the nineties. We continue to

lay a principled role in struggles for social and economic

ustice - fighting for change in our communities, on our

ampuses, at the ballot box and beyond.

As evidenced by the Civil Rights and anti-war movements of

he 1960s, students and youth have played an extremelyrucial part in the transformation of American politics by

roviding a tremendous force for both political and cultural

hange. Students and youth in the Student Nonviolent

Coordinating Committee (SNCC) constantly pushed the Civil

Rights movement of the sixties forward, and the Students for a

Democratic Society (SDS) were an important part of the anti-

war movement of the same time.

Socialists and young people have not only organized in their

ommunities, but also in the educational institutions that are

ital to American political culture. This is discussed in the Port

Huron Statement, the founding document of the Students for a

Democratic Society, which asks:

Where else can power and vision be summoned? We believe

that the universities are an overlooked seat of influence. First,

the university is located in a permanent position of social

influence. Its educational function makes it indispensable and

automatically makes it a crucial institution in the formation of

social attitudes. Second, in an unbelievably complicated world,

it is the central institution for organizing, evaluating and

transmitting knowledge.

Essentially, colleges and universities are the places w

ideas are formulated and policy debated and developed.

critical for YDS to be an active part of that discussion.

have to organize effectively to change peo

misconceptions about socialism, to broaden political deb

and to fight the cynicism and apathy all political groups fac

and off campus today. In our daily lives, young people can

turn the tide against oppression and the myths surrounding

virtues of greed.

PART I ORGANIZING:

Getting Started! Forming a YDS Chapter

The Midwest Academy says that organizin

overwhelmingly about personal relationships

relationships organizers develop are their most impo

resource and forming relationships their most important tal

Forming a YDS chapter is about building bonds of mutual

with other people committed to social justice. The comryou develop through YDS, on your campus, in

community, and nationally, will last a lifetime and will const

inspire and empower you, not to mention help sustain yo

the struggle and make sure you are having fun as you cha

the world!

When you approach someone, be they a friend

acquaintance, or a sympathetic stranger about beco

involved with YDS (or for that matter about any issue on w

you want them to take action) there are few guidelines

should keep in mind. Not only will this help develop

relationship with folks, itll help you understand motivations and the issues they care about. Organizin

conversation into a one-on-one, and following a few sim

steps will greatly help you locate a community of comra

and allies:

Start the conversation: be confident, reasonable aconsiderate.Get them talking, then practice active listening: whkinds of issues are they interested in? Get them talkiabout themselves.Educate and agitate: provide information about YDour goals, and what youd like to do that would addresome of the issues that they mentioned as motivatithem. Talk about why its important for them to ginvolved.Assess their support: how can you tell if theyintrigued or scared? Ask them straight up: will you heme start a YDS chapter (or will you help plan a labsolidarity campaign, or will you come to this teach-etc.).Move them to action and get a commitment: if they sthey will help out in some way, ask them to take


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specific action. Take into consideration their timeconstraints and skills, and make your ask big or smallaccordingly. Then make a follow-up plan (attending achapter planning meeting, attending an event, putting upposters, etc.).

ONE | Forming an Organizing Committee

The first step in forming a kick-ass YDS chapter is forming

n Organizing Committee (OC). The goal in forming an OC iso get about three to five people who are interested in doing

he necessary work to start a chapter. If you havent already

one this, ask the YDS national office for possible contacts in

our area. There may be none, but in larger cities there tends

o be a few YDS and DSA members or folks who have

xpressed interest and provided their contact information to

he national organization. Likely, there are a handful of

members, faculty contacts, and sympathizers in your proximity,

nd sometimes connecting with these folks is the best way to

et started.

Next, talk to your friends, classmates, or coworkers. If there

s someone who regularly vocalizes concerns about the state

of affairs, try to get them interested in joining you in taking

teps to realized change. Get them involved! Many people

will be curious, and willing to give it a try. Finally, if there are no

ontacts in your area and you dont know anyone who wants to

oin, there are other ways to find members. These are

iscussed in the Publicity section. Check that part of the guide

or advice on ads, posters, tabling, and more.

If you do these simple steps, you should be able to recruit a

ew members to form an OC. If youre still stuck after all this,lease dont hesitate to call the national office at 212.727.8610

xtension 24 (office) or 917.662.0276 (cell) to brainstorm other

deas.

TWO | The First Meetings

Now that you have an OC, set up a planning meeting so

ou can discuss strategy as a group. Basically, the point of an

Organizing Committee is to prepare for a first general

meeting. At the OC meeting, be prepared to answer

uestions, but try to keep it as friendly and casual as possible.You might start with a brief discussion of what YDS is and what

Democratic Socialism is, and then talk about why you want to

tart a chapter.

Here are some things that differentiate YDS from other

ctivist groups: 1) we do multi-issue organizing, which helps

raw the connections between different forms of oppression.

But, we go beyond that; 2) we name the system (Capitalism)

s part of a broader analysis of power relations, unlike many

multi-issue groups. But, unlike some other anti-capi

groups, 3) we take electoral politics seriously. We can use

privilege to improve oppressed peoples lives nowas we

our own, rather than throwing ourselves against the e

capitalist system ineffectually; and we can make a profo

impact on the way power-politics operate when we get ou

vote for candidates (especially at the local level!) who r

share our dreams. There is no telling what a grassroots, m

movement of ordinary people around socialist ideals c

accomplish if we could move our dreams and analysis from

fringe to more involved practices of politics. Also unlike s

other lefty groups, 4) we have a very democratic structure

encourage debate and discussion, rather than fo

adherence to a particular viewpoint or party line. Fin

related to the previous point, 5) we unite theory and practi

we both struggle in the streets and develop our socialist id

and educate each other through discussion.

That said, once everyone is pumped about democ

socialism and YDS, remember to make it clear that the order of business is to form a chapter. This is the best wa

stay organized, maintain visibility, and be able to press

demands on targets, all with the strength of a well-for

chapter. Now you can get to the more exciting stuff: A

answering basic questions, have a brief discussion on

OCs collective vision for the organization and the political

of the land so youll know how a YDS chapter will best fit

your political environment. Every campus and commun

different, therefore, each YDS chapter relates to its campu

community in a unique way.

During your first meeting, you should discuss the polturf that your YDS chapter will be dealing with. If there

already tons of progressive groups, you might function

multi-issue group that connects the dots about different fo

of oppression, or as a more discussion-oriented group, w

all your members are active in other activist groups and

lend YDSs name to campaigns as a coalition partner, w

your primary YDS activity might be to organize film show

or book discussions, host events and social gatherings a

democratic socialism and how it informs your activism.

more conservative campuses you might serve as the

opposition voice to the right-wing, so youd structure

organizing quite differently. Every campus is unique, so

definitely best to have a discussion with the YDS nati

organizer to talk about your campus and strategize on how

can succeed and find your niche.

Here are some questions to consider in getting to k

your campus or community. Taking the time to answer t

will really help you get a sense of what role your YDS cha

will fulfill:


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Is your school residential or commuter, urban orrural? If it's commuter, are there other campus groupsthat aresuccessful, and if so, how do they operate? When andwhere do they advertise and meet? Is it on or offcampus?

What is the student body or community like withrespect to:

class, race, ethnicity, gender, religion?

public or private?size of school?

How much political activity is there on campus orcommunity? Does something else dominate studenttime(sports, theatre, etc)?

What are the other political groups on campus(allies, opposition, moderates), and what's thegeneral atmosphere (left, right, relativelyindifferent)? Are there other socialist groups around,including in the community, and how are they viewed?

Do politics center around student government,single issue groups, or identity-based groups? Isthere already a multi-issue progressive group? Isthere an unsatisfied interest out there that you canorganize?

