4-H Know Your Government
Decision 2016
Elections & Political Parties
February 13-16, 2016
Red Lion Hotel, Olympia, WA
Curriculum
1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Vision & Mission Statements of the WSUE 4-H Know Your
Government (KYG) Program……………………………………………………… 3
Description of the KYG Conference……………………………………………. 5
Tentative KYG Conference Schedule………………………………………….. 6
Pre-Conference County Meeting Orientation Materials……………… 7
Glossary and Color Key ……………………………………………………………… 8
Meeting 1:
Introductions- Citizenship- Parliamentary Procedure..………………. 9
Handouts …………………………………………………………………………………. 15
Meeting 2:
Political Parties and Platforms…………………………………………………… 23
Handouts.………………………………………………………………………………... 31
Meeting 3:
Campaigning and Elections.………………………………………………………. 40
Handouts…………………………………………………………………………………… 47
Meeting 4:
Elections and Voting…………………………………………………………………. 56
Handouts…………………………………………………………………………………. 64
2
Mission Statement of WSU 4-H Know Your Government
The 4-H Know Your Government (KYG) Conference serves to strengthen the connection between youth
and our political and social networks through education, experience, application, and inspiration.
4-H KYG values: inquiry, regard for others, respect/cultural competence, positive communication, and
strengthening personal values. The topic and activities experienced through the 4-H KYG conference are
all vehicles to provide the opportunity and framework to develop these values.
Educational Objectives of 4-H KYG 2016
This year, participants will explore political parties and the nomination process. During pre-conference
orientation, participants will learn about different political parties, the nomination process, the
development of resolutions that support planks that make up a party platform, and how to use
parliamentary procedure when conducting a meeting. At the conference in February, delegates will
nominate a KYG party candidate and finalize a KYG party platform to share with legislators at the
Legislative Dinner on the final evening of the conference.
From orientation training and conference participation, the KYG committee believes delegates will learn
all or some of the following:








Discover the purpose of political parties,
Identify parties that exist and what differentiates them,
Discuss what influences parties,
Learn and practice parliamentary procedure,
Learn about different voting systems and practice instant run-off voting and the electoral college
Learn how to get a candidate elected through building support among peers
Develop a platform by identifying issues of importance to youth and create resolutions to
support those platform planks
Strengthen focused life skills: Collaboration, Positive Civil Discourse/Conflict resolution, Positive
Citizenship
Collaboration: Work, along with others, toward a common purpose; share leadership
Positive Civil Discourse: discuss political issues civilly with people who hold different views that yourself
Remember: 4H is a ‘safe place’ to do this.
“Young people need the space and encouragement to form and refine their own positions on political
issues, even if their views happen to be controversial. We must adopt a generally tolerant and
welcoming attitude toward this process of developing and expressing a political identity.” (National
Youth Survey, data pg. 23)
Conflict resolution: Find and apply creative and nondestructive ways to resolve differences between
two or more persons; get along with others
Positive Citizenship: Developing individual devotion in response to duties, rights & privileges as a
member of a community or county
3
The 4-H Know Your Government Program meets both the common core and state standards.
Civics Graduation Requirement
RCW 28A.230.093
At least one-half (0.5) credit must be coursework in civics. The content must include:
 Rights and responsibilities of citizens in the Washington State and United States constitutions.
 Current issues at each level of government.
 Electoral issues, including elections, ballot measure, initiatives and referenda.
State Standards
Social Studies
1. Civics – The student understands and applies knowledge of government, law, politics, and the national’s
fundamental documents to make decisions about local, national, and international issues and
demonstrate thoughtful, participatory citizenship.
 1.2 Understands the purposes, organizations, and function of governments, laws and political
systems.
 1.4 Understands civic involvement.
5. Social studies skills- The student understand and applies reasoning skills to conduct research, deliberate,
form, and evaluate positions through the processes of reading, writing and communicating.
 5.1 Uses critical reasoning skills to analyze and evaluate positions.
 5.1.1 Understands positions on an issue
 5.1.2 Evaluates the significance of information used to support positions on an issue or event
 5.3 Deliberates public issues.
 5.3.1 Engages in discussions that clarify and address multiple viewpoints on public issues.
Communication
1. The student uses listening and observation skills and strategies to gain understanding
 1.1 Uses listening and observation skills and strategies to gain understanding.
 1.2 Understands, analyzes, synthesizes, or evaluates information from a variety of sources
Reading
2. The student reads different materials for a variety of purposes
 3.1 Reads to learn new information
 3.1.1 Analyzes web-based and other resource materials (including primary sources and secondary
sources) for relevance in answering research questions.
Common Core Standards
Key Ideas & Details
1. Determine what the text says explicitly and make logical inferences from it: cite specific textual evidence to
support conclusions.
Integration of knowledge & Ideas
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media formats, including visually and
quantitatively, as well as in words.
8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the
reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
Research to build & present knowledge
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
Comprehension & collaboration
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evident and rhetoric.
Vocabulary acquisition & use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context
clues, analyzing meaningful words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and
consulting general and specialize reference materials.
4
What is the 4-H Know Your Government Program?
Know Your Government (KYG) is a civic education program with a four-year rotating topic: The
Legislative System, The Judicial System, Elections and Party Platforms, and Politics and the Media. This
year we will explore the topic of Elections and Party Platforms. It is important to remember though, that
KYG is much more than learning about how to develop planks, select a candidate, and vote. In fact, one
could argue that it is little about that. KYG and 4-H is about learning the life skills our delegates will
need to be responsible citizens and productive adults. The conference is an opportunity for delegates
to practice the content they have learned, apply their knowledge to unknown situations and reflect on
how they did.
Pre-conference meetings
Purpose: teach the skills, provide the tools, and prepare for the project at the KYG Conference.
They will also need to learn how to work as part of a team, with people they may or may not know, to
get the pre-conference objectives completed. The pre-conference meetings are a way for delegates to
hone these skills so when they get to the conference, they will be prepared to learn the new skills,
practice and apply already learned skills, and work with more people they do not know and still produce
a unified 4H Party Platform and elect a 4H Governor. Perhaps even more important than this, they will
have an experience that is similar (not necessarily identical) to those of other delegates. These similar
experiences will provide a common foundation for all delegates, regardless of geographic, political or
other differences.
Learning something new and working with other delegates with different perspectives can be
uncomfortable. Pre-conference meetings are a way to help delegates feel comfortable about what will
be happening at the conference so they feel safe to experience something new.
The statewide conference in Olympia
Purpose: bring high school students from across the state to share ideas, concerns, and potential
solutions to problems; to learn about Washington State government and how to become a positive
contributing citizen; and to strengthen the connection between youth and our political and social
networks through education, experience, application, and inspiration
Delegates attending the conference will be part of the 4-H KYG Party and will be participating in the 4-H
KYG Political Convention. At the political convention, delegates will debate planks submitted in the form
of resolutions from each county to include in the 4-H KYG party platform that will represent their voice
on issues. They will also select a county candidate for the position of 4H Governor and vote on
initiatives. Delegates will share the final 4-H platform with legislators at the Legislative Dinner and the
candidate election for 4H Governor is on the last day of the conference.
A value of 4-H KYG is that it provides the opportunity for our delegates to explore new ideas and
perspectives in a safe environment. We encourage delegates with different views to work together, not
to change each other’s minds, but to learn from each other. Encouraging discussion when people
disagree and providing an opportunity to explore the issue in a non-threatening way demonstrates to
the delegates that they can disagree on an issue but still work together. Ideally, these discussions will
help delegates explore why they carry a certain belief and assist them in putting their own beliefs into
practice. Remember, one of the intentional life skills we are focusing on this year is accepting differences
and having positive civil discourse.
5
4-H Know Your Government: Decision 2016
Tentative Conference Agenda
Saturday
3-4:30 pm Challenge
3:30-4:30 Chaperone Meeting
4:40 Break to set up candidate stations
5-6:30 pm Dinner
7-8 pm Session A: Introduce Candidates, Meet and Greet, Campaign Trail Search
8-8:15 pm Break
8:15-9:15 Session B: Breakout Sessions in Groups
9:15-10:00 pm County meetings
10:30 pm lights out
Sunday
8:30-10 am Session C: IRV for top 10 Candidates
10-10:15 am Break
10:15-12:15 pm Session D: Breakout Sessions on Platform Planks
12:15-12:30 pm Break
12:30-1:30 pm Lunch
1:30-3:30 pm Session E: Breakout Sessions for Finalizing Planks
4-7:30 pm County Night Out
8-9 pm Session F: Candidate Speeches and IRV voting for top three Candidates
9:15-10:00 County meetings
10:30 pm lights out
Monday
8-9:45 Session G: Assembly Meeting to vote on final planks for Platform
10-Noon Tours (TBA)
12:30-3:30 Lunch and Community Service
4-5 Preparation for Dinner
5:30-8 Legislative Dinner w/Session H: Top Three Candidate Speeches/Q & A
8:30-10:30 Dance
10:30-11 County meetings
11:15 lights out
Tuesday
*Buffet breakfast w/Session I Electoral College final vote for Governor
9-11 am Closing
11:00 Legislative Appointments
6
Orientation Materials
Meeting 1:
Introductions-Citizenship-Parliamentary Procedure
Activity 1A: Teambuilding and Community Building
Activity 1B: Building a Group Agreement
Activity 1C: Overview of KYG
Activity 1D: Citizenship: What is a good citizen?
Activity 1E: Parliamentary Procedure
Activity 1F:
Parliamentary Procedure Practice
Activity 1G: Business
Activity 1H: Compliments and Appreciation
Meeting 2:
Political Parties and Platforms
Activity 2A
Teambuilding and Community Building
Activity 2B: Group Agreement Check-in
Activity 2C: Introduction to Political Parties and Platforms
Activity 2D: Investigate Political Parties
Activity 2E: Investigate Political Platforms
Activity 2F:
Identify/research Issues of Importance
Activity 2G: Business
Activity 2H: Compliments and Appreciation
Meeting 3:
Campaigns & Voting
Activity 3A: Teambuilding and Community Building
Activity 3B: Group Agreement Check-in
Activity 3C: Identify/Research Issues of Importance (continued)
Activity 3D: Political Campaigns
Activity 3E: The Bill of Rights
Activity 3F:
Business
Activity 3G: Compliments and Appreciation
Meeting 4:
Finish Resolutions & Campaign Preparations
Activity 4A: Teambuilding and Community Building
Activity 4B: Group Agreement Check-in
Activity 4C: Elections: how they work.
Activity 4D: Instant Runoff Voting
Activity 4E: Electoral College
Activity 4F:
Initiative and Referendums
Activity 4G: Business
Activity 4H: Compliments and Appreciation
You will not be allowed to complete your registration if you have not submitted these items.
1-4-16 If you have less/more than a multiple of 8 delegates, email Dorothy Elsner dorothy.elsner@wsu.edu with the number
of delegates in your county and you will receive your assigned topic areas for which you need to submit a resolution/plank.
1-29-16 Candidate letter of intent and photo (.jpg file) Email to Katie McCartney, katierosemccartney@gmail.com
1-29-16 Resolutions/planks to Sabrina Wood at Roze2.4h@gmail.com
7
KEY TERMS
Electoral College - This group of 538 electors elect the President and Vice President. Each state is allocated
as many electors as it has Representatives and Senators in the United States Congress.
Instant Run-Off Voting - Uses ranked ballots to simulate a traditional runoff in a single round of voting.
General Election- a regularly scheduled local, state, or national election in which voters elect officeholders.
Primary Election- a preliminary election in which voters of each party nominate candidates for office, party
officers, etc.
Initiative- a procedure by which a specified number of voters may propose a statute, constitutional
amendment, or ordinance, and compel a popular vote on its adoption.
Referendum- the principle or practice of referring measures proposed or passed by a legislative body to the
vote of the electorate for approval or rejection.
Platform - it is a set of principles, goals, and strategies designed to address pressing political issues. A series
of planks that represent the beliefs of a political party.
Resolution - A series of statements describing background information and justifications leading to a plank.
Plank - A statement conveying a single idea or belief supported by a political party.
Political Party- An organized group of people with common values and beliefs who try to get their
candidates elected to political office
Party Affiliation - Identification with a political party’s platform and/or candidate.
Majority Party- Major political parties’ candidates received at least 5% of the total votes cast for President
in the last election. Currently, only the Democratic and Republican Parties have major party status. All other
parties are considered minor political parties.
Minority party- in Washington State any political party or organization whose nominees for President and
Vice President failed to receive at least 5% of the total votes cast at the last (2012) presidential election.
Independent or non-party politician- an individual not affiliated to any political party.
Top 2 Primary- in Top 2 Primary, candidates may declare their political party preference. However, a
candidate’s stated preference is not an endorsement by the party
Electoral College- a body of electors chosen by the voters in each state to elect the president and vice
president of the U.S.
Red – due dates
Green – teaching tips
Orange – handouts that need to be copied from this curriculum to give to delegates
Purple – handouts already in the Delegate Handbook
Blue – resources on your KYG CD
Yellow- social network posts to be made
- indicates a page in the handout section that needs to be copied for your delegates
8
MEETING 1: INTRODUCTIONS, CITIZENSHIP, PARLIAMENTARY
PROCEDURE
Objectives of Meeting 1
 Introduce delegates and start building a team
 Learn about the KYG Conference
 Build a practical and usable Group Agreement
 Comprehend and describe characteristics inherent in good citizenship
 Hand out registration materials
 Learn and practice Parliamentary Procedure
 Learn how to make posts to KYG social media
Prior to Meeting 1
 Following the county promotion of the 4-H Know Your Government program and recruiting of
members, pick up a list of participants’ names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses from your
County Extension 4-H Educator or Program Assistant.
 Arrange location, times, and dates for all four orientation meetings. Internet access will be
necessary for each meeting.
 Notify members of the first meeting.
 Review all material in the Coordinator’s Packet
 Review all material in the Curriculum Packet, especially Meeting 1
 Download ‘Parliamentary Procedure Made Easier’ from your KYG Resource CD
 Materials needed:
o Easel Paper and felt pens
o Notebooks for each participant. Student’s Handbook with all the handout pages copied
and ready to put in it
o Laptop or computer with internet access
o Projector connected to computer to show videos
o Copy ‘Quick Quiz’; one for each delegate
Meeting 1 Activities
Activity 1A: Teambuilding and Community building
Get to Know You Blitz
1. Clear away desks or tables and have students find a partner, then circle up as a group.
2. Have the partners look at each other and, according to an attribute (e.g. whoever has shorter
hair, more jewelry on, the most blue on) separate themselves. The person with the shorter hair
stands on the inside of the circle, facing the longer-haired partner. There are now two circlesone inside the other – with the inside circle facing the outer one.
3. Give the pairs something to share with each other about their selves:
o One of the highlights of your school year so far
o Something you are looking forward to about KYG
9
o A strength you will bring to your county team. The strength should begin with the same
letter as your first name. (“My name is Dede and I bring Dedication to the group.”)
4. After the sharing, have one of the circles rotate to the right or left by two or three people. Each
person will then have a new partner and a new opportunity to discuss another topic.
5. If your group is small, do the above activity as a group in a single circle.
Adapted from: Journey Toward the Caring Classroom by Laurie S. Frank. (2004)
PANIC
Divide participants into groups of 4-6 people (if your delegation is small, break into groups of 2-3). In
your group, find two things that are unique about your group- things that you share in common. One of
these things should be a leadership skill or strength. Introduce your group to the others and share your
commonalities.
Activity 1B:
Group Agreement
Allow a minimum of 30 minutes.
Product: Develop a personalize County Group Agreement
Process: Explain to the delegates that, we are going to need to be a team for this KYG Adventure while
assuring that each individual can learn and grow individually. A group agreement can fulfil these goals.
Everyone needs to feel physically and emotionally safe so each of us will be willing to take risks, such as
trying new ideas. Our group agreement- or sometimes called ‘ground rules’ will help each of us know
what to expect and what is expected of us. One of the life skills we are focusing on this year is
collaboration or working as a group. Your group agreement can aid you to strengthen this skill. This
can be ‘the glue’ that holds our group together.
Discuss:
 What things would make this group/county delegation work well for you?
 What makes this a safe and respectful place for us to work in?
 What would make this group a good space to learn?
Encourage response by:
 People call out points, which are written up on flipchart paper for everyone to see; or
 People write their comments on pieces of paper and group them together on the wall; or
 People talk about the question in pairs or small groups and then feed this back to the whole
group.
When you have drawn out people's ideas, go through the list one by one and check for clarification
before adding to your final list. Discuss how this work in practical ways?
 Take for example "it's alright to disagree" - how would this work practically? You could add "... by
challenging what a person says, not attacking the person themselves."
 Another example is Confidentiality. This is also quite vague and you will need to discuss, ‘what
people understand by it and what level of confidentiality they expect from the group.’
 Respect, is a common one; but what does that look like for your group?
Finally, check for agreement on all the points from the whole group. Reach agreement and have
someone in your group neatly write your ‘Group Agreement’ on poster board.
Please display your Group Agreement at each of your Pre-conference County meetings, and at your
evening county meetings.
So that your delegation will have ‘ownership’ in the group agreement, it is best to have them go through
the process above to determine their own guidelines. However, here are some ideas that may help:
10
Be here. Be present mentally, physically, emotionally.
Be Safe. Create a level of safety so that people are able to relax and feel comfortable. What might that
look like?
Speak the truth. Share your thoughts openly and honestly. Accept others’ thoughts too.
Pay attention. Listen to what others say and focus on their ideas.
Be open to outcomes. Try not to prejudge what is happening.
Have Fun!
Activity 1C: Content: Overview of the 4-H KYG Program
Discuss the vision and mission of 4-H KYG, found on page 3 of this packet. Ask students to highlight how
4-H KYG can help them learn more about our government. The focus of this conference is the election
process. Also, discuss the objectives for 4-H KYG and for this specific conference.
Hand out the Student Handbooks.
POP QUIZ!!! Hand out the Quick Quiz in Meeting 1 Handout Section. Ask delegates to see how much
they know about the Washington State Government. (We will have them retake this ‘quiz’ at end of
KYG, so please keep their quiz papers)
KYG 2016 – Social Media
We are using Twitter and Instagram more than FB because you cannot see posts unless the page itself makes
them. Just as in 2015, each delegate did not have to have an account, but instead share one, or utilize a county
designated account. This year’s hashtag is #WAKYG2016.
 Twitter: Can easily be done via computer or app on a smartphone.
 Instagram: More difficult to be done from the computer, but it is possible. More easily done via
smartphone.
Activity 1D: Content: Citizenship: What is a good citizen?
Product: Create a mural/collage about citizenship.
Process: Your mural will need to answer some or all of the following questions about citizenship.
1. What is the most important right of a citizen?
2. What is the most important responsibility of a citizen
3. What does it mean to be a good citizen?
4. What are examples of good citizens in our school, your town, our state, our country?
5. How does one become a citizen of the United States?
6. Why would someone want to become a citizen of the United States?
Think about how your mural will graphically and/or with words, represent the answers to the above
questions? In coming up with this outline, you will have to decide on how you want to find the answers
to these questions and how you want this mural to look? Bring your Citizenship Mural to the KYG
Conference in Olympia to display. It should not be larger than a standard poster board.
Time to share on Twitter or Instagram – Instagram a picture of your Citizenship Mural
Reflection: ask each student to write a reflection in which you 1) assess your personal contribution as a
member of your group. Be thinking about how you contributed ideas, took responsibility for your share
of the work, and treated others with respect and, 2) what was the most important idea you took away
from defining citizenship.
11
Optional Activities:
http://www.icivics.org/ iCivics is a non-profit organization dedicated to reinvigorating civic learning
through interactive and engaging learning resources. Free resources include print-and-go lesson plans,
award-winning games, and digital interactives. The iCivics games place students in different civic roles
and give them agency to address real-world problems and issues. There are three interactive games
under the Citizenship & Partnership Unit. These are worth checking out.
Activity: 1E: Content: Robert’s Rules of Order and use of Parliamentary Procedure
Before teaching, watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQhtC4eeTbU. This is to help you feel
more comfortable in teaching this procedure. You do not need to show this one to your group; it is just
for you!
What is Parliamentary Procedure?
It is a set of rules for conducting a meeting; it allows everyone’s voice to be heard and operates under
four basic principles:
 Justice and courtesy for all.
 One thing at a time.
 The rule of the majority.
 The rights of the minority.
Parliamentary Procedure provides the group with a structured, logical, consistent format under which to
make decisions and therefore used to help groups achieve their goals and objectives through a
democratic process.
Discuss:
What do each of these principles mean?
What might be important about each of these principles when applied to a group making decisions?
Why is Parliamentary Procedure Important?
It is important that every group have certain basic operating rules. Parliamentary Procedure is a timetested method that insures the smooth functioning of business at meetings and public gatherings, and it
can be adapted to fit the needs of any organization.
Historically
http://westsidetoastmasters.com/resources/roberts_rules/appendix-g.html presents a complete
history. Identify which selections of the text you would like to emphasize with your students. Note: the
progression and development of the system came out of different community and group needs, but
there is a common thread throughout that required a system be established. Divide your group into
smaller group each taking a paragraph to identify what the needs were to specific situations mentioned.
The most valuable information starts in the paragraph with the words, “Parliamentary procedure came
to America…,” and goes to the end of page 2.
A complete version of Robert's Rules is available on the web at http://www.constitution.org/rror/rror-00.htm
Important Point
How you apply the rules of Parliamentary Procedure is entirely up to your group. Large groups are better
suited to Parliamentary Procedure in the strictest sense as they simply require a greater variety of rules
of order. Smaller groups may be more flexible in their application of Parliamentary Procedure perhaps
12
using only such procedures as, making a motion, amending a motion, tabling a motion, referring to a
committee, point of order, adjourning, etc. Use what works for your group for a smooth flowing
meeting, but remember, if a procedural problem arises, there is a rule of order to address it!
We do not advocate, in the 4-H Know Your Government, strict following of Roberts’ Rules of Order.
This will NOT be a competition, but a means for successful decision-making and teamwork. Your
delegates should be prepared though to strengthen their ability to get their ideas recognized within
their breakout groups. We will only be applying the pieces we will now introduce.
Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfnBGolKmbM (Between 15-16 minutes long) for
an overview of the process by simple demonstration.
For the KYG Program this year we will be using agenda, new and old business, and the process of making
and accepting motions. Although the video also shows other meeting procedures, we will not be using
them at KYG. This video is well done and is worth viewing the whole way through so your students can
see the whole process and perhaps use in the future.
Refer to Handout: “Robert’s Rules of Order” in their workbook. With partners: answer the questions
on the Worksheet for Parliamentary Procedure, Meeting 1 Handouts. Go through as a group.
As the coordinator, you also have access to the publication, Parliamentary Procedure Made Easy, on
your KYG Reference CD, to use as needed.
(ANSWERS)Worksheet for Parliamentary Procedure
1. Address the presiding officer
2. I move that our 4H Club allocate $100.00 from our club budget to buy paint for new club signs.
3. To confirm that there is someone else in the group that agrees with the motion
4. I move that our group do a highway cleanup as a community service project. 5. for the motion:
various. Comment against: various
5. I move that we amend the motion, by clarifying the patch of highway we want to clean up as
between mile marker 4 and 10.
6. Now amend the motion. What would you say?
I move we amend the motion, that we should move the KYG Conference to Leavenworth rather
than Ellensburg.
7. For each of the following items, write in which motion you would use to do the following:
Ask the chair how to correctly make a motion
Point of information
Complain about the stuffiness of the room.
Change one part of a motion to clarify it
Ask the Chair whether someone is following
parliamentary procedure.
Introduce business to the group.
You have a question about the business at hand
question of privilege
amendment
point of order
main motion
Point of information
Activity: 1F: Content: Parliamentary Procedure Practice
Each time your county delegation meets prior to the KYG Conference, we strongly encourage you to
practice parliamentary procedure throughout your meeting. A brief activity will be shared in each preconference meeting to assist your group in practicing a specific skill. Why not assign a different person
13
to lead the meeting each time i.e. the presiding officer, and have other students assume the other roles.
Have the subject for the motions come out of a decision your group might be actually making.
Refer to ‘A Motion’ and ‘An Amendment’ in the Delegate Handbook.
Reflect
 Name other processes organizations use to make decisions.
 How do these compare to parliamentary procedure? What are the strengths and weaknesses?
 Why do you think so many businesses and organizations use “parli pro”?
Apply
 How might Parliamentary Procedure be helpful to your group to get your ideas across at the KYG
conference?
 What if you do not know how to use the process correctly? What might happen?
 What other group do you belong to outside of KYG that would benefit from using Parliamentary
Procedure? Explain.
Activity: 1G Business
Use the parliamentary procedure format listed about to decide times, dates, and locations of upcoming
orientation meetings.
 Assign a presiding officer
 Have someone make a motion about their idea for meeting time, place and/or dates
 Wait for a second
 Discuss
Delegates will be better participants at
 Take a vote, led by the presiding officer
the conference if they are comfortable
with using Parli Pro!
 Accept the results
Hand out registration forms and discuss fundraising ideas located in the Coordinator Packet. Inform
delegates about deadlines for registration forms and money. Remind them that you need registrations
returned promptly because the County 4-H Office personnel must sign them before mailing forms to
WSU. The date they need to be into your county is (find out from your county office).
 Complete registration form. (In Coordinator’s Packet)
 Complete their Health and Release forms

Activity: 1H Compliments and Appreciation
Showing appreciation and giving compliments are not one in the same. One can appreciate someone by
saying things like, "thank you," "great job," or even "you're the best," but a compliment takes it a step
further by explaining the value the person provided that made you appreciate them. Compliments are a
form of structured gratitude, which has proven extremely beneficial in positive youth development.
Step 1: After this first meeting, ‘Adult Resources’ (County Coordinator and Chaperones) should model
giving complements by observing what the group does well and praising the group for their strengths
and achievements, both big and small. Spend a minute ‘praising’ your delegates as a group. You might
recognize their attentiveness, creative ideas, willingness to share, diligent work or great attitudes. This
is the first step towards valuing the group as a whole and individuals.
14
Meeting 1
Handouts
15
.
4-H Know Your Government: Decision 2016
Tentative Conference Agenda
Saturday
3-4:30 pm Challenge
3:30-4:30 Chaperone Meeting
4:40 Break to set up candidate stations
5-6:30 pm Dinner
7-8 pm Session A: Introduce Candidates, Meet and Greet, Campaign Trail Search
8-8:15 pm Break
8:15-9:15 Session B: Breakout Sessions in Groups
9:15-10:00 pm County meetings
10:30 pm lights out
Sunday
8:30-10 am Session C: IRV for top 10 Candidates
10-10:15 am Break
10:15-12:15 pm Session D: Breakout Sessions on Platform Planks
12:15-12:30 pm Break
12:30-1:30 pm Lunch
1:30-3:30 pm Session E: Breakout Sessions for Finalizing Planks
4-7:30 pm County Night Out
8-9 pm Session F: Candidate Speeches and IRV voting for top 3 Candidates
9:15-10:00 County meetings
10:30 pm lights out
Monday
8-9:45 Session G: Assembly Meeting to vote on final planks for Platform
10-Noon Tours (TBA)
12:30-3:30 Lunch and Community Service
4-5 Preparation for Dinner
5:30-8 Legislative Dinner w/Session H: Top Three Candidate Speeches/Q & A
8:30-10:30 Dance
10:30-11 County meetings
11:15 lights out
Tuesday
*Buffet breakfast w/Session I Electoral College final vote for Governor
9-11 am Closing
11:00 Legislative Appointments
16
Quick Quiz Washington State Government
1. The number of Senators in the Washington State Senate
____________________
2. The number of Representatives in the Washington House of Representatives ________
3. The number of Legislative Districts in Washington
____________________
4. Name your State Senator and two state Representatives from your district
(Senator)_______________
(Representative)__________________ (Representative) _______________________
5. How long in years, is a Senator’s term?
____________________
6. How long in years, is a state Representative’s term?
____________________
7. Are their ‘term limits’ in Washington?
____________________
8. What are ‘term limits’? ___________________________________________________
9. What percent of Washington State legislators are women?
____________________
10. Name the current Governor
____________________
11. What can the Governor do with legislation if he/she does not like it? ______________
12. What does that mean for the legislation?
__________________________________
13. Who is the Speaker of the House in our state?
____________________
14. Who is the Majority Leader of the WA Senate?
____________________
15. When does the legislature meet in 2016?
____________________
16. What is unique about WA State elections?
____________________
17. Which amendment gives 18 year olds the right to vote?
____________________
18. Does the Secretary of State check every signature on a ballot? _____ _______________
19. What day are general elections in Washington?
_____________________
20. What date are primary elections in Washington?
_____________________
Name _________________________ County ______________________
17
Quick QUIZ Answers
1. 49
2. 98
3. 49
4. Various
5. 4 years
6. 2 years
7. No
8. Restrict the number of terms of office an officeholder may hold
9. 29%
10. Jay Inslee
11. Veto
12. The power to stop legislation. The Governor is constitutionally required to state his or her objections
to the legislation in writing, and the Congress is constitutionally required to consider them, and to
reconsider the legislation.
