THE
6246CREATIVE
YAG
BRAG
NAME
Butler YMCA
339 N. Washington St. Butler, PA 16001
March 21, 2012
www.bcfymca.org
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE 2011-2012 BUTLER YMCA YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT DELEGATION
Ron Paul
Newt
Gingrich
IN THIS ISSUE
Senate Meeting Recap
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JON MCCREARY EXPLAINS TO BUTLER HOW SENATE WORKS.
SENATE MEETING RECAP
On March 14th, former Butler YAG member Jon McCreary returned to the
club to teach us all about the Senate and being a Senator. This was all
mostly for Ann’s benefit, since she’s our club Senator. Everything
following is the compiling of the notes I took as everything went on.
* * * *
Once in Senate, the Senators form two different parties, “Alpha” or
“Beta.” The Alpha Party is composed of Republicans; the Beta,
Democrats.
Each party elects its own leadership consisting of three members: The
Party Leader, Whip, and Secretary. The duties of the Party Leader are as
the title of the position says. They figure who is to speak in the time
allotted, and are permitted nearly free reign (however, it’s frowned upon,
though not incorrect, for them to leave their chairs). The Party Leaders
can speak themselves at the beginning after saying “I recognize myself
for as much time as I may consume.” To introduce other members of the
party, they simply state “The Alpha/Beta party recognizes [the name of
the delegate] for [the allowed time].”
The Whip assists the Party Leader. They go to each member of their party
and ask if they’d like to speak, and for how long. Aside from this, the
Whip is also a persuasive figure who sometimes must put their skills into
WANT TO LEARN
MORE?
Contact:
Corinne Coulson,
Club Advisor
724-287-4733 or
[email protected]
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DEMOCRACY IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT.
action convincing delegates to speak. This official list will be given to the
Leader to figure out what is going to happen.
Of the two parties, one is named “Majority” and the other “Minority.” The
larger of the two is the Majority. The Majority Party is the party that starts
debate and chooses if it will continue. The Minority Party merely follows in
the footsteps of the Majority, speaking for a round of debate after the
Majority each time.
Senate has more “effect, streamline debate” (Jon), which is entirely
facilitated through the two Party Leaders. One round lasts for a total of
four minutes per group.
At the beginning, the Senate President calls the session to order. The
clerk fulfills attendance, calling each name as that person answers with
“Present!” The room then breaks into the respective Alpha and Beta
parties.
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In this time, the party’s leadership is elected and there is brief caucusing,
lasting for two minutes, in which several bills are looked at and a group
opinion decided upon. The Whip is at this time gathering speakers for the
list. This is where the Whip becomes an incredible asset.
Once this is through, official debate carries on as usual. We debated the
bill “Avoid Voting Early and Often” on Wednesday, which aimed to reduce
voter fraud by having voters show photographic identification in order to
cast their opinion.
If an amendment comes up in debate, it is to be given to the Party Leader
who will then pass it to the Senate’s Clerk. (This year, it’s our own Sarah
Morgan!)
When the Majority Party is offered whether or not it would like another
round of debate, it can cordially decline. When this happens, the bill
sponsor is immediately recognized for their summation speech, which
follows the same structure as in any other type of debate.
Senate is a much more fast-paced version of the House debate we’ve
been practicing. It is much smaller and features truly committed
delegates.
PICTURE OF THE WEEK:
The painting in the front of the
Harrisburg Senate chambers.
Thank you, Jon, for coming and giving us all this wonderful experience!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
 Looking Ahead:
Model is April 19-22
(29 days away!)
 The EBR will be open
until March 26 for
bills to be edited
Rick the Raccoon
also made his
debut! This cuddly
stuffed animal
was handmade by
Ann.
 CONA Applications
are due to Corinne by
April 1
ABOVE: The official chamber for
Senate at the Capitol.
LEFT: One of the many images
featuring the intricate details and
paintings in the room.
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