This Blueprint is laid out step-by-step so we can effectively address current issues HSDA members see in the High School Caucus, provide solutions, and report how we will expand and further the High School Caucus after the initial problems are fixed. This plan is not meant to indict anyone of mismanagement, but rather to identify how to fix the current problems facing the High School Caucus.

1. The Blueprint: Bringing the High School Caucus to
New Heights
This Blueprint is laid out step-by-step so we can effectively address current issues
HSDA members see in the High School Caucus, provide solutions, and report how we
will expand and further the High School Caucus after the initial problems are fixed.
This plan is not meant to indict anyone of mismanagement, but rather to identify how
to fix the current problems facing the High School Caucus.
As the problem revolves around a lack of accountability within the organization, there
is an inherent need to overhaul existing reporting structures and organization in order
to ensure efficiency and long term organizational development. This will require a
regular reporting system from the state to national level as well as a fully functioning
evaluation system. Furthermore, a bureaucracy must be created to give members
relative mobility throughout the year. This system will ensure that tasks will be
delegated by not only the national chair but by all regional and state directors.
While enhancing our organization’s infrastructure, we will set a new information
system in place in order to sustain expansion and ensure accountability. Finally,
Strategic Planning sessions by the Executive Board will call for a regular reevaluation
of all structures, programs, and initiatives. Consistent re-evaluations will ensure that
the organization continues to grow internally, is in check with its political and
economic environment, and may cut all unnecessary and inefficient programs.
What effect will this have?
This will have the immediate effect of jumpstarting progress towards our real
goal: new chapter creation to extend the ideals of the Democratic Party. Once people
see that the new administration is making progress, we will increase our credibility as
an organization and bring new members into the High School Caucus.

2. YDA High School Caucus By-Laws
One of our first actions at the head of the caucus will be to revamp, with the
consultation and input of the Executive Board, the National Committee, and YDA
staff, our current by-laws. We would like to hold a “National Brainstorm” in order
to make this a more collaborative experience much like we have done with our
campaign’s “People’s Platform”. This will allow us to address the issues that concern
the members of the High School Caucus. We will immediately post our finalized by-
laws on our website in order to avoid any sense of ambiguity or secretiveness from
caucus procedures, elections, and business.
Deadline: September 2011
New Positions
There is an apparent need to increase the number of leaders who will help us execute
our plans for the High School Caucus. Not only will these new leaders bring a range
of expertise but also more opinions to the table. We are aware that creating too many
positions often leads to inefficiency and have taken time to evaluate each role and its
respective responsibilities. Our new by-laws will reform our caucus by creating the
following essential National Staff positions:
Finance Director- According to the current by-laws of the High School Caucus, the
Communications Director is responsible for taking care of both finances and
communicating with our membership. Because our team hopes to greatly increase our
financial activities and maintain better communication, these tasks are too much for
one person to handle alone efficiently.
Political Director- With the 2012 elections right around the corner, we would like to
begin mobilizing students across the nation to ensure Democratic victories. The
Political Director will work closely with the Communications Director and Regional
Directors to organize campaign volunteers across the nation.
Regional Directors- These positions will be reinstated according to the region’s
outlined on the YDA’s website. They will be responsible for communicating with
their respective states on a frequent basis and reporting activity to the Executive
Board every two weeks. If state leaders have any questions, regional directors should
be available to answer them or direct leaders to someone who can.
Applications for these positions will be ready and available the day following the
conclusion of the National Convention. Leaders will be selected based on
experience and achievements, though we will try our best to maintain diversity
(geographic, racial, gender) within our administration.