13. Frank Chopp
14. Mark Schoessler
15. January 11- March 10
16. 5 things: Top 2 Primary, No party affiliation, Online voter registration, Vote by mail, Voter Pamphlet
17. 26th
18. No, the Secretary of state may use a random sample method to perform signature checks. The
random sample is based on a mathematical formula devised by a professor at the U or WA. Generally,
the random sample method can be used when a ballot measure sponsor submits far more than the
required minimum of signatures. Often a check of only 3% of the signature submitted is all that is
necessary to certify a measure to the ballot
19. November 3
20. August 4
18
Robert’s Rules of Order (condensed)
KEY POINTS FOR KYG DURING PRE-CONFERENCE AND CONFERENCE WORK
There are three basic principles: the right of the majority to rule, the right of the minority to be heard, and the
equal right of each individual to be heard and represented. If used properly, business proceeds in an orderly
manner with only one issue considered at a time and all members given the opportunity to participate.
There are equal rights and guarantees of Parliamentary Procedure. Business is transacted in the most efficient
and democratic manner. All members have equal rights, privileges, and obligations. Specifically, rules
regarding rights and privileges must be applied impartially. The presiding officer should be strictly impartial. In
addition, all receive these rights, and are obligated to respect the same rights of other members. Parliamentary
Procedure guarantees the right of majority to decide while also respecting the rights of the minority by letting
them be heard and to oppose.
Bringing Business to the Floor
In Parliamentary Procedure, the only way to get your organization to do anything is to take a vote on
something. Before that can happen, you need to bring the idea (motion) to the members so they know what
you want to vote on. In order to present such a motion, you need to obtain the floor. When it is time for
New Business on the agenda, you may want to introduce a motion to the rest of the group. In order to do
this; you must have permission from the Chair to speak. This is called, obtaining the floor. The way you do
this is to stand up and address the Chair by saying “Mr., (or Madame) Chair!” Then the Chair of the meeting
will recognize you by saying, “The Chair recognizes Jane Doe.” After that, you may proceed with presenting
your motion.
How to Make a Motion
This is probably the most confusing part of Robert’s Rules of Order for most people. They are unsure of how
and when a particular motion may be used.
Different types of Motions
There are four groups of motions. It is important to understand the different types of motions because there
is a rank or order of preference that motions follow. In other words, certain motions are considered before
others. Knowing the types of motions and the rank that they have will help make meetings go smoothly and
business conducted more efficiently.
1.
Main Motions
The Main motion brings business before a group of people. Main motions are what we would
normally think of when we think of motions.
2. Subsidiary Motions
Subsidiary motions assist the group in dealing with a Main motion.
 Motion to Amend will alter a Main motion’s wording to clarify a meaning to make it passable. This
is the one typically used.
3. Privileged Motions
Privileged motions are different from the first two classes because they are not related to ‘the
business at hand.’ They have to do with special matters of immediate importance, which, without
debate, be allowed to interrupt the consideration of anything else.
19

Raise a Question of Privilege is used when things such as noise, heat, ventilation, or guests, are
affecting a member etc. The member can then interrupt pending business to take care of the
item that is bothering him or her.
4. Incidental Motions
Finally, Incidental motions are used when members have specific questions about procedure or
questions about the voting that has taken place on the pending or main motion. These motions
generally must be dealt with immediately, and most are non-debatable. Another difference between
Incidental motions and other motions are that generally members do not have to wait for the Chair to
recognize them. Simply standing up and making the motion is legal.
 Point of Order is used to question whether a breach of Parliamentary Procedure has occurred.
The Chair will rule on this question and the ruling will stand.
Seconding a Motion
In Parliamentary Procedure, there is a potential for many frivolous motions. In order to make sure at least
one other member wants to discuss a motion, all Main, Subsidiary, and Privileged motions require a “second.”
After someone makes a motion, a different member of the group may just call out, “Second” or “I second the
motion,” in order to let the Chair know that there is more than one person interested in debating the topic.
Debating a Motion
After a motion has been moved and seconded, debate starts. There are certain rules of debate that help to
keep the debate orderly and quick. Here is a summary of the important rules of debate:
1. The maker of the motion gets the first opportunity to speak about the motion first. (Please note: this was
not modeled on the 4H PowerPoint)
2. After the maker of the motion speaks, the Chair will try to alternate between arguments that support the
motion and arguments that oppose the motion.
3. All comments made during debate MUST be relevant to the current motion. The Chair has authority to
interrupt a speaker and ask them to sit down if they are not being relevant.
4. The Chair will only recognize people who get his/her attention, therefore it is in your best interest to stand
up and loudly say, “Mr. (or Madame) Chair!”
5. Always, remember to speak to the Chair when debating. Never debate another member directly. When
speaking about another member’s statements address the member in the third person—pretend you are
telling the Chair about what that other person said. (Use “he” or “she” instead of “you”).
Voting
After debate has ended, the motion will come up for a vote. The Chair will ask for any further debate, and if
there is none, he/she will directly proceed to a vote. Generally, most business is taken care of with a voice
vote, where the Chair will ask for the “yeas” and “nays.” Once both have spoken up, the Chair will use his/her
judgment to determine which side has a majority. If there is any question on the Chair’s ruling, a member
usually calls for a Division of the House. The vote will be retaken, with members standing instead of using
their voices.
In political conventions, when it is time to choose a nominee and adopt a platform, a roll call vote is used.
This is a vote where the Clerk, Secretary, or Records Officer uses the attendance list and records each person’s
vote individually. This is rather time consuming, it is generally used only for important matters such as the
two mentioned above.
20
A Motion:
Parliamentary Procedures Made Easy
pgs. 6-9
A motion is a proposal that the group take certain action.
Main motion:
The objective of a main motion is to bring a proposal before the group for consideration. Only one main motion may be
considered at a given time.
The process:
2.
A member rises and addresses the presiding officer. Address the officer with an appropriate title, “Mr. or Madam
Chairperson.”
3. The presiding officer recognizes the member by either a nod or their name. This member now has ‘the floor’ which
means only that member may talk or present.
4. The member proposes the motion; it is introduced in the form of, “I move that…” There may be brief remarks but it
is not permissible to discuss the merits until after the chair has stated the motion.
5. Another member seconds the motion, without raising or addressing the chair. They say, “I second the motion”. The
chair may ask, “is there a second to the motion?’ If the motion is not seconded within 8 seconds, the motion is lost
or no longer necessary to consider.
6. After the ‘second’, the officer states the motion to the assembly.
7. The assembly discusses or debates the motion. To do this, one must obtain the floor by addressing the chair.
Normally, the first person who asks recognition is entitled to speak.
8. A member who has not spoken has preference over someone who has already discussed the motion.
9. The discussion must focus on the motion presented.
10. When all the discussion is complete, the presiding officer takes the vote on the motion. He/she may inquire if there
is any further discussion. Then proceed to, “All in favor of the motion (state the motion) say ‘Aye’.” Following then,
“All opposed say ‘No’.” You can also ask for a show of hands.
11. The presiding officer announces the result of the vote, either the ‘motion is carried’ or the ‘motion is lost’.
An Amendment:
Parliamentary Procedures Made Easy pgs. 10-11
An amendment is a method used to modify a motion that has already been presented in such a manner that it will be more
helpful to the members.
There are three reasons to amend a motion
1.
2.
3.
To add something to the motion which it did not contain
To subtract or eliminate something from a motion what was original a part of it.
To both add and subtract something from the original motion
The process:
1.
2.
3.
State your amendment in the form of a motion (see Meeting 1) – you can only propose one amendment at a time,
you may amend an amendment
It must have a second and discussion upon just the amendment, not the motion again
It must be voted on ‘as an amendment’ first, then as a motion
Keeping Order
Parliamentary Procedures Made Easy pp. 16-17
There are some helpful tools to keep you meeting on track and the business moving ahead in a positive manner.
First, the presiding official should set an agenda or order of business for the meeting. A standard of order is on page 5 of
Parliamentary Procedures.
There are actions that will help you move a meeting forward. If you learn how to use these effectively, you will be able to
move your ideas and motions ahead more powerfully and efficiently:
1.
2.
Question of Privilege: use when things such as noise, heat, ventilation, or guests are affecting a member. The
member can then interrupt pending business to take care of the item that is bothering him or her.
Point of Order- this keeps a group functioning according to parliamentary procedures and calls attention to a
violation of rules
21
Worksheet for Parliamentary Procedure
1. What is the first thing you must do if you want to speak before the assembly?
2. Make a motion to allocate $100.00 from your club budget to buy paint for new club signs.
3. Why do we ‘second’ motions in meetings?
4. Pretend that you want to make a motion that your group does a highway cleanup as a
community service project. What you would say?
5. If the motion is seconded and the Chair proceeds to discussion, what would be one comment
for the motion and one comment against the motion?
6. Amend the motion; clarifying a detail of the highway cleanup that you feel is important.
7. Consider the following Main Motion:
“Mr. Chair, I move that the KYG Conference be held in Wenatchee, instead of Olympia.”
It is seconded and discussion begins.
Now amend the motion. What would you say?
8. For each of the following items, write in which motion you would use to do the following:
If I wanted to:
Ask the chair how to correctly make a
motion
Complain about the stuffiness of the room.
Change one part of a motion to clarify it
Ask the Chair whether someone is
following parliamentary procedure.
Introduce business to the group.
You have a question about the business at
hand
Then I would:
22
MEETING 2: POLITICAL PARTIES AND PLATFORMS
Objectives of Meeting 2
 Identify what differentiates political parties
 Learn the purpose of political parties and what influences them
 Understand the role of political party platforms
 Identify issues of importance within individual counties
 Intentionally focus on the specific life skills chosen for KYG 2016
 Learn and practice Parliamentary Procedure
 Invite Legislators to KYG Legislative Dinner
Think about adding a
speaker, like a local
political figure at this
meeting to give your
meeting that extra
“Wow!”
Prior to Meeting 2
 Review Meeting 2 materials in the Curriculum Packet
 Post Group Agreement
 Invite a speaker to talk about their party affiliation (optional)
 If you have less/more than an a multiple of 8 delegates, email Dorothy Elsner
dorothy.elsner@wsu.edu with the number of delegates in your county and you will receive your
assigned topic areas for which you need to submit a resolution/plank.
 PowerPoint on ‘Political Parties’, KYG Resource CD
 Materials needed:
o Clip chart paper or large white board
o Post-it-notes,
o Felt pens
o Ink pad (optional) for thumb prints on Group Agreement
o Ping-Pong balls- one for each 4 participants
o Laptop or computer with Internet access
o Projector connected to computer to show videos
o 5 stickers for each participant
o Soft object to throw
o Make copies of:
o Sample email to Legislators- one for group to share
o Educational Planks from Eight Political Parties of Washington- as many as your group
needs
Meeting 2 Activities
Activity: 2A: Teambuilding and Community Building
Categories
As a category is called out, teens arrange themselves into groups according to what is true for them.
1. Fold your hands. Get into groups according to which thumb is on top.
8. Cross your arms. Get into groups according to which arm is on top.
9. Look at your fingernails; get into groups according to which way you looked at your hands.
23
Alphabet Pong
Have teens get in groups of 4-6; everyone needs their notebook, as a paddle, and each group needs a
ping-pong ball.
The object is to try to get through the letters of a word by hitting the ping-pong ball with their ‘paddle’.
Each time the ball is hit counts as a letter. No one may hit the ball twice in a row and if it touches the
ground, you must start over.
1. Spell someone’s first name.
2. Spell someone’s first and last name.
3. Spell ‘Know Your Government’.
4. Super challenge- go through the whole alphabet!
Activity 2B: Group Agreement
1. Explain the importance of developing life skills through this civic experience. This is what 4H is all
about! We are intentionally focusing this year on Collaboration, Positive Civil Discourse/Conflict
resolution and ultimately Positive Citizenship. The curriculum will provide numerous
opportunities to discuss these skills, how to use and develop them, and when we see them being
practiced.
Discuss:
 Define Collaboration, and Positive Civil Discourse/Conflict resolution. How do they look
when they are practiced?
 Describe someone you have seen with these skills.
 When have you use these skills?
2. Display your group agreement and ask your group about it:
 Why did we build this group agreement?
 What are the benefits of having it here, and when we meet in Olympia?
 Is there anything you want to change on it?
 Did we include anything that will help us to intentionally focus on the life skills of
Collaboration, Positive civil Discourse/Conflict resolution, or Positive citizenship?
 Have everyone who commits personally to abide by this group agreement and hold others
in the group to do the same, sign or thumbprint the Group Agreement.
Activity 2C: Content: Introduction to Political Parties and Platforms
Write the words, “Political Party” on a large easel paper and ask student to write down (on post it notes)
anything they know about the phrase. Encourage students to think about what political parties are, why
they exist, what their goals are, examples of different types of parties, prominent leader of each party,
which values each party represents, etc. When they are finished, have them read what they wrote.
Write down relevant ideas on large easel paper.
Show: PowerPoint on Political Parties; slides 1-23 KYG Reference CD. Two Handouts are included as
well; you will need to make copies of these for each delegate.
Be sure to utilize the note section at the bottom of each slide for comments and discussion questions
24
Discuss:
 Why do political parties exist?
 What are the purposes and goals of parties in general? (see what the students come up with
then suggest these below)
o Support candidates-the candidates gain support from the political party and makes it
easier for voters to figure out what the candidate believes in.
o Work inside government-candidates who are elected to office work to pass laws and
solve problems within the current context.
~What laws are passed and how problems are solved depends on the government’s
public policy- the stand the government takes about how issues should be handled. What
stand does the government take? That depends on which political party has the most
power. The majority party- the one with the most elected members- can most easily
influence laws and policy by getting all its members to vote the same way on a bill. This is
not always easy, though, because members of one political party do not necessarily agree
on all the issues. However, in American politics, it is common for most lawmakers from
one party to vote the same way when deciding whether to pass a law.
~Meanwhile, the minority party- the one with the least elected members works to
promote the views of its supporters by forcing compromise with the majority party. If the
minority party is successful, laws are created that balance between the two parties’
viewpoints.
o Influence voters- political parties try to influence voters in various ways. All the
information a political party distribute is biased toward its own views. Rememberinformation from political parties should not be your only source of information about
candidates and issues.
Discuss: What is something new- not known about prior- you learned from this PowerPoint?
Guest Speaker: (Optional, but valuable)
We strongly suggest scheduling guest speakers during your county sessions who can bring a little more
life to this subject. Invite elected officials or a campaign manager to meet with your group. Ask them to
address their political party affiliation, why and how they chose it and/or recommend tips for conducting
a campaign. If possible, invite a county party chair to discuss the role of party conventions in electing
officials. Alternatively, ask your speakers their thoughts on the eight topics identified, to help in
formulating representative resolutions /planks.
