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Author Topic: Activities for a campus libertarian group  (Read 4350 times)

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rabidfurby

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Activities for a campus libertarian group
« on: November 29, 2005, 02:10:59 PM »

I'm vice chair of the Western Washington University libertarians, and was wondering if anyone has any good ideas for activities, protests, etc. that would be effective at spreading our message. There aren't many active members (average meeting attendance is 4-5 people, but there's a e-mail list of 100+ people), and our budget is very low (I think we can request up to $50 from the Associated Students for an activity), so anything we do would be limited by that.

The University of Washington libertarian group had a protest about a month ago about the War on Drugs, with a 6' tall bong smoking with dry ice. It got them two articles and a very positive editorial in the school newspaper. We're planning on a similar rally on 4/20, but so far, that's the only concrete idea we have.

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TN_FSP

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Re: Activities for a campus libertarian group
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2005, 04:25:56 PM »

I'm vice chair of the Western Washington University libertarians, and was wondering if anyone has any good ideas for activities, protests, etc. that would be effective at spreading our message. There aren't many active members (average meeting attendance is 4-5 people, but there's a e-mail list of 100+ people), and our budget is very low (I think we can request up to $50 from the Associated Students for an activity), so anything we do would be limited by that.

The University of Washington libertarian group had a protest about a month ago about the War on Drugs, with a 6' tall bong smoking with dry ice. It got them two articles and a very positive editorial in the school newspaper. We're planning on a similar rally on 4/20, but so far, that's the only concrete idea we have.

See here http://www.nlpyc.org/ and here http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LPYouthCaucus/

This group was started by Trevor Southerland.  He is a hard working LP activist that turned around the Hamliton County, TN LP.  Before he took over it was one of the weaker local LPs in TN and now it is the strongest.

Also, the Advocates for Self-government says they are giving away copies of the lastest issue of their rag for free.  I have a copy and includes about 5 pages of ways to grow a college libertarian club.
http://www.theadvocates.org/publications/tlc.html
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HardyMachia

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Re: Activities for a campus libertarian group
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2005, 09:22:34 PM »

Here's what we did in Vermont...

Make up postcards and start collection signatures for lowering the drinking age and treating marijuana like alcohol. We collect 1400 email addresses in two weeks by doing this. After you get their emails and the postcards you can do more. In Vermont we had a debate at the state house between the Commission of Public Safety and a the Exec Director of the National Youth Rights Association and a couple Representatives.

We will be moving forward on the drinking age issue when the legislative session starts back up.

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TN_FSP

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Re: Activities for a campus libertarian group
« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2005, 11:31:03 PM »

Here's what we did in Vermont...

Make up postcards and start collection signatures for lowering the drinking age and treating marijuana like alcohol. We collect 1400 email addresses in two weeks by doing this. After you get their emails and the postcards you can do more.

Why postcards?  How did you get the email addresses?  How did you get the postcards returned to you?  What percentage of postcards were returned to you?  Looking back, do you think their is a cheaper way?
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libertylover

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Re: Activities for a campus libertarian group
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2005, 09:49:10 AM »

I would assume he is refering to a petition to lower the drinking age.  Petitioning a hot button issue for a college audience is a great idea.  Posting flyers on bulliten boards around campus about the issue and contact information for you group is another great way to get the word out.  I would suggest you have a tab tear off at the bottom of the flyer so students can take the contact information with them.

If you have a web site make sure that your meeting place and time is posted front above the fold.  Try to have a meeting place that is fun for those involved, even if it is off campus at a local coffee house or other hangout.  That way the meeting can also be a social event.  Very important to be consistant so people will know where to find you on a regular basis.  Also, be very careful about keeping the meeting under control and short no longer than two hours.  (Leave them wanting more.)

It is also a good idea to jump on the bandwagon.  If the college dems, reps, aclu, normal or any other groups are doing a protest on an issue of agreement, show up and join in.  (Don't forget to bring your contact cards, sign up sheets and petitions.)  Many of the people who are on the wagon for that one issue are actually Libertarian but just don't know it.  Try to find a group identity, like everyone wears a plain gold tshirt for example, this is a visual that has impact.  America is full of self expression so marking a group identity will freak people out and get you noticed.  ACMoore craft shops (not sure about WA) usually runs sales on plain tshirts 3 for $10.  Showing up to protest with your group shirt on will get you noticed and people will wonder what the shirt is all about.