3. National, State, and Local Recruitment
By the end of our term in 2012, it is our objective to create strong, established local
High School Democrats chapters in over 400 high schools across the nation.
All reforms we plan to make within the caucus will be rendered useless without a
strong network of local chapters, making recruitment our major objective. The
recruitment process must be the foundation of local chapters as our members are the
pillars upon which the High School Caucus stands. Without having a strong
foundation supporting the caucus, we simply will not be able to carry forward the
vision, objectives, and goals of the Young Democrats of America and the Democratic
Party as a coalition. Therefore, the Executive Board and the National Committee must
ensure that the process for membership is streamlined directly to local chapters.
We will continue using the simple process for chartering state organizations outlined
in the current by-laws of the High School Caucus. State leaders from un-chartered
states will be sought out through other Democratic organizations and existing
contacts.
Deadline: July 2012
Connect, Network, Structure, and Build the Caucus Up
Based on our own experiences, in addition to what we have heard from chapter
leaders across the country, it seems that we need to not only expand the caucus but
also focus on building the caucus up. This is precisely what we plan to do if we are
elected. The National Executive Board should be a way to tie the state groups
together and create new programs, as opposed to dictating from the top. Naturally, we
do not believe in “trickle down” organizing. The core of our platform begins with re-
developing and re-imagining the caucus. It will be an immediate priority to build the
state, county, and local chapter system nationwide. However, we aim to increase the
number of quality chapters, not just the quantity of chapters.
This chapter network will be tightly knit together through the heavy use of new
internet mediums, regular interaction and relationship development amongst the
national team and local-level leaders, a database of all active contacts in the caucus,
and a streamlined feedback system leading all the way to the Chair of the High
School Caucus.
Deadline: August 2011. We will begin contacting existing organizations. (See
Expansion for more info regarding dormant chapters.)

4. Expansion
As a national organization, we feel it is necessary to establish ourselves in a greater
number of states across the country. One of our team’s priorities is to grow our
organization by expanding to unchartered states. Many of our current chartered state
chapters are concentrated in particular regions. With California as the only chartered
state chapter on the West Coast, it is clear that we have much work to do. We will
branch out to these states and form new state chapters through a two-step process.
1. Finding High School Democrats to form chapters. There are an incredible
amount of High School Democratic clubs who have no idea that we (or even
their own state’s Young Democrats) exist. By using methods such as Facebook
and Twitter to find active High School Clubs, we will find leaders to charter
their own High School Caucus.
2. Providing a “jump start” to fledgling caucuses. This means that we will
work with these new leaders to build bases in their states by sharing resources
in order to help them write their own state chapter constitutions, maintain
membership information, and prepare for local and state campaigns.
We will also revitalize dormant chapters in chartered states. Many state caucuses in
our organization lose momentum when their leadership graduates. We will work with
state leaders to make sure that their leadership transitions run as smoothly as possible.
While we are not blind to the fact that High School activism is at its strongest during
election years, we do not want caucuses to lose momentum during years between
elections. It is important to understand that years between elections are essential for
preparing for campaigns. We will make this point clear to all dormant chapters by
alerting them of opportunities to take part in early local and state campaigns.
Public Awareness Campaign
The primary goal of the High School Caucus is to promote, strengthen, and build the
base of the Democratic Party, a task far easier accomplished when a majority of our
target audience knows everything about us. It is always in the best interest of an
organization to have the best minds working in it, but this is often not possible when
many are unaware of an organization or its functions. We will begin a massive public
awareness campaign through state and county-level Democratic and Democratic
youth organizations, as well as new-media sources and press outlets, to educate the
general populace about the functions and abilities of the High School Caucus. The
financial requirements of this campaign would be covered by our aggressive
fundraising program (see Fundraising)
We plan on achieving awareness by implementing the following methods:

5. 1. Extensive use of the High School Democrats of America Facebook Group
and a forum on our National Website.
These tools will foster the sense of an all inclusive team that is comprised of every
single member of the High School Caucus nationwide. It will also help to spread the
message of the High School Caucus to non-members and potential members.
2. Nationwide and membership-wide conference calls
Bi-Monthly informational conference calls will be held to discuss current
information, news, awareness and political campaigns, activities in each state, etc.
Lines will be kept open for members to voice their concerns. Separate conference
calls for each region will allow the Executive Board and Regional Directors to take a
more personal approach when talking to members and addressing concerns.
3. Weekly Newsletters to members
Will be emailed, posted on website and Facebook Group, and linked to partner
organizations with meeting minutes, current activities of the High School caucus,
current issues (and where the High School Democrats lie on said topics/ issues/
situations), AND how members can help within their local chapters.
4. Ads in newspapers, links on websites, etc.
For example, links to the High School Democrats Webpage from the YDA and DNC
Website, as well as printed Ads in periodicals such as The Nation, and local area
newspapers.
National Website
The lack of communication between the National and State High School Caucuses
has not only caused confusion and misunderstanding in the past, but has been a
hindrance in the overall growth of the High School Caucus. In order to resolve this
issue, we hope appoint a Technology Director within the first month of our
administration. The Technology Director will maintain our National Website
(www.hsdems.org ) which will feature resources for state and local chapters so that
we may expand the High School Caucus to every state. Comprehensive “How-to-
Guides” and “Start-up Kits” will offer guidelines and helpful tips such as holding
efficient meetings, increasing member involvement, sample constitutions, and contact
information for each state’s senators and representatives to make the process of
contacting your state leadership easier. This new website will also feature a forum
that will be accessible by all members. It will allow direct communication throughout
the entire country which will result in a stronger bond between the National and State
High School Caucuses. We also hope to offer additional pages for every state caucus,
so that their state leadership is always within reach.
Deadline: October 2011