What are the politics of the Student GovernmentAssociation (SGA) (for campus chapters)?

Are there funds for student groups, and if so, howdo you get them (this is often related to the questionabout the politics of the SGA)? What other resources

are available (materials, office space, etc.)?

How do you officially register a new group (forcampus based YDS chapters)?

How do you reserve rooms to meet?

Where do people gather on campus?

Where do people get their information on campus?

What are publicity regulations, and when areposters torn down?

The Organizing Committee should also define its short-term

oals, including establishing a chapter and increasing

membership. Finally, discuss and delegate tasks to the

members of the Organizing Committee to get together the first

eneral meeting, which is one of the most important tasks for a

hapter because it launches the chapter and should develop a

trong base of members. Tasks that are necessary to have a

successful meeting include securing a good location, st

publicity, turnout calls the night before, creating the age

and choosing someone to facilitate the meeting. To orga

all these tasks, it can be very helpful to create a timeline

example, three weeks out invite a speaker, reserve a ro

and table every day in the student center. Two weeks

figure out an agenda, plaster campus with posters

banners, pick a facilitator, send out emails to progres

campus and community groups, keep tabling, and try to re

all your friends. One week out, do another round of m

publicity with posters, chalking, emails, etc., and phoneb

everyone youve signed up from tabling one or two ni

before).

Location: Where will people be comfortable? The

item is securing a good location for your first general meet

As with most meetings that you will be a part of planning in

future, it should be in a place easily accessible to the g

that you are trying to organize, in public areas where pe

would be comfortable to go, at a time that would be conve

for them. For example, if you are organizing at school, meeting should be on campus, at a time in which stud

would be able to attend (after classes). If you are organizi

a community, it should be centrally located, such as

community center or library. Union locals and liberal chur

will often have space you can use. You can also have

meeting at your home or in a restaurant or bar, but for obv

reasons these are each more problematic.

After deciding these basic parameters, you sh

immediately start (if you havent already) in securing

location on as regular a basis as possible, for instance, onweek at the same time on the same day. In most cases,

best to meet weekly if possible. Your first general mee

should just be the beginning of many to come. You shoul

able to invite new members to the next meeting the follow

week; otherwise you might lose potential activists to a lu

momentum.

If you are on campus, securing a location is relatively e

Most schools have meeting areas for student organizatio

Often, you must be a Registered Student Organization [R

(or the schools equivalent) in order to book room space.

the section later on Becoming a Student OrganizatioHowever, in most cases, the school is happy to allow

groups to hold meetings in some space if they are acti

pursuing RSO status. If you dont have time to jump thro

the hoops necessary to become an RSO before you wa

meet, simply have your meeting in some other public sp

such as in the student union or lounge. It is not ideal, as

provide more distractions, but if it is the only way to get the

rolling, go for it.


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Publicity: Getting people involved! Were all in YDS

ecause we have a vision for a better future. But, we cant get

here alone, so we need to spread the word and find other

olks who want to join us in the movement for justice.

Especially when youre starting out, its important to create a

ood buzz on campus. Be sure to do as much publicity as

ossible, especially about your first general meeting or kick-off

vent: for example, you might put up banners, set up a table

n a busy part of campus, chalk campus walkways, or ask

ympathetic professors to make announcements or let you

ome to their class. The important thing is to spread the

nergy and excitement around. If people feel like this

organization is better equipped to actually do something, and if

ou all have such a good time doing it, then people will surely

e drawn to your group. Think creatively and think fun, and

ou are sure to come up with ways to get kids out there (you

might want to skip down to the Publicity Section briefly for

many more ideas)!

Finally, consider making turnout calls one or two days

efore your event. All of the names and phone numbers thatou have collected over the past days/weeks of tabling and

alking to people should now be put to good use. Consider

ompiling these contacts into a consolidated list so that they

re easily accessible. They will come in handy every time you

re planning an event, having a meeting, or anything else that

might require your public face. Invite them to the general

meeting, specifying the time, place and date. Basically, start

with a brief spiel and be ready to answer questions. Since all of

hese people signed your list, theyll be at least interested in

what you have to say. If you do this, you are more likely to get

greater number of people that signed up at your table to yourmeeting. You should send an announcement out to any local

rogressive email list-serves that exist. Beyond that, it is good

o contact other friendly organizations (such as progressive,

dentity-based, or student/community groups, etc.) and faculty.

Let them know of your first meeting, invite members and state

our willingness to work with them once you are organized.

Agenda: Make it interesting! The next item that should be

repared before you have the kick-off public meeting is

eveloping an agenda: a list of items to be discussed.Otherwise, your meeting may devolve into chaos.

A basic first meeting agenda would begin with introductions

round the room. For example, each attendee could state

heir name, their major/job, their year in school if theyd like,

heir favorite hobby and the reason that they came to the

meeting that day. Make sure to pass around a sign-in sheet for

eople who are there to collect phone number and emails.

This should be followed by an introduction to Y

Someone in the Organizing Committee should hav

relatively brief statement about YDS prepared (5 minute

so). The statement should include the core unifying tene

the organization (such as democracy, solidarity, liberty, jus

and equality), the national/international organization (pe

are often comforted by knowing that they are not alone in

struggle), and the types of things that a democratic soc

campus/community group could do (i.e., activism, discus

groups, etc.). Talk about why we call ourselves socia

This statement could be split up among more than one pe

(in fact, it is better that way).

You could then have a speaker, such as the YDS nat

organizer, another YDS leader (elected leadership or long

activists), or even well-known DSA members, such as Bar

Ehrenreich, Cornel West, or Dolores Huerta. A good spe

particularly a well-known one, can help get the student b

excited about the organization. You could also facilita

discussion to get people talking. As it is a first meeting

good to discuss something simple, like what is the bigissue to you in America today? This discussion, if facilit

properly, can engage the new members and get them ex

about doing something about issues of common concern

great way to keep track of peoples concerns and what

chapter could about them is to write them down as people

them (best on a large piece of paper so everyone can k

track as well). If the discussion could then turn toward

outline of ideas for projects that would address all t

concerns, all the better. You may want to keep a mental

for yourself of the issues that people brought up and wha

best way to engage each person in any one aspect of thiof concerns.

The last item on the agenda should allow for some tim

announcements. At that point, someone should also anno

the time and place of the next YDS meeting as well as w

the group will be doing from now until the next meeting

how can we put these ideas into action, at the next meetin

will discuss what projects we want to work on for

year/semester, etc.).

A sample agenda that might include all of these things

made-up locale metropolis) would look as follows. Jusconscious of time as people might get restless after a

while. Keep the meeting on track and dynamic and you w

have that problem.


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Young Democratic Socialists of Metropolis

General Meeting

Sept. 6th, Student Center Rm. 101

.) Introductions

A. What are we all about? (name, major/job, year in school,

avorite hobby, and why did we come tonight?)

B. Whats YDS all about?

.) Speaker and/or Discussion: What is the biggest issue to you

n America today?

.) Announcements

Facilitator: Keep it going. It is also very important to pick

facilitator for this meeting. We will spend time on Facilitating

Meeting later in the guide, since that will be a necessary skill

or all future organizing. But simply put, a good meeting

acilitator should make sure that everyone gets to speak, that

obody dominates discussion, and that the group stays on

ask. Two people can share this job at a meeting.

Ending: Leave folks wanting more! Be sure your meeting

as a good ending. Have a time set and dont let it drag on. If

eople leave before the meeting is officially over, they may not

e coming back. Thank everyone for coming, announce (or

ecide) the next meeting time and place and make sure

nyone who has agreed to do something knows what theyve

greed to do. When the meeting is over, however, dont run off.

