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How To
Have a Libertarian Party
based on a workshop
presentation by Perry Willis
*
at Success '97 (notes taken by
Stacy Van Oast)
*Perry Willis is
presently writing a 100+ page book on this subject which should be available
after September, 1997.
A frequent complaint Libertarians have is that
nobody will do anything. And how can a political party grow and educate people
and recruit and elect candidates and raise money, if no one is willing to do
anything.
The question then becomes, how can we, as activists and doers,
motivate and organize others to do something?
Perry Willis, now the
national LP's Director of Communications, had tremendous success with this
method of doing just that while involved with the San Diego LP.
- The basic organization must be
in place first. The organization must have an accurate database and an idea of
it's purpose and goals (see notes on developing mission statements). There must
also be several people committed to success.
-
Hold a monthly party:
- Send out invitations to all
members and inquiries
- Call people and invite them,
encouraging them to attend
- Hold the party at someone's
house
- Ask everyone to bring a dish to
pass and perhaps even beverages
- Rotate the location of the party
every month
- What to have at the party:
- Have everyone wear
nametags
- Have a bulletin board of
projects, with envelopes containing the "recipes" for completing the job
(example: Want to research flea markets to have outreach booths at? Label an
envelope "Flea Market Research" and enclose step-by-step instructions: 1) get a
pen and paper; 2) look under "flea markets" in county-wide yellow pages; 3)
call flea markets and ask the following questions; etc)
- What to do at the party:
- Go around the room allowing
everyone to introduce themselves
- Make presentation describing
what you're doing (what the bulletin board is all about)
- you want LP to be
everywhere
- read contents of one envelope as
an example
- read off titles of all
envelopes
- invite people to select a
project sometime during the night
- tell them how: take the recipe
for the project they want out of the envelope, put their name and phone number
on envelope, and replace the envelope
- periodically announce names of
people and the projects they've taken
- provide envelopes for donations
only (newsletter funding, OPH booth funding, general fund, etc)
- Ask people to sign a sheet if
they're interested in hearing a Libertarian 101 lecture, and to note the number
of people they think they could bring. Don't hold the 101 until you have 50
potential attendess on the list.
This way, people decide for
themselves what to; they're self-motivated. And the projects are spelled out
very simply and directly. It is important that the projects be small enough to
handle fairly easily.
The projects will start to build on each other:
once someone does the research on flea markets, you can have project envelopes
asking people to set up booths.
A volunteer coordinator can follow up
by calling the people who have taken recipes. Someone should keep track of
who's supposed to be doing what and what's getting done.
The board
should still meet regularly and separately to set goals, measure the success of
the affiliate in reaching those goals, and determine strategy (decide on
projects that will help them achieve goals). Don't do projects that aren't
achieving your goals.
Sounds like a great way to have fun, socialize
with other great-minded individuals, and grow the party! Nobody can complain
that things aren't getting done, or blame the party's lack of success and
growth on anything - except themselves! Maybe it's time to lighten up and have
a party!
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