Have each of your delegates prepare one or two questions for the speaker. Use this opportunity to ask
him/her about the resolutions you are writing. After the speaker has finished, lead a discussion on what
the members learned (reflect and apply). Have delegates compare and analyze the different
perspectives presented by each speaker. Be sure to have a private review session with your group after
visits and/or speakers. Ask open-ended questions: What did you think about that? What new things
did you learn from this session? Encourage the delegates to express their opinions and draw their own
conclusions.
Activity 2D: Content: Investigate Political Parties
View TVW Video: http://www.tvw.org/index.php?option=com_tvwplayer&eventID=2008080046
(10.5 minutes long)
25
Part 1
Under state law (RCW 29A.04.086) a major political party is a political party of which at least one
nominee for President of the United States, United States Senator, or a statewide office received at least
five percent (5%) of the total votes cast in the last general election. A minority political party in
Washington State is any political party or organization whose nominees for President and Vice President
failed to receive at least five percent of the total votes cast at the last (2012) presidential election. Minor
political parties wishing to place a Presidential candidate on the ballot are required hold state
nomination conventions in May-August each Presidential year. If a political party submits all the
required documentation, then the candidate appears on the ballot. More information about the minor
party nomination process is found on the Secretary of State website:
http://www.sos.wa.gov/_assets/elections/Presidential-Guide-for-Minor-Party-and-IndependentCandidates.pdf
Washington’s Secretary of State Office recognizes the following parties:
The two major political parties:
Washington State Democratic Central Committee www.wa-democrats.org
Washington State Republican Party www.wsrp.org
Some of the minor political parties:
*Constitution Party of Washington
www.constitutionpartyofwa.com
*Green Party of Washington State
www.gpows.org/
*Libertarian Party of Washington State
www.lpwa.org
Reform Party of Washington
www.reformparty.org
Christian Liberty Party of Washington
www.christianlibertyparty.org
*Socialist Party
http://www.socialistparty-usa.net/
Christian Liberty Party of Washington www.christianlibertyparty.org
Progressive Party of Washington www.waprogparty.org
*Socialist Workers Party
http://depts.washington.edu/labhist/cpproject/ko.shtml
*Justice Party https://www.facebook.com/Justice-Party-of-Washington-State214826708597610/timeline/
*The minor political parties represented on the 2012 Presidential ballot
For information on other minor parties in Washington, go to:
http://www.mondopolitico.com/parties/us/washington/us.wa.pp.htm
Refer to delegates’ Handout: “Political Parties of Washington” and ask delegates or groups of delegates
to research one or more of the political parties. (They may select one not listed on the chart).
Alternatively, you may assign different ones to different individuals or groups. Use the websites listed
and find the answers to the questions below. Have delegates fill in the information they find in the,
“Political Parties in Washington Matrix”, in their handbook.
Part 2
Have delegates or groups report their findings; have everyone complete their “Political Parties in
Washington Matrix”. Use the matrix to answer the questions below.
 What are some similarities and differences between the various political parties?
26
Reflect:
 In your opinion, what is the purpose of political parties?
 Who or what influences political parties?
 Washington State uses a Top 2 Primary system, rather than a party nominating system. A Top 2
primary is a type of primary election that occurs before the general election to choose candidates
to run in the general election. In a Top 2, unlike an open primary, voters choose candidates for
each office without regard to party. The two candidates who receive the most votes advance to
the General Elections regardless of their party preference.
Do you think parties are more or less influential in choosing a candidate? Why?
 According to what the delegation has learned about these political parties, what opinions do you
think the various political parties have on the following topics? Education, Environment,
Immigration, Safety, and Security
 As a Washington State voter, you do not declare a party affiliation. This allow you to vote for any
candidate in the Primary, regardless of their party preference. How does these effect political
parties? Why then should we have political parties?
Apply:
 Do you identify with parts of more than one party’s platform? What would that mean for you
when you go to vote for a candidate?
 Explain your thoughts regarding how to strengthen positive civic discourse when you interact with
other teens at KYG if you hold different party tendencies.
Activity 2E: Content: Investigate Political Party Platforms
Each political party has a platform; it is a set of principles, goals, and strategies designed to address
pressing political issues. Each party’s platform is broken down into ‘planks’ or declarations that speak to
specific issues. This set of planks is called a “platform”; it is the set of beliefs the political party stands
on. The platform that is approved by each political party identifies the issues and position upon which
their candidates will run. Party platforms and their planks are very important to the electoral process;
they give the candidates a clear political position with which they can campaign. They give voters a
sense of what the candidates believe in- the issues they think are important, and how-if elected-they will
address them.
Hand out: “Education Planks from the Eight Political Parties in Washington”, several delegates per
each copy.
 Find similarities and differences between the platforms.
All of this work will
make your
 Guess the party that is responsible for each excerpt.
Reflect:
 Now that you know the party associated with each excerpt, does it
change your opinion about the party? Why or why not?
resolutions/planks
more meaningful
and the conference
more exciting!
Instagram a picture of any point in your group’s brainstorming process- be creative!
27
Activity 2F: Content: Identify and Research issues of Importance
Product: By the conclusion of the KYG Conference, the delegates will identified a 4-H Platform,
consisting of the issues that are important to 4-H members.
Each county KYG delegation will submit Resolutions including subsequent ‘planks’, for the KYG Platform.
The 4-H KYG Core Committee has identified eight topics they want delegations to focus on when
submitting planks for consideration for the 4-H KYG Party Platform. These topics are Education,
Immigration, Election Reform, Environment, Health Care, Energy, Security & Safety, and Economy. For
every eight (8) delegates, you will need to submit a resolution/plank for each topic area.
***If you have less than an a multiple of 8 delegates, email Dorothy Elsner dorothy.elsner@wsu.edu
with the number of delegates in your county and you will receive your assigned topic areas for which
you need to submit a resolution/plank.
**Your final resolutions/planks are due to Sabrina Wood at Roze2.4h@gmail.com by January 29, 2016.
Process:
 Define the issues important to your community in each topic area
 Develop a position, based on background information and/or justification of the issue. The ‘plank’
or final piece of the resolution is how the issue should be addressed.
#1. As a group, brainstorm issues within the topic areas that are important to you and your county.
Brainstorming is a method of shared problem solving in which all members of a group spontaneously
contribute ideas. Remember that everyone’s idea counts. Consider these four points:
1. Focus on quantity: The assumption is that the greater the number of ideas generated, the
greater the chance of producing an effective solution.
2. No criticism: Put criticism 'on hold'. By suspending judgment, one creates a supportive
atmosphere where participants feel free to generate unusual ideas.
3. Unusual ideas are welcome: To get a good and long list of ideas, welcome unusual ideas. They
may open new ways of thinking and provide better solutions.
4. Combine and improve ideas Good ideas can be combined to form a single very good idea
Brainstorm activity List the eight topic areas across the top of several pieces of flip chart paper or a white board
 Have delegates write their ideas of specific issues under each topic
 Discuss ideas and had out 5 stickers to each participant
 Each participant should ‘vote’ on what specific issues they’d like to build planks around by
placing a sticker by the five ideas they like the best
 Choose the top idea, the one with the most sticker votes in each topic area, and discuss.
 Now it is time to gather information to affirm your idea
#2. ASSIGNMENT DUE BY NEXT MEETING:
As delegates to the 4-H KYG Conference, you are representing your county,
so it is valuable to find out how these issues are important to members of your
community.
See if you can
find similarities
to your top
ideas in each
topic area.
Here are some ways to find out what is important to your community and 4-H.
1. Read your local newspaper for ideas. Contact the reporter or people referenced in the article for
more information.
28
2. Review local party platforms. Some political parties have county level organizations with their own
party platforms. Use the websites listed with the list of political parties to determine local activities.
3. Divide the topic areas between the delegates and have them call or email community members or
state legislators and ask questions about their assigned topic area before the next meeting.
See below for suggested questions.
Suggested list of questions include:
 What is an important issue(s) related to___________________ (insert topic)?
 Why is it important?
 Is this issue unique to our county? Our region? Why?
 What is the background concerning this issue?
 Who is in conflict over the issue?
 Is there someone else in the community to talk to about this issue?
Refer to Delegates’ Handout, “Topic Area Interview Sheet” for their use as they interview identified
experts or political figures in the community. Delegates can divide the interviews by person or topic
area. One interviewee may be able to answer questions for more than one topic. In this case, it is
better for one person to ask questions on the different topics than for numerous delegates to be
contacting the same person.
Reflect:
 Why is it important to do this research and interview people about these important issues?
 Democracy is a participation sport. Why do you think democracy requires citizens to deliberate
on public problems and participate in collective decision-making?
FOR YOUR NEXT MEETING: Have delegates report the information they found out during interviews,
newspapers and local party platform research. Use Parliamentary Procedure to decide which issues
should be further researched, and developed. Remember: the planks you develop from issues in your
community may eventually be submitted from your delegation to the Core Committee for consideration
for the KYG Party Platform.
Activity: 2G Business
Legislative Invites:
Some counties will all be in the same legislative district, others will have several legislative districts
represented. Have delegates get into groups according to their district. Handouts Meeting 2: Sample
Email to Legislators. You may write your own invitation or use the one provided; always include
something personable, something about your group, in your email to your legislators. Each district group
should send three emails, to the two Representatives and the one Senator of their district and each
member of the group should include their name in each email.
Reminders:
 Remind delegates about date and location of next meeting
 Remind delegates about fundraising
 Make sure everyone has a job contributing to the issue research for the resolutions
Activity: 2H Compliments and Appreciation
29
Wrap-Up
Reflect and Apply:
1.
What is one thing you learned through our first two meetings, which will strengthen your
collaboration skills? Your ability to contribute to positive civil discourse?
2.
How was that personally valuable? In what ways?
3.
Now where can you practice getting better at either of these skills before our next meeting?
Can you commit to it?
4.
What have you learned about positive citizenship from through the material presented today?
5.
Now where can you practice positive citizenship in school or your community to “Make the
Best Better,” till our next meeting?
Tweet answers to question #5.
Form a circle with one soft object to throw.
We have covered a lot of material today. It has required focus. It is your turn to complement our team
on what we accomplished today. It might include:
 Positive follow through on our Group Agreement
 Great communication- collaboration
 Respect shown for ideas Good start on issue identification
Throw the ball to someone in the circle, who will complement the group on one thing and then throw
the soft object to the next person.
End with a huddle and group cheer!
30
Meeting 2
Handouts
31
POLITICAL PARTIES OF WASHINGTON
Under state law (RCW 29A.04.086) a major political party is a political party of which at least one
nominee for President of the United States, United States Senator, or a statewide office received at least
five percent (5%) of the total votes cast in the last general election held in an even-numbered year.
Washington’s Secretary of State Office recognizes the following parties:
The two major political parties:
Washington State Democratic Central Committee www.wa-democrats.org
Washington State Republican Party www.wsrp.org
Some of the minor political parties in Washington State:
*Constitution Party of Washington
www.constitutionpartyofwa.com
*Green Party of Washington State
www.gpows.org/
*Libertarian Party of Washington State
www.lpwa.org
Reform Party of Washington
www.reformparty.org
Christian Liberty Party of Washington
www.christianlibertyparty.org
*Socialist Party
http://www.socialistparty-usa.net/
Christian Liberty Party of Washington www.christianlibertyparty.org
Progressive Party of Washington www.waprogparty.org
*Socialist Workers Party
http://depts.washington.edu/labhist/cpproject/ko.shtml
*Justice Party https://www.facebook.com/Justice-Party-of-Washington-State214826708597610/timeline/
*The minor political parties represented on the 2012 Presidential ballot
Use the websites listed above and find the answers to the questions below. When complete, you will
share your information with the other groups and fill in the rest of your Chart.




What are the beliefs/values of the party?
What year it was founded and was the party recognized in Washington?
Why was it created? In response to what?
What candidates in your county identify with this party and for what positions are they running?
32
POLITICAL PARTIES IN WASHINGTON MATRIX
Political Party
Beliefs/Values
Founded nationally/
Recognized in WA
Why? In response
to what?
Candidates in
County/ Position
running for
Washington State
Democratic
Central
Committee
Washington State
Republican Party
American
Heritage Party of
Washington
Constitution
Party of
Washington
Green Party of
Washington State
Libertarian Party
of Washington
State
Progressive Party
of Washington
Reform Party of
Washington
33
EDUCATION PLANKS FROM THE EIGHT POLITICAL PARTIES IN WASHINGTON
Read these excerpts from the party platforms
What are the similarities or differences?
Match the education planks with the political party
Washington State Democratic Central Committee www.wa-democrats.org
Washington State Republican Party www.wsrp.org
Christian Liberty Party of Washington www.christianlibertyparty.org
Constitution Party of Washington www.constitutionpartyofwa.com
Green Party of Washington State www.gpows.org/
Libertarian Party of Washington State www.lpwa.org
Progressive Party of Washington www.waprogparty.org
Reform Party of Washington www.reformparty.org
Political Party
All teaching is related to basic assumptions about God and man. Education as a whole, therefore, cannot be
separated from religious faith. The law of our Creator assigns the authority and responsibility of educating
children to their parents. Education should be free from all federal government subsidies, including vouchers, tax
incentives, and loans, except with respect to veterans.
Because the federal government has absolutely no jurisdiction concerning the education of our children, the US
Department of Education should be abolished; all federal legislation related to education should be repealed. No
federal laws subsidizing or regulating the education of children should be enacted. Under no circumstances
should the federal government be involved in national teacher certification, educational curricula, textbook
selections, learning standards, comprehensive sex education, psychological and psychiatric research testing
programs, and personnel.
Because control over education is now being relegated to departments other than the Department of Education,
we clarify that no federal agency, department, board, or other entity may exercise jurisdiction over any aspect of
children’s upbringing. Education, training, and discipline of children are properly placed in the domain of their
parents.
We support the unimpeded right of parents to provide for the education of their children in the manner them
deem best, including home, private or religious. We oppose all legislation from any level of government that
would interfere with or restrict that liberty. We support equitable tax relief for families whose children do not
attend government schools.
So that parents need not defy the law by refusing to send their children to schools of which they disapprove,
compulsory attendance laws should be repealed.
Political Party
We believe the EDUCATION children receive today will determine the success of our nation tomorrow.
It is the
paramount duty of the State to make ample provision for the education of all children living within its borders
while acknowledging that families have the primary authority for educating their children. School boards and
parents should be free to determine priorities, emphasizing basic skills and ensuring students learn the
Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, history, and economics, and have opportunities for vocational and
technical training. As public teachers and professors are in a position of power and paid by taxpayers, it is
important that instructors educate but do not indoctrinate their students. We believe that competition in
education such as vouchers, tax credits and charter schools will result in wider choices, higher quality, more
34
innovation, and lower costs. We believe that innovation will be hindered by recently adopted government policies
to federalize all student loans and prohibit internships within private businesses. We support the right of parents
to homeschool their children without government interference.
