Montco #1: Learning the Political Ropes

This arrived in my inbox today, note the reasonable cost:

We are pleased to announce the second Montgomery County Democratic Committee's Surburban Victory Campaign Camp training program! With the important 2006 elections looming, now is the time to polish our skills and further develop our grassroots campaign techinques.

If you are a candidate, future paid campaign staffer, state or local party member, or grassroots volunteer, this training will help you build your campaign and networking skills.

We hope you can join us for the two-and-a-half-day campaign training, which will be held during the weekend of June 23-25 in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

APPLY ONLINE

Camp participants are encouraged to sign up for one of the following training tracks:

* How to be a Better Candidate- The candidate track offers an introduction to and preparation for a run at elected office. Anyone thinking about running for elected office should attend this training. Participants will have the opportunity to be mentored by elected officials and some of the top political consultants in the country.

* Campaign Management for Future Paid Professionals - If you are interested in becoming paid staff on a campaign within two years, then join this track. This is an introduction to the fundamentals of political campaign management. During this two-and-a-half-day training you will learn the basics of fundraising, field organizing, media relations, advance, volunteer coordination, get out the vote, targeting, candidate relations, and the latest campaign technology. Attendees will be divided up into teams to write and present components of a campaign plan that will later be critiqued by respected, nationally known consultants.

* Campaign Management for Political Veterans/Party Leaders - This track is designed to give you and your election team the modern management fundamentals necessary to be successful at the grassroots level. Topics will include: voter contact programs, budgeting, planning, recruitment and the role of the volunteer coordinator, event fundraising, earned media, and creating a local party plan. You will learn the basic skills that are essential to putting your candidate or local committee in the best position to win.

The registration fee is $40 and covers dinner on Friday, lunch on Saturday, and lunch on Sunday. The training schedule is Friday from 3:00 until 9:00 PM, Saturday from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM, and Sunday from 9:30 AM until 3:00 PM. Camp participants are responsible for their own accommodations.

SPACES ARE GOING FAST, SO APPLY ONLINE TODAY!

The deadline for applications is Friday, June 16 at 5 PM.
Two weeks before camp, we will send a confirmation email with the precise location of camp. For more information about this training, please contact Tyler Rosen at 202.419.1040 or tyler@grassrootssolutions.com