People will often hang out and talk. People too timid to speakp and ask questions in the meeting may want to ask you

omething afterwards. Make yourself accessible. Perhaps

nvite everyone to go to a nearby restaurant. At this meeting

nd all others, avoid being cliquish! Remember, were all

rothers and sisters in the struggle, and no one sticks around if

hey feel rejected.

Your first public meeting is very important. Its the time to

ring in interested folks and explain YDS, talk about activist

lans, and make friends. For a lot of people, this may be the

rst time theyve met other left-leaning folks. The meeting

hould be impressive, but not intimidating. It shouldnt be too

ormal, but it should be structured. Well talk more about

meetings later, but remember, every meeting could be

omebodys first meeting, so being welcoming is key.

THREE | Turning Your OC into a Chapter

As you get going and begin to build up a regular

membership, you should become an official chapter. Youll

want to register with both YDS and your school. Youll wa

generally establish yourselves as an entity, make an ema

and phone tree, perhaps even open a bank account, etc.

Becoming a YDS ChapterA YDS chapter is made u

five or more YDS members. Contact the national office, su

the names, contact info and addresses of the members,

voila, you are a chapter. Oh, you also have to pay due

Unlike some leftist organizations that shall remain name

YDS does not hound, harass, or harangue our membersmoney. Nor do we insist on people selling our publication,

Activist. However, we like dues money. We really, really

dues money, because without it we cant function. It

makes it hard for us to provide you, chapters, with

materials and support necessary to sustain national or e

some local activist campaigns.

The other thing to consider is who in the chapter might w

to get involved in YDS at the national level. Once the cha

is up and running, it can be helpful to delegate or elect pe

from the chapter to serve on the YDS national commit

(feminist, anti-racist, international, and organizing), which

open to any YDS member. Folks who are intereste

learning about coordinating a national activist organiza

should consider running to be on the YDS Coordin

Committee. People are elected at the annual sum

conference and serve one year terms. More information ca

found on the YDS national website, www.ydsusa.org.

Becoming a Recognized Student Organiza

Depending on your school, this will almost certainly be m

difficult than becoming a YDS chapter. Schools may requ

minimum number of student members (5-15), a faculty advor a constitution, and will probably make you sit through s

boring meetings. However, this is almost always wort

Registered student organizations (RSOs) can get money

even office space at some schools. Doing things on cam

(like booking rooms) will be easier if you are registered,

may be impossible if you are not. Contact the University to

out the exact procedure. Find out all the resources you

get, and exploit the hell out of them. Establish good rela

with the office of student activities on your campus, s

antagonizing them can endanger the chapter status a

registered club. Know deadlines and learn all the bureaucprocedures necessary for chapter events, and investigat

the possibilities for achieving a more visible presence

campus.

Some schools may block you from becoming an RSO

which case you should call the YDS national office for id

Often if youre being blocked from forming an official cha

for bogus reasons, other progressive groups are too, a

may be something you can build a coalition around and


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he administration to distribute resources more fairly to student

roups. For example, the Rutgers University YDS chapter has

een told that they are too similar to other political groups on

ampus, even though there are only the College Democrats

nd the College Republicans, of which we are clearly neither,

nd no socialist groups! It turns out the Rutgers is also saying

he same thing to an ACLU student group, so perhaps a

ampaign is in order

Phone Trees When you want to mobilize supportersuickly, a phone tree is a useful and efficient tool. Phone trees

an be generated from a sign-up sheet at a general meeting.

From this list, elect a phone tree coordinator who is

esponsible for triggering a mass calling. The coordinator

organizes the information to be announced, then alerts the

hone tree volunteers (branches, if you will), who each have a

st of people to call with information about the next big meeting

or event. For regular meetings, you only want to call members

of your core group, though its useful to email everyone else

once in awhile about the regular meeting times. For large

ublic events, assigning each core member 5-10 additionalupporters on their branch (as well as the contact persons for

other organizations) to notify can turn out a large crowd. The

oordinator should check with phone tree volunteers to verify

hat calls are being made, and also be prepared to take up the

lack if necessary.

Email Setting up a list-serve for members and people who

ave signed up can help keep people abreast of upcoming

vents and meetings, but neverrely solely on email. E-mail is

asy and can reach a lot of people in a short time, but they are

lso easily overlooked (how many times have you simplyeleted message after message without really looking at the

ontent?). The best way to really reach people is to call them.

t might be helpful to have a general announcement listserve

hat you add people to when they sign up at a YDS table, and

lways announce regular meetings and events to, plus an

nternal listserve for discussion and planning.

Opening a Bank Account Even though you wont start out

with much money, this is a good thing to do. Many banks will

et small, non-profit groups open free checking accounts. Your

chool may provide a service for recognized groups. Either

way, this is a good idea and will make things a lot easier.People are more willing to donate if they make the check out to

Young Democratic Socialists, Metropolis University, as

opposed to Lex Luthor. You will need to get a taxpayer ID

umber in order to open a bank account. These are available

rom the IRS, even online, if you dont mind that Mr. Ashcroft

may be looking over your commie pinko shoulder.

Buying Stuff There are a few things you may want toonsider purchasing early on. A second-hand bullhorn or

megaphone can be found on the Internet for around $50 ifplan to do some major campaigning. Newer or nicer ones more, but having a bullhorn will make any protest or rally measier (and louder). If your chapter plans on being an acnoise-making group, its a must have. A button-maker is agreat investment. Having buttons every time you table great way to make money and spread your message. Oitems will come up, of course, which brings us to

Raising Money A typical YDS chapter will have a s

budget, dominated by printing costs. Other things that mcome up would include one time purchases (a bullhor

table, for instance), infrastructure costs (a PO Box or inte

account), travel costs for national or regional protests or

conferences and events, and costs for an event (rental

refreshments for a film showing, perhaps).

Money can come from several sources. First, you can h

members. Your chapter can pay dues to the chapter as we

the national, to give your bank account a little starting mo

Members will often put up a little cash for small, spontane

expenditures, but dont expect anyone to enjoy making a

of it. Regular tabling can bring in some donations, especia

youre talking about a hot-button issue at the time.

For more money, youre going to have to solicit donat

First, try the school. For registered organizations, there wi

a process for applying to the school for money. For exampl

the University of Chicago the YDS chapter was able to

several thousand dollars to host a two-day Midwest Acad

organizing training on campus, provided they made it ope

all members of the university community and made a fo

proposal for the money months in advance. Besides

school, ask local unions, faith-based organizationscommunity organizations with wealthier members than

broke-ass YDS chapter. Typically, older leftists are more

willing to hand over money to younger activists. They give

money; we give our time and energy.

The most important thing in asking for money is te

people what it is for and then using it well. While a unio

group may be willing to give you a small start-up dona

after that, theyre much more willing to give you money if

are asking for a specific reason, and can point to other ti

when you used their donation well.

Anytime you have an event, pass the hat, or ask

donations at the door. You usually cant charge admissi

youre showing a film, but you can always ask people to m

donations. Dont bore people to death with pleas for money

certain groups do, but the phrase a small donation to

cover the cost of putting this on is never amiss at a

protest event. (Asking for money at rallies is tacky. You

raise money for a cause, but dont try and make mone

protesting. If you have a literature table set up, though


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okay to set out a donation tin.) Finally, you should also

onsider having events that function solely as fundraisers.

Having a friends band play or throwing a Socialist Party can

e a great way to raise money and put the social in socialism.

Throwing joint parties with other student/activist orgs can be

un and encourage greater cooperation between groups.

PART II ACTION:

Campaigns and Action for Change

As Frederick Douglass famously said, without struggle

there is no progresspower concedes nothing without a

demand.

A great deal of the work of any YDS chapter will be spent

on action, as part of a strategic campaign for social change.

Democratic socialism is about fighting for structural changes in

our society, empowering the oppressed and building amovement to challenge capitalism, sexism, racism,

omophobia and imperialism, and having a vision for a better,

more just future.