A strong, higher-education system is the
backbone of any economic recovery. We reject the current administration's practice of shouldering job cuts onto
higher education. We fully support continued access for Washington State students, and reject efforts to balance
budgets by increasing numbers of out-of-state and foreign students.
The Washington State Republican Party
strongly encourages every legislative district committee to actively seek out and support candidates for local
school boards. Meaningful change will only come about when conservative, compassionate, intelligent citizens
manage our local districts on behalf of our families.
Political Party
Our Creator has assigned to parents the authority and duty of educating children. All teaching is related to
fundamental assumptions about God and man, and cannot be separated from religion. Therefore, we support the
separation of school and state, “freedom of conscience in education” legislation, and the operation of home
schools and private schools unencumbered by government.
The Federal Government has no constitutional jurisdiction over the education of children. Therefore we support
the abolition of the US Department of Education, and we oppose all Federal intrusion in education through “Goals
2000,” “School-to-Work,” subsidies, programs, national teacher certification, goals, guidelines, or any other
means.
Political Party
“It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provisions for the education of all children.” --The
Washington State Constitution - 1889
We believe in full funding of public schools that bring together people of diverse experience, ability, and
background for learning.
(The list of planks has been edited to save room)
We support:
 Publicly funded education at all levels, preschool through university…
 Conflict resolution and other programs that foster non-violent learning environments in our schools
 Educational employees’ salaries, retirement benefits, and healthcare benefits that would attract and
retain quality personnel
 Identifying and implementing a stable funding source for all basic, gifted, and special education state and
federal programs and mandates
 Reduction of class sizes
 Cost-of-living increases for all public school employees
 Schools safe from violence, bullying, harassment, and retribution for staff and students
 Full inclusion of all students into the school environment…
 Full-time counselors, occupational/physical therapists, and school nurses in every school
 Abandoning the WASL as a high school graduation requirement
 Simple majority to pass school levies and bonds
 Eliminating aggressive military recruiting in public high schools
We oppose:
 Charter schools and vouchers
 The commercial exploitation of students
 The link between educational funding and allowing military recruiters on campus
 Organized prayer in public schools
 “No Child Left Behind”
 The teaching of pseudo-sciences like the teaching of intelligent design
35
Political Party
This party’s National Platform does not include an education platform
Political Party
This party supports equal access to and accountability for education.
Equal access and accountability for education means that every child should have access to a quality education. It
also means that school administrations, teachers, and school boards must be held accountable for student
learning and performance without “teaching to the test” or being over-burdened with repeated standardized
testing. Teachers should be paid in a way that matches their skill and criticality to our society.
A quality education for our citizens is the cornerstone of our country’s future. Without an educated electorate
and workforce, our nation will not be able to maintain and improve our standard of living.
Political Party
This party’s National Platform does not include an education platform.
Political Party
This party supports equal access to high-quality education, and sharp increases in financial aid for college
students.
A great challenge facing the people of the United States is to educate ourselves to build a just, sustainable,
humane and democratic future, and to become responsible and effective citizens of the local and global
communities we share. This party believes every child deserves a public education that fosters critical and holistic
thought, and provides the breadth and depth of learning necessary to become an active citizen and a constructive
member of our society. We do not believe our public school system, as it presently operates, helps us reach that
goal.
This party is strongly opposed to the dissolution of public schools and the privatization of education. We believe
that the best educational experience is guaranteed by the democratic empowerment of organized students, their
parents and communities along with organized teachers.
We must stop disinvestment in education and instead put it at the top of our social and economic agenda.
Effective schools have sufficient resources. Too many of our teachers are overworked, underpaid, and starved of
key materials. We also must be more generous to our schools so that our children will learn what generosity is,
and know enough to be able to be generous to us in return.
This party believes in education, not indoctrination. We do not think that schools should turn our children into
servile students, employees, consumers or citizens. We believe it is very important to teach our children how to
ask good questions.
Unfortunately, we often expect too little from our students, teachers and schools. We must teach our children
and teenagers to be leaders, and challenge them with great works of literature, economics, philosophy, history,
music, and the arts.
A quarter century of generous corporate funding from the likes of the Bradley and Wal-Mart Family Foundations
and a decade of No Child Left Behind have given birth to a vast, well-endowed and lucrative sector, which seeks to
dismantle, privatize, or militarize public education, and destroy teachers unions. Regimes of high stakes testing
and the wholesale diversion of resources away from public schools are provoking crises for which the bipartisan
corporate consensus recommends Chicago-style school closings or the Katrina-style dissolution of entire school
districts and their replacement by selective, unaccountable and often highly profitable charter schools. This party
is unalterably opposed to the dissolution of public schools and the privatization of education. We believe that the
best educational experience is guaranteed by the democratic empowerment of organized students, their parents
and communities along with organized teachers.
This party views learning as a lifelong and life-affirming process to which all people should have access. We cannot
state more forcefully our belief that in learning, and openness to learning, we find the foundation of our Platform.
36
We recommend the following actions:
• Eliminate gross inequalities in school funding. Federal policy on education should act principally to
provide equal access to a quality education.
• Provide free college tuition to all qualified students at public universities and vocational schools.
• Oppose the administration of public schools by private, for-profit entities.
• Increase funding for after-school and daycare programs.
• Promote a diverse set of educational opportunities, including bi-lingual education, continuing education,
job retraining, distance learning, mentoring and apprenticeship programs.
• Give K-12 classroom teachers professional status and salaries commensurate with advanced education,
training and responsibility.
• Teach non-violent conflict resolution and humane education at all levels of education.
• Prohibit advertising to children in schools. Corporations should not be allowed to use the schools as
vehicles for commercial advertising or corporate propaganda.
• Provide healthy school meals that are rich in vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber, and offer plant-based
vegetarian options. Support Farm-to-School programs that provide food from local family farms and
educational opportunities.
• Ban the sale of soda pop and junk food in schools. Junk food is defined as food or beverages that are
relatively high in saturated or trans-fat, added sugars or salt, and relatively low in vitamins, minerals,
protein and fiber.
• Oppose military and corporate control over the priorities and topics of university academic research.
• Expand opportunities for universal higher education and life-long learning.
• Make student loans available to all college students, with forgiveness for graduates who choose public
service occupations.
• Repeal the No Child Left Behind Act
• Include a vigorous and engrossing civics curriculum in later elementary and secondary schools, to teach
students to be active citizens.
• Encourage parental responsibility by supporting parenting and increasing opportunities for parents to be
as involved as possible in their children’s' education. Values start with parents. Teaching human sexuality
is a parental and school responsibility.
• Expand arts education and physical education opportunities at school.
• Recognize the viable alternative of home-based education.
• Oppose efforts to restrict the teaching of scientific information and the portrayal of religious belief as fact.
• Provide adequate academic and vocational education and training to prisoners.
• We urge that our nation amend its 'binding declaration' with respect to the "Optional Protocol to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict" to join the rest of
the world in setting 18 as the absolute minimum age for military recruitment.
• No person should be permitted to sign away eight (8) years of their life to the armed forces, without full
written disclosure of what is expected of them and what they can expect in return from the government.
We demand that the practice of deceiving prospective service recruits about the truth of their service
contract be recognized as a fraudulent practice and sufficient grounds for revoking an enlistment
contract. Current practices holding individuals legally to all the terms of their military service contract
should also apply to the government.
We demand an end to the militarization of our schools. JROTC programs are an expensive drain on our limited
educational resources and a diversion from their important mission to prepare our young to assume their role in a
peaceful tomorrow. ASVAB testing is being used to mine public school student bodies for data to support military
recruiting. Forbid military access to student records. The Pentagon's Recruitment Command is misdirecting public
tax dollars on manipulative campaigns that prey on our young. We insist that local education authorities stand up
to these destructive practices.
37
TOPIC AREA INTERVIEW SHEET
Topic Area:
Name:
Name:
Name:
What is an important
issue(s) related to
(insert topic)?
Why is it important?
Is this unique to our
county? Our region?
Why?
What is the
background
concerning this
issue?
Who is in conflict over
the issue?
Is there someone
else in the community
to talk to about this
issue?
38
SAMPLE EMAIL TO LEGISLATORS
Legislators are busy but
enjoy meeting with their
constituents. Include the
optional paragraph
below so you can get on
their calendars early.
Dear (Senator or Representative) _________________:
We are 4-H members from ________________ County in your district who plan to be in
Olympia, February 13-16, 2016, for the “Washington State University Extension 4-H Know
Your Government” Conference entitled “Decision 2016: Elections and Party Platforms”
Our goal is to learn more about political parties and elections.
We are also interested in issues of concern in our community as well as those currently
addressed by the Washington Legislature. We would like to learn more about your views,
and share our views through a 4-H KYG Party Platform created at our conference.
You are invited to join us for dinner on Monday, February 15th at the Red Lion Hotel,
Olympia. A formal invitation will be mailed to you separately.
Thank you for your continued interest in the 4-H Know Your Government Program. We
look forward to visiting with you and sharing information about this 4-H program.
If your schedule permits, we would like to make an appointment to visit your office on
________________________________________________________________.
Please let us know what time is most convenient for you.
We can be contacted by calling ________
______. Please ask to speak to
______________________
.
Sincerely,
(Signature of conference delegates)
Timeline for connecting with Legislators:
December or very early January- Send Email invite to KYG Legislative Dinner
By end of January-, phone call to remind legislator of KYG Legislative Dinner and finalize your county’s
visit at their office.
By early February or about a week before KYG Conference- phone call to check with the legislator’s
scheduler and confirm they are attending the KYG Legislative Dinner
39
MEETING 3: CAMPAIGNS AND VOTING
Objectives of Meeting 3
 Collect registration forms and fees
 Create resolutions to support a plank to submit for the 4-H Party Platform
 Learn about Washington State Election process
 Pick county candidate and campaign roles
 Discuss how to distinguish between a candidate’s views and his or her party’s platform
Before Meeting 3
 Review Meeting 3 material in the Curriculum Packet
 Review “IRV Flash Animation” at http://archive.fairvote.org/?page=2271
 Materials needed:
o Paper and writing utensils for delegates who forget
o Laptop or computer with Internet access
o Projector connected to computer to show videos
o From Meeting 3 Handouts, make copies of:
 Campaign Roles- one for each campaign role or group
 Letter of Intent- one for person doing this letter
 Public Speaking Feedback Form- as many as are needed to give feedback
 Generalizations one for each group of delegates
 ‘What is Happening at the KYG Conference’ as many as needed
Meeting 3 Activities
Activity 3A: Teambuilding and Community building
Teambuilding activities in this Meeting will help students understand ‘generalization’ and consider the
effects on collaboration and conflict. This is longer than the previous Community Building activity but
worth the extra time to help make this concept real and ready to apply in our group work.
Step 1: Ask delegates to make a circle, take off their shoes, and place them in the center of the circle.
Now ask the group to organize the shoes based on the following:
1. According to gender
2. Arrange according to beauty (they may interrupt beauty anyway they wish)
3. Arrange according to position of power
Discuss:
 How did it make you feel to have your shoes categorized a certain way?
 Did anyone disagree with how certain shoes were categorized?
 What other ways could we have categorize the shoes? Why are there so many ways to
categorize?
 Did any group or cultural values surface in how the shoes were arranged?
40
Step 2: Write on an easel paper for all to see, “Snakes are harmful”. Ask the students to write in their
Delegate Handbook whether they agree or disagree with this statement. Now have them look at the
seven statements below, also on that page in the Delegate Handbook:
1. Are all snakes harmful?
2. Are most snakes harmful?
3. Are many snakes harmful?
4. Are some snakes harmful?
5. Are a few snakes harmful?
6. Do you know about all snakes?
7. Is the statement “Snakes are harmful” true?
Discuss:
 How many agreed with the statement at first? How many answered “no’ to the last question? If
you changed your mind, what made you do so?
 What words can you add to the statement “Snakes are harmful” to make it more accurate?
 What can you add to the statement to show that you do not know enough informational about
snakes (e.g., “as far as I know,” “I’m not sure,” “in my experience”)?
Step 3: Handout ‘Worksheet: Generalizations’; Ask group to discuss and come to a consensus of the
accuracy of each of the generalizations listed and then suggest how to rewrite each statement using
qualifying phrases like those suggested above so that each statement is accurate.
Reflect:
 Have you ever heard anyone use a generalization to describe you or another person? Can you
share what you heard? How does it feel when someone does that?
 What happened when we used a generalization to describe snakes? Was the statement accurate?
What happened when we used qualifiers to describe snakes?
 When we discussed the statements on the worksheet, which statements were more difficult to
evaluate- the statements about things or the statement about people?
Apply:
 How might generalizations about people, political beliefs, or _______________ affect our ability
to collaborate positively, to discuss political issues civilly, or avoid conflict- at our county meetings
AND at the KYG Conference in Olympia?
In your Delegate Handbook, how would you complete the following sentences?
 We should try not to use generalizations because _______________________
 It is important to use qualified statements because______________________
Activity 3B: Group Agreement
Do a check-in with your group agreement. Is there anything we would like to change? Have we included
guidelines to help us address generalizations?
41
Activity 3C: Content: Identify/research issues of importance (continued)
You will be able to practice these skills in the next activity. Remember to decide upon a presiding
official.
Have delegates report the information they found out during interviews, newspapers and local party
platform research. Use Parliamentary Procedure, motions and amendments, to decide which issues
should be further researched, and developed. Remember: the planks you develop from issues in your
community may eventually be submitted from your delegation to the Core Committee for consideration
for the KYG Party Platform.
Activity 3D: Content: Creating a Resolution/Plank
At the conference, the KYG party will create a platform from submissions from county delegations. The
submission will be in the form of a resolution. A resolution is a series of statements describing
background information and justifications leading to the plank, which will be considered for the
platform. Refer to “Sample Resolution,” found in the Delegates’ Handbook.
Ask the delegates what they notice about the resolution and why this format would be helpful at the
conference. One answer is that it gives those delegates from other parts of the state reasons why this
plank is important and why it should be included in the platform.
There is no length requirement for each resolution; however, we expect no less than three statements;
these may include why it is important to your county. Remember that delegates from all over the state
will be considering these resolutions/planks for inclusion in the party platform. Your resolution should
be as complete as needed to convey the importance of your plank.
Tweet collaborative answer to why the resolution format is helpful for our work at KYG Conference.
Assign delegates to complete the resolutions/planks before the next meeting. Remember! These
resolutions/planks are due no later than Monday, January 29th to Sabrina Wood at
Roze2.4h@gmail.com
Activity 3D: Content: Political Campaigns
Another aspect of the 4-H KYG Conference is nominating a 4-H KYG candidate for the position of 4-H
Governor. Each county delegation offers a candidate and the rest of the delegation serves as the
campaign team. A candidate may be chosen in a variety of ways and the process used is a local decision.
