Reply #42: Spot on Janet118, and welcome to DU!

[Lorien]

You've described our local group as well, though it has gotten a bit better in recent years. Back in 2000 it did feel like a "closed club". If you didn't come to specifically volunteer for a local candidate, Jared and his friends weren't interested. In fact, the first few times I came in they had me cleaning the break room, bathrooms, and emptying waste baskets. Often I would just sit by the front desk for a half hour or more waiting for instructions. It was a chaotic, disorganized mess-and they seemed to like it that way. After a month or two I just started taking charge where I could; I'd spent so much time sitting waiting-and observing- that I knew how to perform most of the tasks around the HQ and would sign volunteers up myself and put them to work when they came in. It really wasn't rocket science, but there were so many members with tunnel vision there that they couldn't see the bigger picture; more volunteers meant getting more done-for ALL the candidates and issues. The head of the Orange County Democrats was the worst example of this; he held all meetings in his home, so he really only wanted his personal friends to attend. I suggested moving them to the local YMCA and opening them up to new members, but he refused. At 34, I was the youngest person at those meetings (and we have many colleges in this area). He had been doing things the same way for years and wasn't about to change. Even with all of the problems in 2000, he really didn't want to mobilize to ensure that it didn't happen again. I remember once meeting his cat while washing some items in his kitchen. The poor animal was skin and bones, and unsteady on her feet. I asked him what was wrong with her, and he said "who knows? She's a cat. Cat's get sick". I asked "then why not take her to a vet and find out"? he shrugged and said "I just believe in letting nature take it's course". And that seemed to be his attitude towards EVERYTHING. No wonder nothing was changing for the better! I think that someone new was elected to that position a few years later. I will be signing up again after the convention is over, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that things have improved. I would give more time if I could, but I'm single and run my own business, so I never have free time as it is (no weekends-heck, no vacation in eight years)! Thank YOU for doing all that you can to change your group and get things done. The party needs more like you!