Are you looking for ways to help your chapter/section's delegates, or all delegates on the floor? If you're looking for small scale (just your chapter/section) one thing I recall from the NoLA nationals was just having a runner on the floor and letting the delegates know that they could ask the runners to do whatever helped alot.
Larger scale, I think having healthy snacks (something other than chips and chocolate bars) and plenty of water and juice on the floor would probably help alot. And frequent short breaks for stretching. Maybe even some Japanese-style group calisthenics? Okay, maybe not, but allowing delegates to get up and move every so often might prevent soreness which will lead to unhappiness.
SHABAM = Staff Helping Actives Be Awake & Motivated. This was the predecessor or PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Actives), which was run at the 2002 Convention in New Orleans. The acronym was changed to avoid confusion with the popular (or not-so-popular, depending on your politics) animal rights group. I believe SHABAM was continued in Louisville (2006) as well, and I would expect some form of delegate support from the Region in Boston this year.
These groups are run as region-level delegate support operations in Region III, mainly by providing meals/lunches/snacks and making sure that all of the delegates needs are met while they're either in committee or on the legislative floor. They also provide a few "fun" things to keep the delegates awake and motivated.
Thanks Derek for adding to the details about SHABAM...I remembered a few things, but wish I remembered more (how life changes in 3-4 years when one graduates...).
rhean, I recommend contacting Region III staff and asking for info /who to talk to re: the SHABAM initiative, just to get some ideas on how the logistics system worked at a region level, then look into what would have to be different in scaling it up to a larger (12-region, 500+ person) initiative. While I only know about Region III, other regions may be doing similar things too. If so (and even if not), once you get a plan together--whatever that plan is--maybe you can reach out to all regions and ask for volunteers to help execute whatever plan is worked out.
Erik Jones is the person to talk to. I don't want to put his email address in a public forum like this, but if you go to the staff page at www.apor3.org, you'll be able to contact him.
Make sure everyone in a reference committee gets a free lunch at the same time. Some regions are not as thoughtful as others, and it is so sad when you're starving and watching every other region's delegates chowing down because their region/chapter remembered them, LOL. Lack of food was a big deal for me when I was on a reference committee in Denver.
Make sure people have enough water.. In Kentucky there were some medical issues based on dehydration... Make sure the water is easily accessable and that the Tables are spaced out enough so as if someone gets up and walks by they dont easily knock over someone elses beverage in the process...
Maybe establish a seperate kind of note for Food/Water.. (Red color maybe)? For Food/Water Requests from the floor to the Gallary..
I like the idea about separate kinds of notes for food and water.
I think it would be nice to get random notes from random people. It'd be a great way to meet more people at the convention. I remember that I felt as if I didn't get to meet as many people because I spent all day sitting in legislation.
Doing something in the last few hours of legislation would be good too. It was really hard to stay awake at some points.
If a chapter or section can afford it, a Sam's Club run to pick up some of those tuna or chicken packs with crackers in them and other more healthy food. While the people giving the delegates candy are trying to be thoughtful, the sugar rush and resulting crash may make them feel worse.
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Larger scale, I think having healthy snacks (something other than chips and chocolate bars) and plenty of water and juice on the floor would probably help alot. And frequent short breaks for stretching. Maybe even some Japanese-style group calisthenics? Okay, maybe not, but allowing delegates to get up and move every so often might prevent soreness which will lead to unhappiness.
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These groups are run as region-level delegate support operations in Region III, mainly by providing meals/lunches/snacks and making sure that all of the delegates needs are met while they're either in committee or on the legislative floor. They also provide a few "fun" things to keep the delegates awake and motivated.
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rhean, I recommend contacting Region III staff and asking for info /who to talk to re: the SHABAM initiative, just to get some ideas on how the logistics system worked at a region level, then look into what would have to be different in scaling it up to a larger (12-region, 500+ person) initiative. While I only know about Region III, other regions may be doing similar things too. If so (and even if not), once you get a plan together--whatever that plan is--maybe you can reach out to all regions and ask for volunteers to help execute whatever plan is worked out.
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Make sure people have enough water.. In Kentucky there were some medical issues based on dehydration... Make sure the water is easily accessable and that the Tables are spaced out enough so as if someone gets up and walks by they dont easily knock over someone elses beverage in the process...
Maybe establish a seperate kind of note for Food/Water.. (Red color maybe)? For Food/Water Requests from the floor to the Gallary..
Reply
I think it would be nice to get random notes from random people. It'd be a great way to meet more people at the convention. I remember that I felt as if I didn't get to meet as many people because I spent all day sitting in legislation.
Doing something in the last few hours of legislation would be good too. It was really hard to stay awake at some points.
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