6. Becoming a Campaign Coalition
We will create a nationwide infrastructure that will make the caucus a force to be
reckoned with by the 2012 election, by which time the caucus should be an integral
part of President Barack Obama’s re-election efforts. This infrastructure will consist
of organized, ready, and efficient groups of student volunteers (local chapter
members) to help in their local, state, and any national Democratic campaigns during
elections. The newly appointed Political Director (please see New Positions) will help
each State Caucus keep track of all local and state elections where contact with
individual campaigns can be made to provide students as volunteers/interns in each
campaign. As an organization, we will work closely with Students for Barack Obama
to pool our efforts and possibly draw more high school students into High School
Democrats. With the implementation of this system, the High School Caucus can
maximize its massive network and resources, and can truly be a powerful force in
elections and internal Party decisions.
Fundraising
Due to the current financial climate, the YDA and High School Caucus have seen
significant decreases in their budgets. This has caused a major setback for the High
School Caucus as we simply cannot proceed with our plans without the proper
funding and financial support. It is imperative for the High School Caucus to execute
fundraising on a local, state, and national level so that we may contribute to national
conventions, compensate travel expenses, raise money for incentives, and cover
website upgrades. Money will make life a lot easier for everyone in terms of
delegating responsibility and being organizationally efficient.
Our ideas:
Develop relationships with elected officials to coordinate fundraisers with local
chapters
Create an annual fundraiser the night after the High School Leadership Academy
which will draw all active democrats in the DC area for the event to assist us
financially
Develop relationships with businesses for financial assistance
Build more relationships with the county and state parties to provide small
financial donations to the organization
Meet with ActBlue to set up each state’s account
Develop relationships will union locals in the chapter areas, and the national labor
Organizations
Create a fundraising guide for individual chapters to consult
We will bring back transparency and accountability to the budget and financial
matters of our caucus. By doing so, we will be creating a strong annual budget that
will successfully promote the ideas and desires of the High School Caucus.

7. Deadline: Our Finance Director will begin drafting a Fundraising Strategy and
Budget with the Executive Board as soon as he or she is appointed.
Strengthening Relationships
Besides our ties to businesses and organizations for fundraising, we would also like to
develop a closer relationship to the College Caucus/ College Democrats in college
towns. Not only will this help us draw in more members into our caucus, but will also
give colleges more potential members in the future. The College Democrats are very
open to high school students attending their events which will increase opportunities
for students to participate in Democratic conferences, locally. We would also like to
connect state HSDA organizations to each state party to increase our credibility as an
organization and to give students an outlet to take action in their communities.
Deadline: We have already been in contact with College Democrats and State
Party leaders regarding this goal. The Political Director will begin to help
connect state HSDA organizations to their respective state Party as soon as he or
she is appointed.
Incentives to Take Action
Our chief goal is to increase membership involvement and activity throughout the
High School Caucus. We aim to achieve this by presenting incentives that would
promote friendly competition through initiatives such as “The Most Active High
School State Caucus” program. This annual competition will promote local and state
involvement in the High School Caucus by offering the winning caucus a dinner
banquet with a high ranking official, and national recognition. The High School
Caucus will also present awards in YDA conventions and conferences (on non-
convention years) to individuals and state caucuses that have exhibited exemplary
abilities in advancing their High School Caucuses, financial responsibility, increased
membership, and have achieved and sustained active members for the duration of the
year. Application forms of nominations for such awards will be available on the
national website three months prior to convention/conferences. By doing this we hope
to create enthusiasm and increase activity in the High School Caucus while
recognizing the hard work that members put into the organization every year.
Deadline: Applications for these contests will be publicized four months prior to
each convention/ conference beginning with the next National YDA event.