Many YDSers are students, and as such we have

normous power to use our relative privilege to support the

truggles of others. For example, we can speak up about bad

working conditions on campus, where workers trying to form a

nion could be penalized. We also have the ability to influence

uge actors in capitalismcolleges and universitiesto make

nstitutional changes and shift the balance of power or create a

limate where hope and further victories are more possible.

For example, a living wage campaign on campus would

ertainly help workers earn more money, but it wouldnt have

he same lasting, structural shifts of power that winning a union

ampaign could, because when workers form a union, they

ave an organization that can literally stand up management

over everything in the workplace, from wages to benefits to

ignity and respect.

Another way to think about it is this: some campaigns have

specific target in the community, like the university

dministrator who makes decisions about working conditions,nd its important to remember that campaigns to change

pecific things on our own campuses can often have a huge

mpact on things happening nationally or internationally.

Educating people about a specific issue, such as the benefits

of a union in general, in absence of a target or way to make

eal change now, is less useful. Therefore, every tactic we use

teach-ins, rallies, press conferences) should be part of a

igger plan (raising a ruckus and forcing the administration to

e neutral in an employee union campaign, for example, or

pressuring your state Senators and Representatives to vot

the Employee Free Choice Act, which makes it more fair

easy for workers to form unions).

Of course, getting away from the workers rights issue, t

are plenty of other struggles that YDS supports, such

defending affirmative action, increasing access to reprodu

and sexual healthcare for all and abortion rights for wom

ending U.S. imperialist conquest abroad, shifting away

our reliance on dirty and unhealthy energy sources and enenvironmental racism, and redirecting our collective tax do

to benefit all of us through quality public services. These

all struggles we can engage in, and they all have elements

not only create change, but empower people to make sure

the improvements truly last.

Since YDS is out to transform society, and since we

interested in many important issues, many chapters often

difficulty deciding where to focus their attention. Con

these questions: Are some members particularly intereste

one issue and willing to devote time to work on it? Is ther

issue of local relevance that you could work on together

the community? Is the rest of YDS working on a nat

project in which your chapter could play a role?

A good YDS campaign or project does several things:

--It focuses on an issue that is relevant and exciting to yo

people.

--It allows chapter to make specifically socialist argum

about key issues.

--It facilitates close cooperation with other progressive stu

organizations, unions or community groups.

--It raises the profile of the organization, and attracts

members.

--It is fun and educational for YDS activists working on it.

Figuring out a good strategy to run this kind of campaig

best done by brainstorming a plan and timeline with a Y

organizer prior to launching, but the tactical elements

reviewed below. Whether as a part of an ongoing camp

on campus or in solidarity with a national or internat

campaign or protest, your chapter will often be plan

carrying out, or assessing an action. Actions take many fo

from a mild press conference to a fiery rally. In this sec

well start with an overview of good campaign strategy and

basic considerations in having an action, and then go thro

some of the process in putting on two general types of act

a teach-in/educational forum, and a rally/protest.


12/29

ONE | Planning an Event

The group taking on the campaign should hold a

rainstorming session in which ideas are thrown out without

riticism. Next, discuss and evaluate each idea and

etermine, as a group, the best course of action. List the ideas

on paper. Decide: what are the best reasons (pressuring the

Administration, educating students, etc.) and methods for

aking action. Possible types of activities include:

Educational Speaking to groups or organizing forums, leafleting,

writing letters to editors or op-ed columns, tabling at shopping malls

r public events, teach-ins, etc.

Making Opposition Visible Rallies, street theater, banner hangs,

igils, marches, symbolic action, etc.

nfluencing elected representatives Writing, calling, emailing,

etitions, lobbying, etc.

Actively withdrawing consent and compliance Refusal of

cooperation (as with the war effort, soldiers refusing to fight)

boycotts, strikes, etc.

Disruption Direct action and civil disobedience. YDS advocates

nonviolent resistance.

mporting things to consider when planning any campaign

or action:

WHO: Who do you need to convince? Who will be receptive to the

message? If these are two different audiences, have a message for

oth or make your main message appeal to them both. Who can be

eached? Always remember that the secret of successful

rganizing is that trying to convert people who disagree with youotally should not be your focus. Your attention should be more

eared toward getting those who remain undecided to support your

osition, encourage those who agree with you to engage in more

ctivity, and empower those who are active to become confident

rganizers in their own right.

WHAT is our message? What symbols, images, slogans, props,

olors, sound bites, etc. express our message?

WHERE is the best location? Is there a location at which we can

irectly confront some aspect of the issue in question or reach

rowds of people? Where are your exit routes? Where is the best

lace to be visible? What are the hazards?

WHEN will the action be most effective? When will people be

round?

HOW will we carry out this action? Who will be doing what?

A powerful action has an entrance and exit strategy, and a

limactic moment in between. What will that be? How will you

now when its over?

Afterwards, evaluate the outcome and debrief what worked

nd what didnt. Plan the next one. Repeat.

TWO | Organizing Teach-Ins

Teach-ins are educational events or small-scale

conferences. Depending on how ambitious you get, they

fairly easy to organize, highly effective educational outre

tools for chapter. Essentially, you are asking students to

time out of their schedules to attend another class or

What you are promising them is a well thought out, insig

look at a critical issue. Some of the most impo

considerations in organizing a teach-in are getting compe

speakers, having good publicity, and getting an acces

venue. If these are done, there is no limit to your potential

important to remember though, that no matter how small

turnout may be, if even one person is exposed to new idea

was worth the time.

Issues In todays world, there is no shortage of issue

be pissed of about, though of course its definitely most us

to choose an issue that supports campaigns you are run

(See previous section A good YDS campaign.) For examif youre trying to force the campus clinic to provide

morning after pill to women, it might be useful to have a te

in on the general right-wing assault on women and how it

into whats happening on campus. If you pick a topic that is

on the publics radar screen however, be sure and do e

organizing. If the U.S. is about to invade a country, m

people will be interested. If you want to explain unive

healthcare to students who probably dont pay their

medical bills, you will have to do the organizing and public

convince them that this is an issue that affects them.

button issues in national and international politics are impoto consider; however, the best topics are ones with a d

relevance to your audience. If in doubt, look at your

headlines and watch the local news. Listen to the c

phrases, and look past them to see the bigger is

Furthermore, as an organizer, you should pick an issue

people can get involved in immediately. If your YDS chapt

not addressing this issue through a campaign, you should

the event so that attendees can hook up with a

organization that is doing work on this issue.

Speakers Depending on your location and your t

appropriate speakers will vary. The goal is to find a spe

who can eloquently and intelligently express your point of v

Depending on the issue, call local organizations that woul

able to provide good speakers. If youre hosting a teach i

labor issues, call a local union; if youre having a teach-i

civil rights or affirmative action, call your local NAACP cha

or contact the Black Radical Congress; if youre havin

teach-in on civil liberties, call the ACLU. They will probabl

willing to speak, you just have to ask. The worst thing


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ould hear is no. College professors also usually make great

peakers, and if members of your own chapter or other student

eaders on campus feel confident about pertinent topics, by all

means lead the event yourself! You can always ask the

ational YDS office for resources like fact sheets, related

rticles, talking points, or do a little research yourself. Its a

ood idea to feel confident articulating the democratic socialist

erspective on a wide range of issues, and this is a great way

o practice and develop those skills.

Cold Calls One thing that you definitely need to understand

s that cold calls are okay. Heres what you say: Hi, my name

s (Jane Smith), and Im calling on behalf of the Young

Democratic Socialists of (Gotham City). Were putting on a

each-in about (NAFTA and the FTAA) and we were wondering

f yall would be able to provide a speaker about how this

ffects (working people).