Find out about fundraising and what is allowed on campus or in the city.  One group at our college did KrispyKreme fund raiser.  They bought a set number of boxes of plain doughnutes and staked out one of the busiest commuter traffic stops.  Got a one day permit to sale and had a member stand on each corner from 7 am to 9 am.  They made their entire years budget in one morning about 3k.  Just use the club initials and the words fundraiser with a price per doz.  This was years ago and laws have changed so you will have to check and see if something like this is allowed.
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HardyMachia

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Re: Activities for a campus libertarian group
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2005, 01:25:51 PM »

Here's what we did in Vermont...

Make up postcards and start collection signatures for lowering the drinking age and treating marijuana like alcohol. We collect 1400 email addresses in two weeks by doing this. After you get their emails and the postcards you can do more.

Why postcards?  How did you get the email addresses?  How did you get the postcards returned to you?  What percentage of postcards were returned to you?  Looking back, do you think their is a cheaper way?

If you let the person return the postcard, then they probably won't fill it out and won't return it. We stood there while the person filled out the card and handed it back to us. I'd have three clipboards and have 3-5 students filling out postcards at the same time. We would stand in front of the cafeteria or other high traffic location on campus.

Postcards were used because we could address them and send them to their legislator individually which has more impact than just a sheet of paper with a lot of names on it. We could stagger the postcard mailing over a number of days so the legislator would get a few every day.

The email address was a field on the form. It's there they fill it in. 

Having them sign a sheet so you'd have 20 names per sheet would be cheaper, but not as much impact. I have a two foot high stack of postcards that I'll have a press conference with and deliver to the state house sometime in January. I also have a 1/4 inch high stack of petitions with 500 names, but it's not quite the same thing.

Hardy
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TN_FSP

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Re: Activities for a campus libertarian group
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2005, 01:43:21 PM »

Here's what we did in Vermont...

Make up postcards and start collection signatures for lowering the drinking age and treating marijuana like alcohol. We collect 1400 email addresses in two weeks by doing this. After you get their emails and the postcards you can do more.

Why postcards?  How did you get the email addresses?  How did you get the postcards returned to you?  What percentage of postcards were returned to you?  Looking back, do you think their is a cheaper way?

If you let the person return the postcard, then they probably won't fill it out and won't return it. We stood there while the person filled out the card and handed it back to us. I'd have three clipboards and have 3-5 students filling out postcards at the same time. We would stand in front of the cafeteria or other high traffic location on campus.

Postcards were used because we could address them and send them to their legislator individually which has more impact than just a sheet of paper with a lot of names on it. We could stagger the postcard mailing over a number of days so the legislator would get a few every day.

The email address was a field on the form. It's there they fill it in. 

Having them sign a sheet so you'd have 20 names per sheet would be cheaper, but not as much impact. I have a two foot high stack of postcards that I'll have a press conference with and deliver to the state house sometime in January. I also have a 1/4 inch high stack of petitions with 500 names, but it's not quite the same thing.

Hardy

How do you buy these postcards?  Arn't they normally like 50 cents each?  Students put their email on the post card?  could you post pdfs or close-up pics of the postcards?
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FTL_Ian

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Re: Activities for a campus libertarian group
« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2005, 02:37:34 PM »

Print and post these around campus:
http://freetalklive.com/images/FTLflier.pdf

 8)
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bushwacker

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Re: Activities for a campus libertarian group
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2005, 11:10:02 PM »

rabidfurby, I'm one of the few but proud (L)libertarians at the Univ. of Puget Sound (http://www.ups.edu/) down in Tacoma. I have some ideas that have been in the works, but I've not had a whole hell of a lot of time to organize and implement them, as they involve at least a small # of dedicated people that I'm not *totally* (but I could be wrong) sure we have the numbers for. Anyway, PM me about it and we'll talk.

Perhaps more relevant to you and the general populous on this board, I have on-and-off comms with the College Libertarians @ UW. There are several of them, and they seem pretty active, albiet not *as* cooperative as I might like. Chalk another one up for parochialism and exlusivity :\. Check their site at http://uwlibertarians.org/. My contingency can be partially represented by the Libertarian Action Network, but there are various elements with fingers in various other 'cookie jars' around the Seattle-Tacoma and related cyberspace areas... It's pretty interesting. Again, PM me.
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