If more than one teen wants to run, have a Primary Election within your county. Once the candidate is
selected, they must submit a letter of intent and photo (.jpg file) Email to Katie McCartney,
katierosemccartney@gmail.com by January 29th, 2016. (See example in the Meeting 3 Handout,
section.)
A letter of intent to run for office is a simple way for the 4-H KYG committee to know who is running.
This letter will be included in the voter’s pamphlet. In actual elections, candidates must “file” with the
county government.
42
At a minimum, please include the following in your letter:
 Who you are and your grade in school
• Your county
• What projects you been involved with in 4-H
• Future plans
• Why you want to run
• What issues are important to you- what potential planks of the 4-H Party Platform do you
support and why
Once a candidate has been selected, the rest of the delegation must choose their roles. PLEASE
REINFORCE- yes, we elect one person as the 4H Governor, but actually, we are honoring more than just
that one person. The whole county team wins the election! Everyone on the team is important. This
must be reminded repeatedly. It is the responsibility of the County Coordinator to ensure that each
delegate has a job that fits his or her interests and strengths and to aim towards spreading the work
evenly across the delegation.
Hand out “Campaign Roles” and review. Have delegates choose their roles. If you have enough
delegates, your county may have teams assigned to each department. Have students fill in their role in
their Delegate Handbook and then meet with others to outline the responsibilities.
Now that the team is created, it is time to work on the campaign to get your candidate elected. Work
together as a team to decide each committee and person’s role. See how the roles interconnect.
The message is a concise statement saying why voters should pick a candidate and is one of the most
important aspects of any political campaign. The habit of modern Western media outlets, of taking
short excerpts from speeches, has resulted in the creation of the term “sound bite.” In a modern
political campaign, the message must be carefully crafted before it is spread. Major campaigns will
spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on opinion polls and focus groups in order to figure out what
message is needed to reach a majority on Election Day.
Your candidate will have several opportunities to share their message prior to the use of instant run-off
voting to determine the top three candidates:
 The 4-H KYG Candidate blog – once your candidate’s letter of intent has been submitted to Katie
McCartney, it will be posted for you on the KYG Facebook Page. Comments or questions may be
added then.
 Letter of intent and photo included in Voter’s Pamphlet distributed at conference (see “Letter of
Intent” in handout section, due by January 29th)
 Campaign speeches and materials at conference
If your candidate becomes one of the top three candidates, they will have more opportunities to share
their message:
 A Q&A session (each candidate will have two minutes for an opening statement, one minute
each to respond to each question, and two minutes for a closing statement)
 Candidate speeches on the final day (five-minute limit)
43
Use your team to create a formal strategy known as a campaign plan. You may want delegates to begin
preparing campaign materials, policy papers, sample debate questions, and speeches for review at the
next meeting.
It will be especially important to make time for your candidate to practice his/her speeches. As the
campaign team, it is your job to prepare the candidate and provide constructive feedback about his/her
public speaking abilities, and how he/she might make improvements. Use the “Public Speaking
Feedback Form” for delegates to use when their candidate is practicing speeches or preparing for the
Education and Immigration debates.
Your strategy may include how to elicit support from counties without a candidate, especially after the
first vote. The 4-H KYG Voter’s Pamphlet will include the counties in attendance and those with or
without candidates.
Watch this video for a complete overview of the elections process.
http://www.teachwithtvw.org/voting-in-washington-module/
Reflect:
 If you were supportive of a state candidate, would you participate in their campaign? Why or
why not?
 What are instances where you would be supportive of a candidate that did not follow their party
platform?
 What are instances where you would not be supportive of a candidate that did follow their party
platform?
 With so many people against negative campaigning (examples include attack ads or fear
mongering), why do you think politicians still do it?
 Are television commercials still important to a political campaign? Were they at one time?
 How is social media being used now to promote candidates’ campaigns? Does it allow more
equality amongst candidates?
 Candidates may identify with a particular party but may not agree with the entire platform. How
important is a party platform if the candidate differs from it on issues? How can a voter separate
the candidate from the platform? Should voters do this or should they judge a candidate by their
party only?
Activity 3E: Content: Bill of Rights
Through this activity, delegates will explore the civil liberties enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
Light intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5zumFJx950 (optional)
What is the Constitution? The supreme law of the United States of America.
What is the Bill of Rights? (Get ideas from your group.) The Bill of Rights lists the essential freedoms and
civil liberties of American citizens as well as specific prohibitions on governmental power.
Are these amendments? To what? Yes, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution. The majority of the
seventeen later amendments expand individual civil rights.
44
Civil liberties: the right of people to do or say things that are legal without being stopped or interrupted
by the government.
Summarize a pertinent court case (Oregon v. Mitchell 1970) http://www.infoplease.com/us/supremecourt/cases/ar28.html Include historical background regarding why 18 year olds were granted suffrage
and how voting relates to other responsibilities of citizenship 18 year old are expected to fulfill.
Reflect:
 Which amendment to the Constitution made it legal for black males to vote? (The Fifteenth
Amendment)
 Which amendment to the Constitution made it legal for women to vote? (The Nineteenth
Amendment)
 The last two questions are about two groups of citizens denied the right to vote until these
amendments were passed. How might government be different if these groups had not been
allowed to vote?
 Who does not have the right to vote today? Why?
 We elect people to represent our interests in communal decisions affecting us. As the American
Revolutionaries famously cried: “not taxation without representation!” Felons, 16 and 17 year
olds, and legal resident aliens pay taxes but cannot vote. Learning from the past, should these
groups be able to vote and why?
 With the suffering black males and women endured to earn the right to vote, do you feel young
people appreciate their right to vote at the age of eighteen?
 Is eighteen too young to expect people to become engaged in elections? Why or why not?
Tweet in your answer to the last reflection question.
Activity: 3F Business
Review ‘What is happening at the KYG Conference”. Meeting 3 Handouts
Time to check in on deadlines:
Hotel reservations made.
Delegate and adult registrations completed electronically. By January 29th
 Registrations in to Tony Dell adell@wsu.edu
 Phone call to remind legislator of KYG Legislative Dinner and finalize your county’s visit to their
office.
 Candidate Letter of Intent and photo (.jpg file) Email to Katie McCartney,
katierosemccartney@gmail.com
 Resolutions and planks to Sabrina Wood at Roze2.4h@gmail.com
Activity: 3G Compliments and Appreciation
Move from complimenting the whole group to individuals now. Ideally, each delegate should receive a
compliment from an adult. This can be done publically or privately. Publically has value as the delegate is
45
recognized in front of his/hers peers, which adds additional recognition. You also model for them how
this is done. Privately could be a note or email and have more detail as to what you are recognizing. In
either case, remember to focus on the person’s character or qualities exhibited by the person and not
just things they do. The best compliments are those that point out someone’s awesome achievements
or personal qualities. Complimenting people on something, they have worked on means more than
‘I cancolor
live for
months
complimenting the person on something they have nothing to do with, like the
oftwo
their
eyes.
on a good compliment’.
Here is some helpful ideas:
Mark Twain
How to Give a Great Compliment
By Valorie Burton
Author and Motivational Speaker
I want to encourage you to give a great compliment. It can revolutionize how people feel about you because when a
compliment is given well, it touches the core of who that person is. It affirms the best aspects of who they are and what they
are made of. A powerful compliment is a gift you give to others - a way of expressing gratitude and good will in the world.
Instead of simply, "Good job on that project," tell them how their contribution to the project made it better - something like,
"Your hard work really shined through. It's obvious you've been at this a long time." Rather than, "That's a nice shirt," be
specific about what it is about the shirt that makes it nice on that person. For example, "The color of that shirt really
compliments your brown eyes."
A great compliment is about acknowledging the positives about another person. Acknowledgment is powerful because so
often, good things go unacknowledged. We can become experts at pointing out what is wrong with something or someone
while taking for granted what is right.
Here are four simple guidelines for giving a powerful compliment:
1. Be specific.
Memorable compliments are specific. Do not be vague when you give a compliment. Notice what it is that compelled you to
want to give the compliment in the first place, and then articulate it to the person.
2. Acknowledge their character.
When complimenting an accomplishment, do not just acknowledge what the person did. Acknowledge who they had to be in
order to accomplish it. In other words, what did it take them to make it happen? Point to a person's character traits, such as
perseverance, kindness, thoughtfulness, loyalty, humor, calmness, creativity or courage. For example, "It took a lot of
courage for you to speak up like that" or "You are so creative. I love the way you put together your outfit."
3. Be authentic.
If you do not really mean the compliment, do not give it. Everyone has some character strength or gift worthy of
acknowledgment. Make a habit of finding the good in others. Sometimes you may be the only person to point it out, and
your authentic compliment will be an extraordinary gift for that person because they rarely hear something positive about
themselves from others.
4. Express your appreciation.
When complimenting someone about something they did that benefitted you, be direct in your praise. "It meant a lot to me
that ..." or "I appreciate you for ...” for example. You might assume that the people in your life know you appreciate them,
but do not leave them wondering. Say so.
From: http://www.cbn.com/finance/burton_compliment.aspx?option=print
46
Meeting 3
Handouts
47
Generalization Worksheet
48
SAMPLE RESOLUTION
Please use the following format when submitting resolutions. The “Whereas” statements are your background
and/or justification for your issue. The last line, “Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved” should be the plank you want
adopted as part of the 4-H KYG Party Platform.
_________________________________ (Insert County Name) County
_________________________________ (insert topic area) Resolution,
_________________________________by (insert delegates’ names)
At least three supporting statements for facts (Whereas clauses):
1.
2.
3.
Plank (Now, Therefore, Be It Resolved…) _____________________________________________
EXAMPLE
Thurston County Education Resolution, by Melissa Beard and Jan Klein
WHEREAS, The State Land Grant Universities Extension to the residents of the states was established by Congress
and the Department of Agriculture in 1914; and
WHEREAS, Out of that system grew 4-H Youth Development, an organization committed to the education and life
skills of American’s youth; and
WHEREAS, Building on its origins as corn clubs for boys and canning clubs for girls, the 4-H Youth Development
Program continues to be the largest informal education program for boys and girls. Over 7.3 million youth, ages
five to 19, from all fifty states and around the world in 83 countries, participate each year and develop knowledge
and skills they will need to become competent, caring, productive, and contributing citizens of the world. The 4-H
Program is very diverse in the project areas and educational programs it offers young people as well as in the
audience it reaches; and
WHEREAS, 4-H Youth Development, in conjunction with WSU Extension has members in all of Washington’s 39
counties; and
WHEREAS, Members have many choices of projects in many different education fields, including social sciences,
the arts, animal sciences, family and consumer sciences, environmental stewardship, engineering and technology,
and plant sciences; and
WHEREAS, This greatly expanded and enhanced education of nearly 60,000 of our young people in Washington is
due to the hard work and education of Extension educators and program staff from Washington State University,
in concert with over 6,800 adult volunteers; and
WHEREAS, 4-H Youth Development supports the annual 4-H Know Your Government Conference that allows
delegates to experience different aspects of government and civic involvement;
These are the background reasons
that support your plank.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that 4-H is an integral education program and the annual 4-H Know Your
Government Conference should be financially supported by the Washington State Legislature.
This is the plank!
49
CAMPAIGN ROLES
A campaign manager usually oversees a campaign. The campaign manager coordinates the campaign
making sure that the rest of the staff and the campaign’s consultants are focused effectively on winning
the election. While campaign managers are often the lead strategists in local campaigns, larger
campaigns hire consultants to serve as strategists and the campaign manager focuses mostly on
coordinating the campaign staff.
Field/Ground Department
The field department is the “on-the-ground” organization that is required to contact voters through
canvassing, phone calls, and staging local events. In addition to voter persuasion and voter
identification, field staff will often provide information for the campaign headquarters as to what is
going on in the communities in which they work. Field staffers are the primary liaison between the
campaign and local influential such as interest group leaders and prominent community activists. Field
departments are also often primarily responsible for the local distribution of “chum” (signs, bumper
stickers, buttons, and other such materials). What this means for the conference: These delegates are
in charge of marketing, creating campaign signs, buttons, etc., and planning for the table display on
the first night of the conference.
Communications Department
The communications department oversees both the press relations and advertising involved in
promoting the campaign in the media. They are responsible for the campaign’s message and image
among the electorate. This department must approve press releases, advertisements, phone scripts,
speeches, and other forms of communication before they are released to the public. The staffers within
this office vary widely but typically include press secretaries who coordinate the campaign’s relations
with the press and a rapid response director who makes sure that the campaign responds quickly to the
attacks of the other campaigns. What this means for the conference: These delegates are in charge of
social media sites, posting information to the other delegates, and any other actions to communicate
with your potential voters.
Policy Department
Researching and developing a set of policies requires a large team to research and write each plank.
Researchers also provide information to the campaign on issues and the backgrounds of candidates.
This is called opposition research. Smaller campaigns often assign these tasks to the communications
department. Most campaigns for legislative seats do not have a full policy department, as the central
campaign office works out party platforms. Other races, such as a presidential or mayoral race, will
require a wide array of policy positions to be developed in-house. For the 4-H KYG campaign, it might
make sense to assign a topic area(s) to each delegate so they can prepare a policy paper and sample
questions to prepare their candidate for the debates or voter questions. The delegate(s) assigned might
also be the person (people) that prepared the resolution for the county. What this means for the
conference: These delegates are in charge of researching and providing their candidate information
on the eight topic areas. Questions to research: What key points from our resolutions could be used
in speeches? What other viewpoints will the candidate encounter while at the conference? The
communications team to help write speeches and the letter of intent and prepare candidate for
debate on Monday night will use this information.
50
Fundraising Department
The finance department coordinates the campaign’s fundraising operation and ensures that the
campaign always has the money it needs to operate efficiently. The techniques employed by this
campaign vary based on the campaign’s needs and size. Small campaigns often involve casual
fundraising events and phone calls from the candidate to donors asking for money. Larger campaigns
will include everything from high-priced sit-down dinners to e-mail messages to donors asking for
money. What this means for the conference: These delegates are in charge of raising money for
campaign materials by asking for donations, etc. They also decide how the money will be used to
support the candidate team.
Compliance and Legal Department
The compliance and legal department makes sure that the campaign is consistent with the law and that
the campaign files the appropriate forms with government authorities. This department is also
responsible for all financial tracking, including bank reconciliations, loans, and backup for in-kind
donations. (This role may not be needed for the conference.)
