Delegation Resource Manual: Serving as a Delegate
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YMCA PA Youth & Government Program
best chance to practice your skills and get feedback from your peers without the pressures
of being in front of people you do not know. Your fellow delegates and advisors in your
delegation will do their best to be fair and provide productive feedback since they want you
to succeed at the conference.
3.
Improve your Command of the English Language
All of our English can always get better! The better your mastery of the English language,
the more success you can achieve at the conference. All studies say the best way to improve
your English is to read, read, and read! A broader vocabulary, better grasp of grammar, and
strengthened writing skills can turn the presentation of your bill into a masterpiece!
4.
Learn about the Pennsylvania State Government
The stronger delegates have a good understanding of the government of Pennsylvania and
its various bodies. Although knowing the names of the standing committees in the real
legislature and years of constitutional amendments might serve little value at the conference,
knowing how the “system” worked will make you much more comfortable in debate, bill
writing, and lobbying. You will have a better understanding of why things worked the way
they do.
So what should you really try to learn? A general understanding of how the Pennsylvania
government works, why the key branches and bodies exist, and what it can and cannot do
will come in handy. If you knew the authority, budget, key past actions, and proposed
legislation in the body you are assigned could help you formulate your policy viewpoints.
Where can you find this information? The PA Youth & Government site
(
www.ymcapa.org) has great links that will connect you to information about PA
governance. Take a long look at Chapter 7 Researching and Developing your Bill Topic.
Finally, you might want to take advantage of the Youth e-Government opportunity the State
YMCA provides to all high school program participants. Although primarily you can use
that system to help develop your bills, the first entire section will walk you through the key
points you should know about how the Pennsylvania government works.
5.
Learn More About Who You Represent
Members of the General Assembly come from home districts that are made up of county
and municipal governments. Those government leaders are constantly talking with their
representatives to try to shape legislation at the Commonwealth level to make their job of
governing at the local level easier. A big way they do this is by asking for more money from
the Commonwealth. If a representative or senator can get the Commonwealth to pay for a
new road in their district, they save the local governments money – which means lower taxes
or better programs (which translates into a few more votes!).
How does this help you? You can call or visit your council members, mayor, school board
members, and other local political officials. Talk to them about what issues concern them.