If youve never done one, a cold call is surprisingly easy:

ou look up the number in the yellow pages or online, write it

own, and call em up. Yes, it does take a little bit of nerve, but

he more you do, the easier it gets. Hate to say it, but

ometimes youll have to make a lot of these. If you need to

et a speaker on a labor issue, look up Labor Organizations:

n the Yellow Pages, and just start going through. As soon as

hey answer, give your spiel. When its over, the receptionist

will put you through to who you need to speak to. Remember,

YDS and DSA have name recognition; you may get a better

eception than you think. When the Metropolis University

Chapter asked for money to go to an anti-International

Monetary Fund-World Bank protest in D.C., the Secretary

Treasurer of the AFL-CIO in their state expressed his delight atwriting a check to the Young Democratic Socialists! Its not as

ard as you think.

Event When everything is in place for the teach-in and the

ublicity drive is underway, it is time to start thinking about the

ctual event. It would be great to print up a program, not only

sting the speakers, but also including a brief introduction to

YDS / Democratic Socialism. The day before the event, it is

ever a bad idea to call your speakers and re-confirm. Be sure

o make clear what their topic is and what the other panelists

will be speaking about.

At the event, be sure to set up a table. This table should be

made available to your guest speakers to distribute their

terature. Also, you should have YDS literature on hand and a

ign-up sheet. At an appropriate point, plug YDS. Mention

our meeting time and invite all interested people to attend. If

ou have events planned, announce them. This is best done

n the introduction or the conclusion.

The next day, or soon after, call your speakers and th

them. Also, be sure to personally thank everyone who wo

to make the teach-in happen. Finally, make sure to prom

add new names to the YDS general announcement list

and phone tree.

THREE | Organizing Rallies

Rallies are all different and the tone of a rally depegreatly on its focus. An anti-war protest is very different th

rally calling on the City Council to raise minimum wage. T

are a few general considerations that are common to all ra

though.

Location As with everything else, location is cru

Depending on the size and scope of the rally, approp

locations will vary. The main things to consider are visib

and accessibility. Be sure your location is somewhere pe

can get to at the time of the rally, and that it is visible to

surrounding community. Also, be sure its not too big. If

rally of 100 people only fills up a tenth of the park, it looks

smaller than if youre on the steps of the courthouse. Be

to find out if a permit is required for the location. Calling

local police department or parks department will put you in

right direction.

Sound A bullhorn is fine for 100 people or so, but you

want to rent a sound system for anything larger than

Generally speaking, wireless amplifiers can be rented for

than $50. Be sure and check the batteries!! Do no

strangers near the sound system. Trust us. Crazy people

come to your rally and will want to speak. If you let them, will say crazy things. That said, not all people who expres

interest in speaking publicly are crazy. Just be aware

once you hand over the mic, there is no accounting for

message (or even the medium of language), and you may

your event being identified with things you didnt say.

It can be quite beautiful, however, to empower peop

share with others, and to open the channel so that m

people can participate in the discourse, but this scenario te

to require more patience and respect than you could expe

spontaneously present itself. If that is something your gro

interested in exploring, make sure you think about how to d

and how people can take away a larger message from

event, that is enriched by peoples vignettes, but not to

subsumed by it.

Speakers Again, this will vary depending on your fo

Generally, its better to have a few short speeches rather

one long speech. Try and find people who you know are l

and fiery speakers, and ask them to speak for 5 minutes

matter how great a speech, people tend to lose their fo


14/29

fter more than a couple of minutes. Consider asking people

rom different groups or communities. If this issue affects many

ifferent parts of the community (as virtually every issue does),

or has several organizations working on it, be sure that the

widest range of speakers is represented. Consider diversity as

ou ask people to speak. Always remember: different strokes

or different folks. While one person may respond to a Marxist

nalysis of a problem, another might be moved by a faith-

ased point of view. (Side note on religion: The Left ranges

rom atheists to devoutly religious people, so this is always a

tickler. Some people hate rallies that involve invocations,

raying, and spiritual songs. But for some people, the struggle

s rooted in their spiritual faith. Theres no right or wrong

nswer, this is just a good thing to keep in mind.)

MC Be sure you have someone to be the Master of

Ceremonies. Much like any other facilitator, theyll have to get

hings started, introduce the speakers, and make sure

verything goes smoothly. If you have one person emceeing

nd/or leading chants, someone else should be nearby. People

ave a way of wanting to talk to whoever has a megaphone,nd its very difficult to talk and chant at the same time.

Entertainment Some people only like to march and chant,

march and chant. However, most folks want to have their

pirits lifted a little. Music, puppets, street theater, and other

orms of gaiety can help make an action both fun and effective.

Colorful puppets are a typical favorite with the media as well.

Depending on the action, this might not be appropriate, but

aving at least one song is always nice. If you want people to

ing along, pick something everybodyknows, and bring along

he lyrics on some leaflets. (Im sorry, but nobody knows Thenternationale. Most people do know We Shall Overcome.)

f you cant find anyone to play music, try setting up a boombox

with your sound system. If youre having a stationary rally

ather than a march, you can play political music as you set up.

This sets a festive, upbeat mood for the event and definitely

elps attract a crowd. A cheap, easy way to make your own

ntertainment is to turn five-gallon buckets into drums. You can

et these buckets for free from lots of restaurants. Just drill two

oles, and run a string through, and you can make dozens of

rums for people to play at a rally (this is great for a march).

Allegedly, five-gallon buckets also nicely cover tear-gasanisters.

Chants A fun pre-rally activity is making up chants. Have

omeone at the rally with a list, ready to get people going,

erhaps between speakers. Make sure the slogans are clear

nd easy to say over and over. Be original, and type of some

of the chants on leaflets to hand out.

Signs, banners, leaflets Be sure and have signs for

eople. Most folks wont think to bring a sign, and those that do

might not have the message you want. (At a Metropolis Pe

Rally, people showed up with signs saying Kill Your Lead

and Vote from the Rooftops.) Make big banners that pas

cars can see. Have informative leaflets to pass out that inc

your contact info. Pass around a sign-up sheet. You may w

to set up a table with your literature, buttons, etc.

Security Depending on your focus, the need for sec

will vary. Youll want to be prepared with peace-kee

(trained people in your group who volunteer to keep an eyefor trouble) and police liaisons. Assuming your action is

and not overly controversial, and that the KKK is now

nearby, you should be okay. Planning civil disobedience or

action with a high probability of arrest is not to be taken lig

and youll need to look into relevant training that wont fit in

manual. It is also something that must be considered in

context of who else might be arrested- for example, having

cops start arresting protesters at a worker solidarity rally

put undocumented immigrant workers in a very bad situa

The YDS office can help put you in touch with trainer

peace-keeping and non-violent resistance.

Ending Surprisingly, this is easy to overlook. Be sure

rally has a clearly defined end. Perhaps something that le

people feeling upbeat and gives them a clear step to t

Maybe a song. Keep an eye out as the rally breaks up. P

have been known to target individuals leaving a demonstra

FOUR | Traveling

Major national protests and conferences are a good cha

to combine the fight for social justice with good old road-tri

fun. Piling into a van and traveling to DC for a big protestgreat way to build chapter solidarity as well. YDS will o

organize a rendezvous for members coming to large prot

which along with YDS conferences is a great way to ge

know other YDSers from across the country. You can alw

check the website or call the office to find out about mee

spots for protests.

Out of town protests can be a good way to energiz

chapter and get new people involved. Be sure though, tha

you plan the trip, you dont forget to plan what to

afterwards. Chapters often have meteoric experiences aro

out of-town protest. A flurry of organizing culminates in fifor twenty people traveling to a protest, only to be followed

slow dwindling afterwards because no one knows what t

now. Trips to protests are a supplement to local organiz

and should never be the sole focus.