Technology Department
The technology department designs and maintains campaign technology such as websites. While small
campaigns have a volunteer or two who know how to use computers, large campaigns will have armies
of computer professionals spread across the state or country handling everything from websites to blogs
to databases. 4-H KYG will have a blog website for delegates to use for campaign purposes. What this
means for the conference: These delegates are in charge of emailing the resolutions/planks and letter
of intent/ candidate photo in on time. They are also in charge of posting necessary information and
responding on the 4-H KYG Facebook page.
Scheduling and Advance Department
The scheduling and advance department makes sure that the candidate is effectively scheduled to
maximize their impact on the voters. This department also oversees the advance people who arrive at
events before the candidate to make sure everything is in order. Often, this department will be a part of
the field department. The scheduling coordinator may be responsible for developing and executing
events for small campaigns. The scheduling coordinator typically manages the candidate’s personal and
campaign schedule, manages the field and advance team schedules, and gathers important information
about all events the candidate and campaign team will attend. Candidates and others members of the
campaign must bear in mind that only one person should oversee the details of scheduling. Fluid
scheduling is one of the many keys to making a profound impact on voters. What this means for the
conference: These delegates are in charge of following up with legislators about the Legislative
breakfast. They make appointments with legislators. They could also be knowledgeable about the
KYG schedule and make sure your candidate is getting exposure at several events.
The above excerpts were taken from Wikipedia.org-Political Campaign Staff
*****If you plan to bring campaign posters for your candidate to the conference, please be aware that
the Red Lion’s hotel policy does not permit anything to be attached to the walls of the hotel.
Therefore, you will need to be creative in displaying your campaign material. You will need to use
tabletop displays or utilize floor space. Easels may be another option. Be creative!
51
LETTER OF INTENT
Each candidate to represent the 4-H KYG Party must submit a letter of intent and photo (.jpg
file) by January 29th to Katie McCartney katierosemccartney@gmail.com
A letter of intent to run for office is a simple way for the 4-H KYG committee to know who is
running. This letter will be included in the voter’s pamphlet. In actual elections, candidates
must “file” with the county government. In this case, we would like a letter of intent instead. At a
minimum, please include the following in your letter:
 Who you are and your grade in school
 Your county
 What projects you been involved with in 4-H
 Future plans
 Why you want to run
 What issues are important to you
EXAMPLE/SAMPLE
This is a letter of intent to inform you that I have decided to seek the 4-H KYG party nomination
for the 2016 election. My name is John Smith. I live in Cedar County and I am 18 years old. I
have been involved in 4-H for over 8 years, focusing on robotics and leadership projects.
I am currently a student at Cedar Valley High and plan to transfer to a four-year college to get a
degree in education.
I want to represent the 4-H KYG party because I believe that our party is the future of politics,
and I want to be a part of that.
Issues important to me include transportation/infrastructure, higher education, the environment,
and promoting the democratic platform. I particularly passionate about education requirements.
52
PUBLIC SPEAKING FEEDBACK FORM
Have delegates use this form to help their candidate improve their public speaking for speeches
and debates.
EXCELLENT
OK
NEEDS
IMPROVEMENT
COMMENTS
CONTENT
Introduction
Establishing
Main Idea
Transitions
Sup-points
Stories
Examples
Sincerity
Humor
Conclusion
Organization
SPEAKING
STYLE
Eye Contact
Posture
Gesturing
Pacing
Confidence
Facial
Expressions
Volume
Voice Inflection
Handling of
Mistakes
Handling of
Distractions
Other GREAT resources:
CCS Curriculum – Communication Activities for Youth, ‘The Perfect Fit’.
Building Everyday leadership in All Teens, by Mariam B. MacGregor
Chapter 19, Getting the Point Across
Contact Jan Klein if you are interested in any of these resources. jlklein@wsu.edu.
53
What is happening at the Conference?
Delegates attending the conference will be part of the 4-H KYG Party and will be participating in the 4-H
KYG Political Convention. At the political convention, delegates will debate planks submitted in the form
of resolutions from each county to include in the 4-H KYG party platform that will represent their party.
They will also learn about county candidates so the delegation can elect a 4-H KYG party candidate that
they feel best represents the platform. Delegates will share the final platform with legislators at the
Legislative Dinner and the candidate will be elected on the last day of the conference.
Saturday
Registration is from 2 to 3:30pm. Challenge activities for youth are from 3-4:30, so be sure your
delegation is to the Red Lion hotel in time to fully participate. Chaperone meeting is from 3:30-4:30.
After dinner, delegations will need to set up their county candidate stations. Each county/candidate will
have a round table to display their candidate posters and county resolutions (optional). Nothing may be
posted on the walls of the hotel. After Saturday night, displays will be moved to regular tables around
the edge of the ballroom. Easels may also be used.
During Session A, county candidates will introduce themselves (one minute limit) while at their
candidate station using a microphone. The delegates will be sitting on the floor or standing around the
ballroom. After the short introductions, delegates have the opportunity to visit with each candidate and
complete a Campaign Trail Search Activity.
In Session B, delegates will meet in their assigned committees. The committees coincide with the eight
topic areas counties will focus on when submitting resolutions/planks. The KYG Core Committee will
make sure one person from each county is assigned to the committees they submitted
resolutions/planks for during pre-conference sessions. If a county brings more delegates than
resolutions/planks submitted, the rest of the delegates will be randomly assigned to committees.
During this session, CFs will lead the delegates through an Introductory Activity, and Parliamentary
Procedure practice. Delegates use Parliamentary Procedure in later sessions to approve, reject, or
amend resolutions/planks submitted from each of the counties. The day will end with each county
having a County Meeting (in a room identified at the chaperone meeting) and a CF or collegiate will visit
each County Meeting room to answer any questions about the next day. Please do not end the County
Meeting prior to a CF visit.
Sunday
Breakfasts on your own have been popular in the past because delegates are allowed more time to
sleep or get ready in the morning, so come prepared for this. The tradition continues for this conference.
You may bring food items to serve in your hotel room. Although County Candidates should be
campaigning throughout the whole event, candidates may use time in Session C to campaign before
delegates vote to narrow the field to ten candidates, to be announced at lunch. In Session D, delegates
will debate the proposed resolutions/planks in order to approve, reject, or amend them, in their
breakout groups. This work will continue in Session E until the committees narrow their topic area
platform to three planks. After your committee has decided on three planks they feel represent the KYG
Party, part of the group will work on a presentation of those planks to the rest of the delegates and part
of the group will work on three questions related to their planks. These questions will be asked of the
final three candidates during a Q&A session to determine where they stand on the issues. The eight54
committee platforms will be combined into a draft Party Platform for delivery on Monday morning.
After a break for ‘county night out’, in Session F, the top 10 candidates will give speeches and then the
Top 3 candidates will be decided through IRV voting. Top three winners will be announced during
county meetings.
Monday
Breakfast will be on your own. In the morning, CFs will deliver a copy of the draft Party Platform for each
delegate, to the County Meeting rooms for distribution by the County Coordinator or chaperone. It is
expected that counties will meet prior to Session G to review the draft Party Platform and discuss
possible amendments. Time will be taken for Capital tours and community service. During Session G,
Counties will vote to ratify or reject the Party Platform using a computerized voting system. The
Legislative Dinner is scheduled for this evening, where the Top 3 candidates will give their final speeches
as a part of Session H.
Tuesday
Brunch will be served. For Session I or our last session, everyone will come to the ballroom to listen to
the final three candidates and use the computerized voting equipment to vote as a county for the KYG
Party Candidate following the Electoral Process. Closing speaker and activities will be included. After
checking out of hotel and packing up, we expect counties to attend their pre-scheduled legislative
appointments at the Capital.
Now you know the details of the conference in February. If you have any questions about the
conference format or the curriculum in general, please feel free to contact any member of the KYG
Planning Team.
55
MEETING 4: ELECTIONS & VOTING
Objectives of Meeting 4
 Understand how elections work
 Understand the ways in which Washington’s election process is unique
 Study Instant Run Off Voting and the Electoral College
 Explore Initiatives and Referendums
Before Meeting 4
 Call delegates whose registrations you did not receive in Meeting 3 to remind them to bring it to
this meeting
 Review Meeting 4 materials in the Curriculum Packet
 Materials needed:
o Campaign materials supplies (varies)
o Laptop or computer with Internet access
o Projector connected to computer to show videos
o Balloons- one for each delegate
o Print Myth or Fact Game papers and cards on card stock. Find in Meeting 4 Handouts
Meeting 4 Activities
Activity 4A: Teambuilding and Community building
Salmon, Politician, Martian and Tiger
Break delegates into four groups. Give each group a word (Salmon, Politician, Martian or Tiger, on a 3x5
card. Their task is to determine a motion for the word. Have them share them with the group. Now,
have delegates mingle until they find a partner. Together they count to three. On three, they do one of
the motions. If they do different words and motions, they go off and find someone else to try it with.
(They must decide as a group what word and motion they will do) If they do the same thing, they join up
and find others to try it with. Eventually everyone is joined up as one team, (or not- and that can offer
some nice processing opportunities.
Balloon Trolley
If your group is large, over eight, break into even teams. If your group is small, do it all together as one
group.
Everyone gets a balloon and inflates it. Group then forms a line and supports the balloons between each
other’s bodies without using their hands, except for the first person in line. The goal is for the group to
move as a unit from Point A to Point B (or there and back again to the start) without dropping any
balloons or using their hands. Let then decide how minutes it will take them. If a balloon is dropped, the
group must return to the starting line and begin again. (If the balloon pops, have replacements ready.)
If they complete the task but do not meet their time goal, have them discuss how to do it faster, and try
again.
Instagram a picture of delegates engaging in the Balloon Trolley activity.
56
Activity 4B: Group Agreement
Think about the activities in 4A. Did we apply any of our group agreement rules to accomplish these
goals? Was it ever necessary to be intentional about the guidelines or did they come naturally? Is it
harder or more easy to follow our guidelines while playing ‘games’ versus working together in another
way, like building our campaign team? Why or why not?
How will we continue to intentionally practice our group agreement while at KYG?
Activity 4C: Content: Elections: How they work.
Background on elections:
Federal races elect the United States President and Vice President, U.S. Senators, or U.S.
Representatives
State races elect state executive, legislative and judicial officials
Local races elect offices for county, city and other local positions.
View “Elections” on your KYG Resource CD.
Washington statewide elections are held to choose our federal senators, our state executives such
as the governor, and Washington State Supreme Court Justices. Local elections include all other
elected positions. Some local elections are by district (congressional, legislative, Court of Appeals),
county (sheriff, prosecuting attorney, Superior Court), city or town (city council) or within a city
(school board).
Refer to delegates’ Handout:
5 Ways Voting is Unique in WA
1. Washington uses a “Top 2 Primary.” In Top 2 Primary, candidates may declare their
political party preference. However, a candidate has stated preference is not an
endorsement by the party. In fact, candidates can (and do) make up their own parties! Every
third Tuesday in August, Washingtonians may vote for any candidate, regardless of the
candidate’s party preference. In some states, voters must declare their affiliation to a party
when they register, and may only vote in that party’s primary. In a Top 2 Primary, the two
candidates who receive the most votes in the primary will advance to the General Election in
November regardless of party preference. It is possible for two candidates with the same
party preference to both advance to the General Election.
2. No Party Affiliation
As a Washington voter, you do not declare a party affiliation. This allow you to vote for any
candidate in the Primary, regardless of their party preference.
3. Online voter registration
Washington offers online voter registration. Register to vote of update your address at
www.myvote.wa.gov
4. Vote by mail
Washington State votes by mail. We are the second state in the nation to eliminate poll sites.
A ballot is mailed 18 days before each election, ensuring you have time to cast an informed
ballot without waiting in line.
5. Voter’s Pamphlet
Only a few states produce a Voters’ Pamphlet like ours. In Washington, a pamphlet is mailed
to every household before each General Election in November
57
For more about voting to www.vote.wa.gov
The Tuesday after the first Monday of November is Election Day nationwide. In the General
Election, voters make their final selection for representation.
In Washington, local, county and city representation is typically decided in odd-year General
Elections, while federal and state candidates usually appear on the ballot in even years. Frequently,
After some votes have been counted, some races are too close to call. If the first vote count results in
less than a 0.5% difference in any race, all ballots are automatically required to be counted again by
machine. If the results are still less than 0.5% difference, the ballots must be counted by hand.
Activity: Elections: how do they work? Have students try to fill in the page in their Delegates’
Handbook, then discuss the correct answers below:
Top 2 Primary
General Election
Detour: Recount
WA primary is in
August. The
candidate pool is
narrowed and the
top two vote
getters in each
race move ahead
to the General
Election.
Every November,
voters make their
final selection for
representation,
from federal and
state, to local
races, Nationally,
this is referred to as
“election Day,” but
in WA people can
vote up to 2 weeks
before an election!
If the first vote county
results in less than a
0.5% difference in
any race, all ballots
are automatically
required to be
counted again by
machine. If the
results are still less
than 0.5% difference,
the ballots must be
counted by hand.
Election
Certification
After all the
votes have been
counted (and
maybe
recounted),
WA’s Secretary
of State certifies
the winners of
the election.
Inauguration
Candidates are
officially sworn
in and assume
their new
responsibilities
in January.
Review ‘Counting your Ballot’, in the Delegates’ Handbook
Reflect:
 Some people vote regularly. Others vote rarely, if at all. If voting is so important, should people
be fined or punished in some way for not voting? Why?
 Local elections and special election can have the biggest impact on our daily lives but have the
lowest voter turnout. Why? What are barriers?
 People ages 18-24 are the least likely to vote. Why do people in this age group let others decide
important issues by not voting when many have different opinions and values than older
Americans?
 Under Washington’s Top 2 Primary, both candidates in the General Election can be from the
same party. In your opinion, is this better or worse for encouraging voter turnout?
 Minority voters in other states can face long lines at poll sites. What challenges does our vote by
mail system present to minority voters?
 Same states allow “same-day registration,” meaning voters can register and vote at the polls.
Because Washington votes by mail, our voters must register in advance so they have time to
receive a ballot. Which is better for young voters: more time to register or more time to vote?
 We elect people to represent our interests in communal decisions affecting us. As the American
Revolutionaries famously cried: “No taxation without representation!” Teenagers pay taxes if
they are employed but cannot vote. How does the U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the Top
58
2 Primary open the door for 17-year-olds voting in a Primary if they will be 18 by the General
Election? (See handout, “Fighting for Washington’s Top 2 Primary.
Apply:
 If you are 18, go register to vote. http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/
 If you are not yet 18, go to the Washington State Secretary of State’s website and participate in
the student mock elections. http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/mock/
Step-by-Step Process: http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/mock/StepByStep.aspx
Activity 4D: Content: Instant Run Off Voting
Refer to ‘How Instant Run Off Voting Works,’ in the Delegate Handbook.
