THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY'S SUCCESS'99

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Your Meeting
How to get your new county party off to a good start
Here's is a first-hand account of how Ken I used the Advocates "Seminar 1" technique
Bisson in Steuben County, Indiana, publicized, . of starting with a few passes around the table with
organized, and conducted the first meeting of a new each person answering easy, getting-to-know-you
county Libertarian Party. type questions. Everyone gets involved and gets to
share a bit about their interests. I then explained
First I'll ten you a bit about my county.
the growth of the Libertarian Party, and shared
Steuben County has 30,000 people with 7,727
that as more and more people joined us, they -
voters in November 1998. Of these, 49 voted
. : should find an.active group they could.Iconnect"
straight-ticket Libertarian while 1,517 cast
with. The group at the meeting represented the
straight-ticket Republican and 1,006 straight-
type of folks that would be joining in the next few
ticket Democrat ballots. The Libertarian Party
years - politically interested people with a
statewide candidates matched the statewide
respect for individual responsibility.
averages of 2%-4% here. There has never been a
I told them that by learning what type of group
Steuben County meeting of Libertarians before.
they would like to join, I could develop a type
The first non-Bisson Steuben County resident
which new members would enjoy. Our purpose at
joined the LP after I did an OPH [Operation
the meeting would be to explore the opportunities.
Politically Homeless] booth here July 1997. As of
I then asked Ellen (my wife and fellow Libertarian)
February 1999, there are seven LP members here
to lead 20 minutes of "brainstorming" to collect
(four of them Bisson family members!).
ideas about successful local groups they had joined
In advance of the meeting, I mailed inviting
in the past and suggestions of what they would
letters to the three LP members (not in my fam-
enjoy in a Steuben County Libertarian group.
ily), nine folks whose names I had collected at the
We then selected five of their ideas for more
'97 OPHbooth and six other friends or prospects
discussion. They included concepts like the timing
on my list. I had the meeting listed in the "Com-
of meetings, subject matter, goals, and locations.
munity Calendar" area of the local daily and local
Everyone felt comfortable sharing their ideas and
weekly newspapers. A reporter from each paper
contributed. After a brief Q & A opportunity, I
called back and .did a story, which they also
closed with a final "roundtable" asking each .
printed this week.
attendee to share a "highlight" of the evening.
Last night I phoned nine of the above
This is another valuable Advocates technique. It
invitees. I was told eight would be attending and I
gives the meeting a clear ending and everyone .
expected six. I arrived at the meeting site (Pizza
leaves with a focus on something they enjoyed as a
Hut) 10 minutes early and found two people
result of their attendance.
already there. One of the LP members had brought
On the way to the car, I had three people offer
a friend! Within the next eight minutes there were
to help man a future OPHbooth and two other
11 of us there. Everyone was actually early! Of the
general offers to help in the future. Most impor-
seven Steuben LP members, five attended. (Only
tantly, Ellen and I had FUN. We are eager to move
my two teenagers were missing.) The six non-
on from here and build a Libertarian group in our
members were a diverse group. That was perfect
community! I think we're off to a great start.
for the meeting I had planned.