YDS can often find housing in major cities, so be sure

check with the office. Some of your comrades may be willin

put you up. If your chapter is a recognized group

university, you can apply for funds or perhaps rent a van


15/29

hem. Also, unions are often willing to give money to YDS

hapters to fund this sort of thing.

Activism and grassroots organizing are clearly some of the

most enjoyable and important things that a YDS chapter

ngages in. However, being a socialist is more than just

onfronting the man in the streets and chanting this is what

emocracy looks like.

PART III THEORY:

Democratic Socialism as a Unifying Theme

Unlike most progressive student organizations, YDS places

high priority on political education. We dont think that

ctivism alone is the answer. We want to give students and

oung people a foundation for a lifetime of struggle, not just

rovide a fan club to be in during college. Therefore, we

ngage in ongoing reflection on long term goals and socialism.

Rather than being something dry, completely abstract andsolated from our day-to-day organizing, theory can be tied to

very action you take or campaign you conduct as a YDS

hapter. A democratic socialist perspective is keenly attuned

o feminism, anti-racism, and anti-heterosexism. Our

deological base and systemic analysis gives us a foundation

ot seen in other multi-issue, progressive groups, while our

nternal democracy and willingness to publicly debate and

iscuss sets us apart from sectarian socialist organizations. At

he same time, we recognize that while having the humanist

mpulse that leads many people to democratic socialism may

e easy, learning to be able to justify and explain it to othersakes some work.

Learning about socialism, which has a rich and often

onfusing history, can be intimidating. However, if it is done in

he context of a fun social environment, it can be exciting. For

YDSers, democratic socialist ideas and vision infuse our

organizing, and our political perspective and attention to theory

s a constantly evolving tool to inform our work. We must

onstantly reflect on the lessons of past movements to help us

gure out how to organize better now. Smart, well-educated

ctivists are better activists, because they make strongerrguments, recruit more people to our cause, and better

epresent YDS. The trick is to make sure your chapter doesnt

urn into a group of coffee shop intellectuals, but emphasizes a

hief tenet of our mission, which is to educate ourselves and

others. Remember, socialism is a balance between theory and

ractice.

ONE | Education

External

While all YDS organized events should have

informational component, some are more cl

educational than others. Teach-ins, speakers, and

screenings are examples of good, easy-to-orga

activities that serve to raise awareness around

issue. Teach-ins are dealt with in the Action Sec

As the youth section of DSA, YDS chapters h

access to many widely respected speakers (inclu

DSA members like Bill Fletcher and Steve Max

addition, there are, of course, people in your area

can speak both to local issues and to larger iss

from a local point of view. Some speakers will w

payment, and this can be raised amongst memb

from your school, or from local ally groups, churc

and unions.

Films Showing one or more films is perhaps the easiest e

you can organize, though its important to include discus

afterwards so you can bring up the democratic soc

perspective. Choose a film that will draw both progressand the general public. Most of Michael Moores films w

that. If possible, have refreshments. If youre showing a

about oppression in Latin America, have a local Latin Ame

restaurant donate food. Have a YDSer introduce the film

make YDS announcements afterwards.

Internal

Building a Democratic Socialist Understanding

Reading circles, movie nights, potlucks, knitting circles

and discussion groups not only educate, but allow for some

socializing as well. Never forget that activists (including yoneed a chance to let their hair down.


16/29

YDS is not only about the fight for justice, its also

about having fun and getting to know other leftists, so

these kinds of social/educational events are great. A

list of films and books is included in the appendix.

Inviting speakers to your meetings is also a good idea.

If your meetings are interesting and informational, as

well as productive, people are more likely to keep

coming back.

Activist Skill Workshops

Having an occasional training is a great thing for any

YDS chapter. Trainings can be about tactics, like civil

disobedience, or deeper issues, like challenging white

supremacy. You may want to contact the national

office and raise money to bring someone in from out of

town, or you might decide that someone you know

locally could do a good job. Workshops can be geared

just for YDS members, but will usually have an appeal

to other activists as well. Who knows, they might be

ready to join after coming to a kick-ass workshop. Thenational office has a list of great organizing trainings

geared towards YDSers or offered by other student

activist groups.

TWO | Challenging Supremacy in all its

forms

Its easy for white, middle class, male and/or straight

ctivists to assume theyre cured of racism, sexism, classism,

nd other isms when they join the movement. But becoming a

ocialist doesnt involve becoming born again. Dealing withrivilege, supremacy, and discrimination is a life-long task for

ll activists. YDS places a high priority on anti-racism and

eminism, and weve compiled various tools and resources

vailable to chapters in this crucial work (like the YDS Feminist

Reader which is available upon request). We encourage all of

our members to keep an eye out for discriminatory behavior in

hemselves. Remember, its not the job of the oppressed to

oint out oppressive behavior to the oppressor! Even if its

nadvertent, the best activists can do or say things that others

will find racist, sexist, homophobic, or classist. Not only can

his alienate potential allies or members, it also holds you backs an activist.

THREE | Ideology

YDS is a democratic organization. While the broad tenets of

emocratic socialism unite our organization, we dont force our

members to accept a particular party line or let the finer

oints of debate divide us. YDS members run a broad

pectrum of beliefs, ranging from Christian Socialist to

democratic Marxist. Some members are atheists, while ot

are religious. More than anything, YDS is a place w

people have a vision for an emancipated society that info

their work. We want all our members to be leaders

encourage all members to read and educate themse

Conferences are an especially good time for member

different chapters to come together and learn from each ot

PART IV STRUCTURE AND PROCESS:

Structuring Your Chapter

According to the Constitution and By-Laws of Y

chapters are free to organize themselves as they

fit. This helps foster diversity of YDS as a w

allowing each YDS chapter to respond to the l

circumstances and group dynamics. Some chap

have officers and use parliamentary procedure, w

other chapters use the consensus model (explaine

the structure and process section). The impo

thing is that chapters operate democratically,

actively monitor themselves to limit and ideally exc

racism, sexism, homophobia, classism, or other fo

of discrimination.

ONE | Nuts & Bolts

Meetings It is important to have regular meetings in a g

location. Weekly is best, or once every two weeks is good.

amongst your members and decide a good time, probab

the evening, and a central location. Booking a room

campus is fine, but in most areas, non-students will be

likely to come. For more community based chapters, libra

coffee shops, and union halls are all good places. Meetin

someones apartment is not appropriate for general meet

but is fine for smaller committee meetings.

Meetings should have an agenda, a time limit (one to

and a half hours is best if possible), and a welco

atmosphere for any new people. Always have folks intro

themselves, and briefly explain YDS/DSA to new people

have someone who was recently new explain YDS). Try n

bore people with too much business. You may want to h

time for discussion on an issue or have a speaker at ymeeting. Depending on the focus your chapter t

(discussion or action oriented), your meeting will follow

Try not to let your chapter become totally geared to only on

the other. A theory-oriented chapter will bore many people

betray a central tenant of socialismthe struggle, while

activism-only chapter has no reason to be a YDS chap

since its not developing a strong awareness

understanding of socialist ideas. Its not a bad idea to com


17/29

our activist activities with a regular reading circle or

iscussion group, or reserve part of your meetings to

iscussion.

Committees To keep general meetings from getting

luttered, its often effective to establish committees with

eparate meeting times. Identify tasks to be accomplished at

he general meeting, and then ask for volunteers to form a

ommittee to follow through or help with standing committees

hat already exist.

Boring Tasks Make sure that all the boring tasks dont just

et dropped on anyone! The same person shouldnt be taking

otes at every meeting and keep an eye out that its not always

woman taking notes. Dont let your treasurer or webmaster

et swamped. When people are doing the nuts and bolts work

of a chapter well, its easy to forget about it until a mini-crisis

ke member burnout.

