1. Communicating with Legislators & Grassroots Lobbying Florida Sons of The American Legion College System – Course 5

2. Course Instructors zJim Roberts – Detachment Assistant Adjutant xSquadron 4 Lakeland x34 Years of Service xPast Detachment Commander xPast National Vice Commander

3. Florida SAL College System Objective The objective and purpose of the Florida SAL College System is to increase, improve and enhance the administrative and managerial skills of current and future leaders of the Florida Sons of The American Legion through education and direct skill development.

4. Introductions zName zSquadron Number and Location zCurrent Position or Title zYears of Membership in the SAL zWhat has been your best experience in the SAL?

5. What is Grassroots Lobbying? zCommunicating with your elected officials z“Petition the Government for a redress of grievances zThe critical skill that determines success

6. Developing “Real Grassroots” zSway a legislator to your position on an issue zBuilding an on-going relationship with a legislator zJob #1: Consistent and on-going communications zEach squadron should develop grassroots zEach squadron should have a legislative committee zEach squadron should have a legislative chairman

7. How close should you be to an elected official? zWhen you call, who do you talk to - the lawmaker or just the staff zWhen you write, who answers - the lawmaker or the auto pen zWhen you go to visit, who do you see - the lawmaker or the staff

8. The Legislative Committee and Chairman Promoting public support for the Legion’s programs through: zPublicity zStudying American Legion legislative proposals zProviding information to The American Legion Family zCommunicating with lawmakers

9. 10 critical elements to effective grassroots advocacy zKnow the issue zEducate the grassroots activists zK.I.S.S. - Keep it Short and Simple zOutline the issue in simple terms zProvide a simple message zBuild contacts over time zFollow up, Follow up, and then Follow up! zAlways thank your activists zPublicly thank those who excel zFocus your resources

10. Effective tactics for communicating with Members of Congress zLetter writing zTelephone calls zOffice visits zE-Mails zFaxes zMailgrams zTelegrams zTown Hall Meetings zTelephone trees zPetition drives zMemorial resolution

11. Letter Writing zONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS TO INFLUENCE LEGISLATORS zYOU SHOULD IDENTIFLY YOURSELF AS A CONSTITUENT zKEEP THE LETTER BRIEF (ONE SUBJECT AND ONE PAGE) zASK FOR A RESPONSE WITH THE LEGISLATOR’S POSITION ON THE ISSUE zKISS: Keep It Short and Simple zLetter killers: yLong, rambling, disorganized letter yComplaints without solutions yI told you so!! yDo it my way or else! yInaccurate or outdated information yLies, rumors or exaggerations

12. Writing a Letter To a Senator zADDRESS: The Honorable ______________ United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 zSALUTATION: Dear Senator _________________ zCOMMPLIMENTARY CLOSE: Sincerely Yours,

13. Writing a Letter To a Representative zADDRESS: The Honorable _________________ U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 zSALUTATION: Dear Representative ______________ zCOMPLIMENTARY CLOSE: Sincerely Yours,

14. Telephone Calls zEffective way to get our message across zIdentify yourself as a constituent zIdentify the subject or bill number zBe brief but specific zGive your name and address zGet official’s position in writing

15. Office Visits zThe most effective way to have an impact zRequires the most planning zAlways schedule an appointment zMeet with Legislator’s staff if he/she is unavailable zBe polite and courteous zIt’s expensive to bring a group of Sons of The American Legion to Washington, DC. zTake advantage of visits to local (District) congressional offices! zDon’t forget to say thank you!

16. E-Mails zCan be as effective as letters zSame basic rules and guidelines as a letter zInclude your name and address zwww.senate.gov zwww.house.gov zthomas.loc.gov

17. Faxes zSimilar to written letter or E-Mail zQuicker and costs the same as a phone call zInclude your fax number if you wish a response

18. Mailgrams zCan be effective if you have neither a fax machine nor E-Mail access (check with your local library for access) zContact nearest Western Union office zTakes one to three days for delivery

19. Telegrams zSimilar to mailgrams zMore expensive than mailgrams zUsually delivered in less than five hours

20. Town Hall Meetings An effective tool for Members of Congress to meet their constituents, discuss legislation and their accomplishments. zPrepare questions in advance zMake sure you get an answer to your question zFollow up the meeting with a letter

21. Telephone Trees zUseful for individual squadrons to contact members with time sensitive information zAssign reliable squadron members the task of contacting 6-7 fellow squadron members zHave the squadron members report back with responses from lawmakers

22. Petition Drives First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Congress shall make no law abridging…the right of the people to petition the government for a redress of grievances. zNeed not be elegantly phrased zDeclaration of a problem accompanied with a solution zDemonstrates support for a cause

23. Memorial Resolutions zPredates the creation of the U.S. zDo not quote the weight of law zUsually have one, specific purpose zBroad based and bipartisan in nature zMost memorial resolutions are non- binding

24. Roundtable Discussion Question and Answer Session

25. For More Information zDavid Lee, National Legislative Commission Chairman - dlee@binghamton.edu zKirk Miller, Detachment Legislative Commission Chairman – kcm8892@gmail.com zInternet - http://www.legion.org/legislative

26. Let the us know what you thought of this program. We need your feedback to make this successful. Please take the time to complete your surveys as this will help us to develop and update our college courses. Jim Roberts – jim.robertsfl@gmail.com Ed Sheubrooks – Fishermn9@aol.com John Jennings – jjennings22@tampabay.rr.com Feedback

27. Course Certificates

28. Florida Sons of The American Legion College System THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING