Guidelines for Initiating a Proclamation

• Be sure to identify who is contacting each organization so requests don't overlap.
• Try to identify a colleague who has access to the organization you're approaching. For example, a parent volunteer in your school may have been a key volunteer in the governor's or council person's last campaign. Use those connections. Ask that individual for advice.
• Begin early. Not all legislative bodies meet every week. It may take you some time to identify the right person to approach. Also, you may not be able to fit on the first agenda after you approach an organization. Try to have the action taken the last week of September or the first week of October to gain the most public recognition.
• Use the sample proclamation. Adapt it if there is something more appropriate for the organization you are approaching. However, your chances are better if that organization does not have to develop a proclamation from scratch.
• Seek publicity after the group approves the proclamation. It is great to have an organization adopt the proclamation; it is even better to have the local newspaper report the action. Send a representative to the meeting when the proclamation is being adopted. Frequently, the organization will present a quality copy to an appropriate recipient. Take photos. Also, disseminate the Month of the Young Adolescent proclamation news release to appropriate news media in your community. Try to have a photo and news release in your school system newsletter, publications of the endorsing organization, or other publications.
• Keep good records of what works and what doesn't work this year, whom you contacted, and who made contacts in your state.
• Please send copies of all proclamations and publicity to NMSA, 4151 Executive Parkway, Suite 300, Westerville, OH 43081. www.nmsa.org

Governor's Offices

Contact an officer of your state's middle school affiliate organization to have the proclamation adopted by your governor. This avenue will have the biggest impact because of their statewide coverage. The affiliate should determine if there is anyone in their membership who has a personal contact with the governor's office. After the proclamation is signed, try to have a photo taken of the governor with the state affiliate leader. The photo can be used in your state affiliate publication. Also, work with the governor's press secretary to garner publicity in the news media. That office can produce considerable coverage.

City/Town Councils

If you know a member of the council personally, approach that person regarding passage of the proclamation. If you don't have this connection, phone the city offices to determine the name of the staff person who handles proclamations or resolutions. When you talk with that person, make sure to stress your local connection. Offer the sample proclamation. Find out if and when the council will pass the proclamation, and let the staff person know who will be at the meeting to represent you. Indicate your interest in gaining news coverage of the proclamation, and ask if there is a staff person who can assist you. If not, offer to take a photo to accompany the news release you will produce, then contact the local news media yourself.

School Boards

Use the contacts you have to approach the superintendent's office about having the governing board adopt the proclamation. Again, have someone attend the meeting. Work with the school system's public relations professionals to seek publicity. In addition to the news media, seek coverage in school system publications, including district Web sites.