TWO | Structure & Process

As your chapter grows, youll need to decide how it should

operate. YDS chapters vary widely in the methods that they

se in making decisions or electing leaders (if they have

eaders). Your chapter should talk about process (the

mechanism by which group decisions are made) and structure

the dividing up of responsibility) to determine what works best

or your group. College chapters must often submit a

onstitution to their school to be recognized. A constitution is

imply a written list of a groups structure and process. For

nstance, the US Constitution establishes a divided structure

three branches of government) and then outlines therocesses by which the three branches function internally and

with each other.

Accountable Leadership One way to structure your chapter

s to elect members to carry out various duties. You might elect

Chairperson or Co-Chairs for the chapter, a Treasurer, a

Secretary, an Outreach coordinator, or any other number of

officers delegated to fill out various tasks. This model often

ends itself to clarity and speed, but can fall into trouble in two

ways. First, the officers can get stuck doing all the work, with

ttle or no help from members. Alternatively, officers may carryout their jobs without letting other members have any input.

Some chapters rotate leadership every few months.

The Non-Hierarchical Model In this model, no leaders are

esignated, and responsibility is spread out amongst the

members of the group. Each task or issue is taken up by the

roup, and decided upon democratically. Rather than electing

few people to deal with tasks on a regular basis, the group

eals with them as they arise. While this model is theoretically

the most democratic, it has its pitfalls. Since some people o

emerge as natural leaders, they may end up as the info

leader of a group. This becomes problematic, bec

unofficial leadership is not accountable to members.

Committees As your chapter grows, tasks can be sh

amongst several members. For instance, a Budget Comm

could replace a Treasurer, and a Coordinating Comm

could be responsible for preparing each meetings agenda

designating a facilitator. Committees could be elected from

group or be made up of volunteers. Committee chairs coul

elected officers or could be chosen by the committee.

Consensus This is a decision-making method in w

every member of the group must agree (or abstain) befo

decision is made. If even one member votes no, the dec

doesnt pass. Achieving a consensus can be a long, diff

process. Sometimes, it is impossible. When it is pos

though, the result is a decision that everyone is happy with

often worth the extra time to clear away the doubts of ontwo members and reach a consensus as opposed to

winning a vote, but its also important to recognize

limitations, such as one person holding back an otherw

consensus decision, or being inaccessible to folks who d

have a lot of free time to spend in meetings.

Majority Rules In this model, a vote is taken to m

decisions. You might require a simple majority, or two/third

some other number. This method is faster, but can lead

sizeable minority of the group being upset with a decis

Discussion can also be too limited, if a sizeable majority wto move an issue along.

Chapters will make their own decisions on the issu

structure and process. Many chapters may mix and m

from other ways of operating. For instance, you might ele

Steering Committee out of your chapter that then operate

the non-hierarchical model to share out tasks

responsibility among itself. Or, your committees may ope

on the consensus model to bring something before the m

group, which would then vote by majority rules. You

decide to vote on some issues but require consensusothers. Some points are worth considering.

Theres no right or wrong way. The important thing is

chapters function democratically, and that responsibilit

evenly shared.

THREE | Facilitating a meeting


18/29

One of the most crucial skills for an activist to possess is

he ability to facilitate a meeting. Proper facilitation ensures

hat meetings run smoothly, address all topics on the agenda,

nd produce results. Furthermore, it ensures that everyone

ets ample opportunity to speak, that the meeting is not

ominated by a few individuals, and that everyone is as

atisfied as possible with the results of the meeting and the

rocess used. Towards this end, there are a few points that

ny facilitator should keep in mind.

Formality

Be respectful of the time and effort that people have put

nto coming to your meeting, and remember that new people

re usually potential members.

Be early & start on time. No one wants to be the first one at

the meeting, especially if its their first one. Get there first. If the

starting time rolls around, dont say to the three people in the

room, lets wait a few minutes and see who else shows up.

What are they, chopped liver? If you are expecting other

people, let everyone know, and ask them if they dont mindwaiting a few more minutes. Better yet, start with an item the

late-folks can miss, like an introduction to YDS, or an informal

discussion of a political issue. Its better to inconvenience the

people who are late than the people who are on time.

Prepare and distribute or post an agenda. Meetings run far

more smoothly if everyone has a sense of the structure. The

act of writing out an agenda also helps provide structure for the

meeting.

Keep an eye on time. Your chapter may want to have time-

limits in discussion, but even if they do not, a good facilitator

keeps an eye on the clock and knows how to gently letsomeone know that they need to wrap up their remarks, that

the group needs to reach a decision on an issue, or that you

only have the room reserved for ten more minutes.

End at an appropriate time. If you only have the room

reserved for a set time, make sure as much as possible is

covered. If you can stay all night, make sure you dont. If the

meeting looks like it could go late, its okay to point out the time

and let people know its okay to leave. Its better to set another

time to meet, or table the rest of the agenda until the next

meeting. Peoples impressions of a meeting are better if it ends

on time and in an orderly fashion. Thank everyone for coming.

Talk to new people after the meeting.Some folks may not

speak up in a meeting, but may want to ask the facilitator (who

they might see as the leader of the group) a question after the

meeting. Be sure you and your friends dont run off back to

your place the second the meeting is over. Hang out outside,

make yourself accessible, and at all costs avoid being or

appearing to be cliquish with other members. The post meeting

Smokers Caucus can be a great chance to talk to new folks.

After a few minutes, you may want to invite people to go to a

nearby bar or restaurant.

Inclusion

It is important to acknowledge that people from diffe

backgrounds have different kinds of expectations that mus

respected. New people may sit back and look intere

without saying much. This may be because the discussio

terms used are over their heads, because they feel more l

guest than a member, or because they really dont h

anything to add. Try and figure out which reason it is. In

quiet people to speak, but dont pressure them. Alway

aware of potential barriers to participation. Gender, r

class, and age are things that may cause these barriers, s

conscious of how these factors are being dealt wit

meetings. Create clear structure and have good facilitatio

ensure that you maintain an atmosphere in which every

can be comfortable being themselves and participating.

Make sure no one is left behind. If people are usi

acronyms or terms that new members might not understan

ask them to explain. Preferably, dont ask, Does everybo

know what A.B.C. stands for? This might intimidate a potentmember. Its just as easy to say By the way, A.B.C. stan

for Or, as the facilitator, you can ask for clarification; this le

other members know that its okay not to know everythin

Above all, avoid being condescending!

Make sure everyone who wants to speak gets a chanc

This can be tricky. Some people have something to say but w

only speak if asked a direct question; others are mortified

the thought of being called on to contribute in front

everyone. Sometimes, people really dont have anything to s

that hasnt already been said. A good way to give everybody

chance to speak without singling out anyone is to go arou

the room, asking everyone to give their opinion on the matt

This can also speed up discussion on a topic. Above all, y

should not allow those with naturally assertive styles

interrupt, or other wise block, the contributions of other, le

assertive members.

Make sure your meeting is inclusive. Leftist college grou

are often dominated by men, white people, or folks from t

middle or upper classes. This can create an unintentio

environment of intimidation or isolation for people coming

the meeting who dont fit the same background as the majo

of the group. Again, the trick is to be inclusive without putti

people on the spot or tokenizing anyone. Making yoorganization fully inclusive and challenging supremacy is

daily, on-going task. In some ways though, it begins in yo

meetings. If people dont feel comfortable at a meeting, th

certainly wont feel comfortable in your organization. This se

you up for a vicious cycle: because your organization is

inclusive, no one who feels excluded will ever join and tell y

why its not inclusive. The flip side of this coin is that ma

people wont want to join a group if they feel tokenized

theyre being asked to speak as a person of color, etc., the

probably feel valued as a statistic, not a person. In gene


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dont wait for someone to tell you how you may not be

inclusive- make sure youre always considering it in the first

place (i.e.., its not a womens job to point out sexist behavior,

etc).

