Chapter 12 Organization of and suggestons for PROGRAMS N PREPARATION for a Citizenship Day program, or for setting up a long I time larger program, one of requisites for success is a thought-out and well-planned organization of committees. A skeleton outline of such organization is given on pages 205-210, with short descriptions of the duties of the several committees. No such outline could possibly cover the needs of every community, and of necessity will have to be expanded or reduced to meet local conditions. On following pages are given programs which, with the exception of the one suggested by the Committee on American Citizenship of the American Bar Association, exemplify some ceremonies that have actually been held. Identifying data, such as dates, places, and names of individuals and organizations participating, have been deleted. The ceremonies go beyond the minimum requirements for conferring citizenship. The various times and places at which they have been held indicate how some of the handicaps to a good ceremony, such as time and space, may be overcome. One rather elaborate program, which however was expeditiously presented and took only twenty-nine minutes, was given in a United States district court room; another was given in a municipal auditorium as the attendance exceeded the capacity of the local court room; still another was at an evening session in the county court house. The ceremony that was held in a park in connection with the Citizenship Day exercises is illustrative of many such ceremonies held after the taking of the oath of allegiance. 1 The following list of committees 1 and their duties may be used as a basis of action by any community: Executive Committee: 1 1. Members: Representatives of schools and colleges, city and county governments, press, chamber of commerce, agriculture, labor, civic clubs, veterans, women's clubs, and one or two naturalized citizens and young voters. 1 Prepared by the Committee on Citizenship, National Education Association. January 1946. Executive Committee-Continued 2. Chairman: Chosen by the members. 3. Duties: Outline policies. Plan the number and type of committees. Hold meetings of committee chairmen. Fix responsibility for various phases of the work. Arrange for group leaders and their training. Ways and Means Committee: 1. Chairman: Chosen by the members. 2. Duties: Prepare lists of new voters. Divide city or county into units. Assign group leaders to each unit. Effect an organization of each unit of new voters. Help obtain meeting places. Arrange with Parade Committee for new voters' part in parade. tion ceremony. Provide for absentee new voters. Arrange for a convention of new voters to discuss: a. Part in parade and induction ceremony. b. Permanent organization to take care of their part in pro- Help new voters to prepare banner, insignia, and similar items. Provide for possible emergencies. Program Committee: 1. Chairman: Chosen by the members. 2. Duties: Arrange details of recognition and induction ceremonies. Arrange for suitable place for induction ceremony. Provide platform if necessary. Arrange seating. Arrange for public address system. Provide bands, choruses, and other musical groups for the ceremony. Program Committee-Continued 2. Duties-Continued Make arrangements for speakers, guests, press representatives, and photographers. Arrange for placing of color guards. Arrange location of flags. Provide and instruct ushers. Arrange for return of properties after the ceremonies. Arrange with Ways and Means Committee for new voters' part in induction ceremony. Arrange for suitable souvenir or certificate for new voters. Publicity Committee: 1. Chairman: Chosen by the members. 2. Duties: Inform the public of the purpose and value of the whole project. Provide newspapers and magazines with the following materials for publication: a. Names of committee members. b. Names and addresses of youths who have reached voting age, with the request that corrections and additions be turned in to a suitable person. c. Names and addresses of naturalized citizens. d. List of participating organizations and agencies. e. Programs of discussion groups of both classes of new voters. f. Articles about forum leaders. g. Editorial articles on the program. h. Feature articles about citizenship recognition program and its history, local foreign-born citizens who have made good, social agencies working with the foreignborn, prominent native-born citizens, and similar topics. i. Pictures and charts to accompany releases. j. Copies of speeches. k. News of parade and induction ceremony. Arrange radio programs as follows: a. Newscasts on plans. b. Talks on citizenship by the best available speakers. c. Interviews with committee members, new voters, and promi nent citizens. d. Forums, especially to appeal to those who cannot attend. Provide posters (a poster contest among local artists would be valuable in itself), tags, handbills describing the plan, and window displays. Arrange with theater managers for newsreels or announcements. Arrange to have ceremonies reported by newspapers, newsreels, radio. Provide follow-up copy for the press regarding further activities of new voter units. Instructional Materials Committee: 1. Chairman: Chosen by the members. 2. Duties: Provide instructional materials for the discussion groups. Obtain competent authority to cooperate in selecting and assembling these materials. Gather information on local units of government for distribution such as: a. Officials how elected, term of office, duties. b. Maps of county, city, and school districts. c. Charts showing relationships of governmental units. d. Charts showing appointive boards and commissions, their services, method of appointment. Prepare manuals for group leaders. Arrange to send materials, with guides, for home study to absentee new voters. Finance Committee: 1. Chairman: Chosen by the members. 2. Duties: Provide funds to cover cost of postage, printing and mimeographing, instructional materials, travel expense, and parade floats. Some successful means of obtaining funds include: a. Appropriations by county or city council. b. Appropriation by board of education. c. Cooperative Citizenship-Day Fund project undertaken by d. Income from sale of Citizenship-Day buttons. |