Advocacy and collective action are key values of KEA. We are all stronger when we work together. KEA members and their communities support one another to advocate for a quality public education for every student in every school in the Commonwealth. You are an important part of that effort. Maximize your impact by bringing together your friends and family to discuss important issues and become educated voters. THROW A REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER HOUSE PARTY It’s simple: invite your friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues over, tell them about KEA, our work, what’s at stake this election, our KEPAC endorsed education-friendly candidates in your community, why it’s important to you, and what each attendee can do to support educators and our endorsed candidates. Oh, and have a little fun while you’re at it. WHERE DO I START? First things first: if you plan to hold a REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER house party, fill out the form by clicking here and give KEA a heads up. It helps us to know a little bit about your event, the date, and the location. Then, use this toolkit to make planning a breeze. Your toolkit includes: Party checklist that covers everything you’ll need to host a great event Sample party agenda, though we encourage you to make it your own FAQ to guide you in your party planning Sign-in sheets so guests who want more info from KEA can stay informed Sample email invite for you to personalize and add your flair Sample “thank you” email with handy links to help your family and friends stay involved through Election Day Now all you need to do is set a date. Thanks for being part of the fight to protect public education and educators in Kentucky! #RememberInNovember Hosting A Remember In November Party? *This is a sample of the Remember In November form found at www.kepac.com Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Now, please share your information with us so we can celebrate your activism! * Required 1. First Name * 2. Last Name * 3. KEA Local 4. KEA District Mark only one oval. First District Second District Third District Fourth District Fifth District Central District Eastern Kentucky Middle Cumberland Upper Cumberland Northern Kentucky Upper Kentucky River Jefferson County Teachers Association KESPA KEA-Retired KEA Student Program 5. Home Email (Non-School) * Hosting A Remember In November Party? 6. Address 7. Phone number * 8. Date of Event Example: December 15, 2012 9. Time of Event Example: 8:30 AM 10. Any Other Information You Would Like For KEA to Know? START-TO-FINISH HOUSE PARTY Supplies Week Of Food Hit the grocery store for any food, drinks, recyclable Beverages utensils, and/or party balloons you may need. TV or computer monitor with an internet If you think things might get noisy or are worried connection if you plan to show videos about parking, give your neighbors a heads up. Even Audio Speakers for the videos or music better —invite them. KEPAC registration forms for KEA Print your sign -in forms [sample included in this members packet] and any other resources you want to hand Voter registration forms out at the party. You can also have a laptop set up KEPAC endorsed candidate literature and ask your guests to sign in that way. Send a reminder email to those who RSVP’d yes and Three to Four Weeks Out tell them to get excited! Decide on your location, date, and time. If you can’t host at your place, consider Day Before local Tidy up! Your friends will thank you. businesses or community centers that If there’s food prep you can do ahead of time, go for might be willing to open their doors for a it. good cause and maybe even contribute Test out your music playlist and video setup. some cookies or coffee. Email your UniServ Director with the date, The Big Day the location, and a few details about your Finish up any food or drink preparation. event. Rearrange the furniture so people have a place to Create your invite list—not everyone will mingle. be able to make it, so don’t be afraid to Greet your guests with a smile and have fun! invite a crowd! Send your invites. Email, e -invitation, or Post-Party old - fashioned paper invites all work; go Show some appreciation with a personal thank you with what’s easiest for you and your email to guests. guests. Enter the info from your printed sign -in sheet into Contact your KEPAC endorsed our online sign-in form found at www.kepac.org, so candidate(s) and ask for campaign that your guests who want updates from KEA can literature. stay informed. Two Weeks Out Plan your menu and create a shopping list. If you’re cooking to impress, recruit some day-of assistance. (Or do yourself a favor and go with fruit, cheese and crackers.) Follow up with anyone who hasn’t responded. It might be old school, but a quick phone call adds a nice personal touch. If it turns out they can’t make it, ask if they’d be willing to support our efforts and commit to vote for our endorsed candidate(s). SAMPLE PARTY AGENDA 6-6:30pm Greet your guests and ask them to sign in using the sign-in sheet provided or online using a computer or tablet at www.kepac.com. Give your guests time to socialize over drinks. 6:30-6:35pm Briefly welcome and thank your guests for coming. Let them know you’ll be sharing more information in a bit, and encourage them to get to know one another and have fun! 6:35-7:00pm More mingling, plus food or passed appetizers. Now’s the time for a game or group icebreaker, if that’s your style. 7:00-7:45pm Grab your guests’ attention and share with them your reason for hosting a Remember in November house party. • Share the facts from this past legislative session and make sure to include a personal story about your connection to public education, pensions, or the legislative process. Remember that focusing on one or two of the issues most important to you is an effective way to share your message. • If it makes sense in your space, consider showing a brief video from the past legislative session or a commercial from your KEPAC endorsed candidate. You may find this information on the candidate’s website (which can be found at www.kepac.org) or search YouTube at www.youtube.com and enter the candidate’s name. • If there are others in attendance who have a strong connection to KEA, our mission, public education, or the issues that impact our community, you may want to ask them (ahead of time) to share a few words as well. • Finally, ask your guests to join us in action. Ask each guest if they are registered to vote; if not, give them the voter registration form or help them find www.GoVoteKY.org. HOUSE PARTY SIGN IN SHEET Please turn in sheets via email to [email protected] First Name Last Name Email Address Zip Code FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Q: What kind of party should I host? A: That’s totally up to you! You know what would be most fun for your friends. Are they more sit- down dinner or backyard barbeque? Tea party or pool party? Perhaps your crowd would be down for a potluck. No need to get fancy—light refreshments are just fine, and the less work you take on as party planner, the more you can focus on the mission of your event. Q: Should my party have a theme? A: That might be fun! If you want to go wild, throw in a game. Q: I don’t know everything about KEPAC or my locally endorsed candidate(s). Can I still host a house party? A: Of course! Use the resources included in this toolkit to get familiar, or simply share them directly with your friends and family. Remember: the best way to be a REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER activist is to share how your own experiences inspired you to act this year. Q: What’s the best way to promote my event? A: If you choose to send your invite through an online platform, there will likely be some built-in features that make it easy to remind and communicate with your guests. If your event is open to anyone, take advantage of social media to spread the word, and ask each guest to invite a friend or two. Expand your reach even further by co-hosting with a friend or colleague—bonus points if you don’t have overlapping social circles. Q: Can I invite KEPAC endorsed candidates to my event? A: As a citizen and voter hosting an event, you should contact the campaign and ask if the candidate has the time to attend. Q: Can KEA send a speaker to my event? A: Include your request when you email your UniServ Director and we’ll see what we can do! Be sure to include a description of your event, the date, and the location. RESOURCES KEPAC (www.kepac.org) Your home base for information on the ways you can stay connected to all things REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER and all the political activity of KEPAC. Visit the KEPAC website for a digital version of this toolkit where you will be able to find the links to materials such as the online sign-in sheet, KEPAC registration forms, and voter registration forms.