Talk to people after the meeting. If someone didnt speak

up during the meeting, ask them what they thought of the

meeting afterwards. Thank them for coming, and let them know

you value input from everyone, even at their first meeting.

FOUR | We Are All Leaders Here

Cesar Chavez said I am an organizer, not a union leader. A

ood organizer has to work hard and long. There are no

hortcuts. You just keep talking to people, working with them,

haring, exchanging and they come along.

Leadership and organizing are not particular activities

eserved solely for the officers of a YDS chapter. Leadership,

imply defined, is the capability to get things done through the

est possible use of available material and human resources.

t involves (1) getting people to work well together and (2)

ealizing a goal.

Real leadership is the art of getting people to cooperate and

ssume responsibility, and organizing is empowering others to

ecome part of something bigger than themselves, that can

elp them realize collective goals. It is not deceptive, coercive

or manipulative and does not serve the aggrandizement of the

eaders personage. Leadership is an exercise requiring skills

hat can be learned and developed. Leaders should be

nthusiastic about the idea of YDS and devoted to the chapter

nd the enrichment of its abilities. Hopefully every member of

YDS can be considered a leader, but with difference strengths.A leader works with two things: the job at hand, and the

eople who will do it. You can tell that an organizer is

uccessful when you see that the job gets done and the group

tays together. The best leaders are not dogmatic; they listen

o and learn from the membership. The autocratic leader is

sually only successful in alienating those who would follow. A

ood leader patiently asks for assistance and gets it.

There is a whole spectrum of leadership talent. Some

eople are comfortable speaking in front of groups; others are

ot. Some are keen judges of talent, some are cleverorganizers, and others are hard workers.

Communication

Communication, the getting and giving of information, is the

ingle most important skill a leader must master. The key

acets of good communication are: getting attention, actively

nd accurately listening to others, synthesizing various ideas,

iving clear verbal instructions followed by precise written

nstructions, and giving feedback.

Written instructions are most essential in the worl

communications. After verbal instructions and context

given, further reinforce the message with written instruction

Feedback is important. In order to be a good communic

and therefore a good leader, one must know how well

groups intentions are being understood. Remember tha

above skills are useful not only for sending out information

also for receiving information. A skillful listener pays c

attention when spoken to and asks questions to vcomprehension of the message being sent.

Listening is as important as talking. There is almost not

that will piss off people in your group more than a leade

anyone really) who repeats what was just said by ano

member of the discussion, as if it was their idea. This kin

behavior is especially evident among traditionally privile

members of society, and everyone should be aware of

tendency and work to end it. In addition, organizers nee

listen to find out what motivates someone, in order to use

information to agitate them to take action!

Sharing Authority

People are the YDS best resource - sometimes the

resource! So the leader must have skill in putting their tal

to work. Leaders can and should encourage member

acquire and hone a variety of new abilities, espec

leadership skills. Also, utilizing the talents of the chap

membership will inevitably bring the group closer together.

Sharing authority is essential for many reasons. Leade

responsibilities within a successful chapter extend beyond

talents and work capacity of a single person (and they shothats why its called a group). The very essence of

leadership is trusting in the membership, identifying

strengths and weaknesses of individuals and delegating t

and responsibilities accordingly. The organization beco

stronger when each individual believes that they are

working for the glorification of another member or a leader

for the issues that brought them to the group. Together,

group and its leaders accomplish more than the sum of

individual efforts.

Leadership types and relation to leadership sharing

DELEGATOR: Handing out narrowly defined details wit

authority, i.e. passing out grunt work.

PERSUADER. Gets another to agree with the pla

action, thus causing him/her to become more perso

committed to the given task.

CONSULTER. Seeks to integrate ideas and methods

other members on a particular activity.


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DELEGATOR OF AUTHORITY: When a leader delegates

n entire task (campaign, event, etc.) to another member,

iving that person the authority to see it through to completion.

Leaders should attempt to move across the spectrum of

eadership styles from merely giving orders to true delegation

of authority. This is the best way to develop more leaders,

which is really what organizing is all about.

FIVE | The Future of Your Chapter and YDS

One of the major pitfalls of student organizing is that, well,

most students graduate or leave campus eventually, so theres

high turnover rate. A major characteristic of good leaders

nd organizers is the ability to train others to step up once

heyve moved on (or in students case, graduated). The

trongest chapters are those that involve everyone in their

ctivities, and consciously work to develop the skills and

eadership of new members. Ideally, some of your leaders in

he chapter could go on to national leadership positions in

YDS.

Simple steps to developing strong chapters:

Prioritize outreach and recruiting! Dont get complacent about the

ize of the chapter, make sure to recruit at your events, have a

welcoming atmosphere for new folks, and always follow up on

otentially interested folks.

Find a faculty advisor! Contact the YDS office to find out of

there are DSAers at your school, and/or find someone that you

or other students look up to and is committed to student

activism and social justice. They can help provide continuity to

a chapter, and even provide mentorship. Constantly train new leaders! Regularly have workshops

(formal or informal) to train the next generation of activists.

Delegate responsibilities to ensure that experience gets spread

around. This is particularly important winter and spring

semester, when theres a potential for hard-core YDS activists

to graduate.

Prepare for the summer and next fall during the spring!Make sure to send the national YDS office the summer contact

nfo for your chapter members and recruit for the YDS

onvention. Decide on a basic action plan for recruitment

uring the crucial first few weeks of the semester so you can

it the ground running!

PART V PUBLICITY: Getting The Word Out!

Seeing as how we live in a society run by

capitalists and including massive oppression base

race, gender, and sexuality, it makes sense that m

folks dont consider themselves socialists or e

understand what that means. This doesnt cha

the fact that chapters need members to function,

were not going to transform our society if we d

attract people.

Democratic socialists work for peace and justice

against oppression, and many people intuitively s

many of our ideas about fairness and equality, e

though most Americans dont have the slightest

what YDS is. The more people understand what w

about, the more likely they are to support us and t

about the larger arguments were making about

problems with capitalism. Our job is therefor

educate folks, and the only way to do that is tothem to notice us (in a good way). There

hundreds of thousands of Americans who share

politics, so if we do our work, our potential grow

tremendous! Its also important to have public

youre trying to force someone in power to do what

want. No matter how small or apathetic your cam

seems, dont assume that you or a few of your frie

are the only potential socialists on campus.

ONE | The R Word (Recruitment)

While we do emphasize the importance of inviting

people to join YDS, we differ from many other socialist gro

in our approach to recruiting new members. Many Len

groups focus a huge amount of time on pressuring peop

join. Some groups seem to have been set up solely fo

collection of dues and sales of the party paper. We of co

want to disassociate from that kind of pushy recruitment

nonetheless, we do need to constantly think about outre

The movement wont grow on its own.

Why should activists join YDS?YDS is a unique organization. We are the youth section

nation-wide democratic socialist organization with sister pa

around the world (and were the only U.S. member of IUSY

International Union of Socialist Youth). We believe in affec

politics in America by building a democratic grass

movement that unites activist youth nationwide, giving the

stronger collective voice. We take electoral politics serio

but also emphasize grassroots organizing and s

movements. Were involved in political activity but were n


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olitical party. We combine activism with theory. Difference of

opinion is valued in YDS. No member agrees with every stand

YDS has taken on every issue, nor are they expected to. We

o take stands on issues though, informed by our democratic

ocialist analysis, which covers all sectors of society. All these

hings set us apart from other groups.

Being an activist is great. But we bel

yds 2009 chapter organizing guide

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