In elections with two candidates or choices, the one with the most votes earns a simple majority, and
declared the winner. However, what about the elections where there are three or more candidates? In
these elections, the person with the most votes wins, even if they receive less than fifty percent of the
vote. This means that a majority of the voters actually preferred someone other than the person who
was elected. For example, in an election with three candidates, Candidate A earns 25%, Candidate B
earns 35% and Candidate C earns 40%. Candidate C wins, however, 60% of the votes preferred someone
else.
Under Instant Run-off Voting (IRV), voters rank candidates in order of preference. If a candidate
receives a majority of the first choices, he or she is elected. If no candidate receives a majority, the
candidate with the fewest first choices is eliminated. Voters who ranked the eliminated candidate first
now have their ballots counted for their second choice. This process continues until one candidate
earns a majority. Hand out “How Instant Runoff Voting Works” and follow the flowchart.
By ranking candidates, voters are able to express their true preferences without worrying about wasting
their votes or spoiling the election and helping elect their least favorite candidate. Candidates need to
build a base of first choice support, but also reach out to the broader voting population in order to be
acceptable to the majority.
(Above excerpt taken from www.Instantrunoff.com)
To see this process in action, view the Fair Vote presentation, “IRV Flash Animation” at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqblOq8BmgM
Activity 4E: Content: Electoral College
1. Have the delegates play the Myth or Fact Game, (Handout Section)
 Place the two papers labeled “Myth” and “Facts” on the table.
 Mix up the cards and stack in a pile on the table.
 Players take turns reading the cards aloud. Individually or as a group, decide if the
statement is a myth or a fact, and place it on the corresponding paper.
 Play until you get through the cards.
 If a card was determined to be a ‘myth’ let delegates decide how to change or add
information to make it a fact.
 Lay out the cards for each pile so all can be seen. As you cover the following information
from the videos or paragraphs below, have delegates check their placement of the cards
59
.
2. View the video at: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/does-your-vote-count-the-electoral-collegeexplained-christina-greer
3. Go through this information with the delegates:
The election of the President of the United States and the Vice President of the United States is
indirect. Presidential electors are selected on a state-by-state basis as determined by the laws of
each state. State political parties typically nominate their electors. Currently each state uses the
popular vote on Election Day to elect electors. Although ballots list the names of the presidential
candidates, voters within the 50 states and the District of Columbia are actually choosing Electors
from their state when they vote for President and Vice President. These Presidential Electors, in
turn, cast the official (electoral) votes for those two offices.
The size of the Electoral College has been set at 538 since the election of 1964. Each state is
allocated as many electors as it has Representatives and Senators in the United States Congress.
Since the most populous states have the most seats in congress, they also have the most electors.
The states with the most are California (55), followed by Texas (34), and New York (31). The smallest
states by population, Alaska, Delaware, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and
Wyoming, have three electors each. Because the number of representatives for each state is
determined decennially by the United States Census, the electoral votes for each state are also
determined by the Census every ten years. The number of electors is equal to the total membership
of both houses of Congress (100 Senators and 435 Representatives) plus the three electors allocated
to the District of Columbia, totaling 538 electors. A candidate must receive a majority of votes from
the Electoral College (currently 270) to win the Presidency. If in either election for President or VicePresident no one receives a majority, Congress determines the election. The House votes with each
state's delegation casting one vote for presidential candidates, and the Senate votes for vice
presidential candidates.
The above excerpts are from www.Wikipedia.com-Electoral College
4. View this video: What If the Electoral College is tied?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHEDXzOfENI
5. Have delegates go back through the Myth and Fact game cards to decide if they were correct or
what needs to change for them to be correct?
Reflect:
There are many possible routes to go with reflection from this meeting. We suggest you type them up
and put them in a container. Break your group into pairs, have them draw one or two and work
together on the answer to share back to the group. Perhaps you will find that one topic is of more
interest to your group; if so, let them spend time researching it or discussing it. `






What are the advantages and disadvantages of IRV and Electoral College?
What problem did the Electoral College system of voting solve?
How is the Electoral College outdated or ineffective?
What is an alternative?
Why do you think IRV is not widely used currently?
How can a presidential candidate win the popular vote but not receive the required 270 Electoral
College votes? (Answer: To receive the Electoral College votes, a candidate only needs to earn
51% of the popular vote. Regardless of how many voters in California vote for a candidate, that
60
candidate only receives 55 Electoral College votes. The most populous states might have a large
number of voters voting for a particular candidate, however, the Electoral College votes is a set
amount, regardless of magnitude of margin.)
 How many votes does Washington get? Based on what? (Answer: Washington gets 11 Electoral
College votes based on two senators and nine representatives.)
 Some people vote regularly. Others vote rarely, if at all. Why is this?
Tweet response(s).


Part of citizenship is voting. If non-English speakers become naturalized citizens but are unable to
read the ballot, have they been given their full rights as citizens? What could be done about this?
People ages 18-24 are the least likely to vote. Why do people in this age group let others decide
important issues by not voting when many have different opinions and values than older
Americans?
Apply:
 If you are 18, go register to vote. You may want to have the voter’s registration page up on a
computer or the hard copy ready to hand out.
Activity 4F: Content: Initiatives & Referendums
This activity is to help students understand the difference between an initiative and referendum, and
how these measures qualify to appear on the ballot.
How many times have people said, “There ought to be a law…?” In Washington, anyone can propose a
new law or propose to repeal a law recently passed by the state Legislature. Some laws get on the
ballot through the initiative process that lets citizens propose laws directly. Any voter may propose
an initiative to create a new state law or change an existing law. If citizens gather enough voter
signatures, the law goes on the ballot for voters to approve or reject. One might also see on a ballot,
a proposed law called a referendum. This law has been proposed by the state’s legislature but
cannot actually become a law until the voters have approved it. States have different rules about
when lawmakers must seek voter approval for a new law. Often, amendments to a state’s
constitution require a referendum. Many laws do not require voter approval. Even so, sometimes
citizens can petition to have a new law put on the ballot for voters to approve or reject.
From the Delegates’ Handbook, refer to “The Ballot Measure Process”
Both are placed on the ballot by petition. Initiative sponsors must collect a number of voter’s signatures
equal to or greater than 8% of the votes cast for governor in the last election; referendum sponsors only
need signatures equal to at least 4% of the votes cast for governor.
Sponsors send petition sheets to the Office of the Secretary of State. The signatures are compared to
registration records to certify they belong to real voters. Measures with enough signatures are placed on
the ballot for voters to decide at the next General Election.
.
Every household is mailed a Voter’s Pamphlet with additional information about the measures. By law,
the voters’ pamphlet must contain an explanation of the law, as it currently exists and the effects of the
proposed measure, if approved, a fiscal impact statement, and arguments for and against the measure.
The measure become law with a simple majority vote.
Taken from: Teaching Washington State Elections in Washington State Published by the Office of the Secretary of State
61
THE INITIATIVE
Any voter may propose an initiative to
create a new state law or change an
existing law.
Initiatives to the People
are proposed laws submitted directly to
voters.
Initiatives to the Legislature
are proposed laws submitted to the
Legislature.
THE REFERENDUM
Any voter may demand that a law proposed
by the Legislature be referred to voters
before taking effect.
Referendum Bills
are proposed laws the Legislature has
referred to voters.
Referendum Measures
are laws recently passed by the Legislature
that voters have demanded be referred to
the ballot.
To look at some of the proposed initiatives that may be on the ballot in 2016, go to
http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/Initiatives-With-Signatures.aspx
Activity: (Choose either #1 or #2)
#1 Have delegates research and write their own initiatives. Cite any current laws their initiative would
amend. Have delegates record findings in their Delegates’ Handbook. Share with a partner then with
the group. Group may vote on them.
What would your initiative do?
Why is it important that this initiative become a law?
Who would be affected?
How much would it cost?
When would the new rules start?
#2 Review the Voters’ pamphlet arguments for and against an initiative. Delegates’ Handbook. Ask
student to identify the most compelling point each argument makes.
Review ‘The Ballot Measure Process’ in Delegates’ Handbook.
Reflect:
 Not all states allow citizens to propose measures. What are the pros and cons of the initiative and
referendum systems?
 The federal Voting Rights Act states that ballots must be translated if more than 5% of the
population within a district speaks a language other than English- but the law only includes
Spanish, Asian, and Native American languages. If the people of Washington State wanted to
translate ballots in African or Slavic languages, would that require an initiative, referendum or an
act of Congress?
62

If the people of Washington State wanted to give 17-year-olds who will be 18 by the General
Election the right to vote in a Primary, would that require an initiative, referendum, or
constitutional amendment? Find a constitutional principle that supports your claim.
Activity: 4G Business
1. Make sure delegates know their roles, and what needs to be done. Practice presenting your
Resolutions as a motion, for when you are in committees at the KYG Conference.
2. Prepare campaign materials to bring to the conference. A link to the blog can be found on
the KYG website.
3. Have citizenship Mural, your county Group Agreement, and your campaign display ready to
transport to KYG.
4. Your candidate’s letter of intent and a candidate photo should be in by now. Email to Katie
McCartney, katierosemccartney@gmail.com by January 29, 2016.
5. Finalize your resolutions. Each plank needs at least three supporting ideas or facts. Your final
resolutions/planks are due to Sabrina Wood at Roze2.4h@gmail.com by January 29, 2016.
6. Have transportation to KYG planned; be sure to have copies of health/release forms with you
for both delegates and chaperones in a notebook ready to travel with you.
7. Plan county night out. Get reservations and let each person know how much it will cost.
8. Be sure to confirm your legislative appointment.
9.
Instagram a group picture showing everyone how ready you are to be at the KYG Conference!
Extra project:
Students are invited to enter the Secretary of State’s annual art contest. Winning artwork will appear in
3.5 million copies of the statewide Voters’ Pamphlet. Submit original art by March 31. For more
information and complete contest rules visit www.vote.wa.gov and click on “Civics Education”
Activity: 4H Compliments and Appreciation
Today, for your final county meeting before KYG Conference, we want to encourage the delegates to
complement each other. You might want to start by sharing the points with them from Lesson 3,
Compliments and Appreciation. It is not only important for the one giving the compliment to look
directly at the person they are complementing, and say their name; it is important for the one receiving
the compliment to look at the one giving it and to respond by saying, ‘thank-you.” Whatever method
you provide please make sure everyone gives and receives a complement.
Here are some ideas:
1. Form a circle and ask them to think of something about the person to their right, which they can
complement. Go around the circle, one at a time, and let each person give his or her
complement.
2. Have each student’s name on a piece of paper. Delegates draw a name and gives that person a
compliment.
63
Meeting 4
Handouts
64
65
Elections: how do they work?
Describe each stage of the election process in your own words:
Provided by the Washington Office of the Secretary of State
66
67
How IRV Works
Taken from www.Instantrunoff.com
1. IRV uses ranked ballots to simulate a traditional runoff in a single round of voting. Voters rank
candidates in order of preference. They may rank as many or as few candidates as they wish,
with lower rankings never counting against higher rankings.
2. First, choices are tabulated. If a candidate receives a majority of first choices, he or she is
elected.
3. If no candidate receives a majority of first choices, the candidate receiving the fewest first
choices is eliminated. Ballots cast for the eliminated candidate are then counted toward those
voters’ second choices.
68
4. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority, and is elected.
Myth or Fact Game
Answers:
Facts:
 The number of electors each state is entitled to have is specified in the US Constitution.
 The US Constitution is designed to be a mixture of state-based and population based
government.
 Each state uses the popular vote on Election Day to elect electors
 Each state receives a particular number of electors based on population size but after a Census,
they might gain or lose a few electoral votes.
 The number of electors is equal to the total voting membership by the US Congress. 435
representatives, plus 100 senators, and 3 from the District of Columbia
 If a candidate wins in a state they get all of the state’s electoral votes- if they lose, they get none.
 The Electoral College is a group of people, appointed by each state, who formally elect the
president and vice president of the US.
 ‘Safe states’ have a long history of voting for the same party.
Myths:








If a candidate nationally wins the popular vote, they will gain the 270 electoral votes. (False: they
may win the popular vote but fail to gain the total number of electoral votes they need to win.)
Swing states can be counted on to vote either Republican or Democrat each year. (False: A Swing
state teeters between parties.)
Candidates to win the presidency must have at least 200 electoral votes (270)
The nationwide popular vote is calculated by official and media organizations, which determines
the winner of the election. (False: winners in each state are determined by their electors who cast
their state votes, seal them and send them to Congress)
Each state is allocated as many electors as it has Representatives in the United States Congress.
(False, by the total number of Representatives and Senators in the US Congress)
If in either election for President or Vice-President no one receives a majority, there is a‘re-vote’.
(False, Congress determines the election in this case; The House votes with each state's
delegation casting one vote for presidential candidates, and the Senate votes for vice presidential
candidates)
The Governor of each state is responsible for nominating electors. (False, it is the State
legislature)
The Electoral College is a university founded to help aspiring politicians with their campaigns.
(False, it is a group of people, appointed by each state, who formally elect the president and vice
president of the US.
69
Myth
_____________
Fact
70
The number of electors
each state is entitled to
have is specified in the US
Constitution.
If a candidate nationally
wins the popular vote,
they will gain the 270
electoral votes.
Each state uses the
popular vote on Election
Day to elect electors
Candidates to win the
presidency must have at
least 200 electoral votes
Each state receives a
particular number of
electors based on
population size but after a
Census they might gain or
lose a few
The number of electors =
the total voting
membership by the US
Congress: 435
representatives, 100
senators, and 3 from the
District of Columbia
The nationwide popular
vote is calculated by
media organizations as
shown on their map,
which determines the
winner of the election.
Each state is allocated as
many electors as it has
Representatives in the
United States Congress.
71
If a candidate wins in a
state they get all of the
state’s electoral votes- if
they lose, they get none.
The electoral college is a
group of people,
appointed by each state,
who formally elect the
president and vice
president of the US.
‘Safe states’ have a long
history of voting for the
same party.
The US Constitution is
designed to be a mixture
of state-based and
population based
Government
If in either election for
President or VicePresident no one receives
a majority, there is a
‘Re-vote’.
The Governor of each
state is responsible for
nominating electors.
The electoral college is a
university founded to help
aspiring politicians with
their campaigns.
Swing states can be
counted on to vote either
Republican or Democrat
each year.
72
73
“There ought to be a law!”
What would your initiative do?
Why is it important this initiative become law?
Who would be affected?
How much would it cost?
When would the new rules start?
_________________________________________________________________________
Go to: http://www.sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/Initiatives-With-Signatures.aspx
This is a list of initiatives and referendums that are gathering signatures in hopes of
getting them on the ballot in the next Washington State election.
Click on one that is of interest and then think crucially about the positive and negative
outcomes if the measure were to pass.
74