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Author: Keith Ammon

Past NHLA Board Member
State Representative

Make Your Activism for Liberty a Habit

Activism for Liberty has a definite purpose. That is to bring about political and societal change in the direction of more individual freedom. It isn’t merely the act of telling people our opinions. It involves action with the intent of influencing others toward greater awareness, understanding, and practice of the principles of Liberty. Here are some suggestions for becoming a more effective liberty activist.

Work to your strengths

Engage in some quiet self-reflection and decide what skills you already possess that you can put to good use. Do you have good writing skills? Consider writing a letter to the editor (LTEs) of the local newspaper, contribute content to the NHLA website, or start a blog. Are you good at analysis? Try reviewing bills with the NHLA’s bill review system. Are you good at software development? Consider working with the NHLA’s IT development team to build new tools for other activists. Do you have good interpersonal communication skills? Perhaps you could work on a phone banking campaign to affect legislation or on a door knocking campaign for a candidate. Are you good at event planning? You could help plan a gathering of activists for a specific purpose, such as a rally, protest, or our annual Liberty Dinner awards event. There are lots of ways to put your existing skills to good use.

Work on skills you’d like to cultivate

Maybe you aren’t naturally good at public speaking but want to become so. Consider joining a Toastmasters group where you can practice your speaking skills among a friendly audience. Perhaps you’d like to understand how the legislative process works in Concord. Try attending a few committee sessions at the State House and observing how citizens or lobbyists structure and frame their testimony or the way a committee deliberates on the merits of a bill. You’ll quickly develop ideas for how to present testimony yourself. If you’d like to develop skills specifically for managing campaigns or issues-based advocacy, consider taking a training course such as the Grassroots Leadership Academy. Think about one or more skills you’d like to build and create a routine that allows you to practice them while learning from mentors who have mastered the skill before you.

“Goldilocks zone” of activity

We see some common patterns among the activist community. Some activists are hard-charging out of the gate but end up becoming disillusioned because they don’t see progress happen as quickly as they might like. Some push their personal limits for too long and experience burnout and so stop all activity. Others may want to be more involved but put off taking the initiative and stay stuck in their current routines.

Try to find your personal “Goldilocks zone” of action; not too little, not too much, but just the right amount. Enough that activism is part of your weekly or monthly routine, but not too much that you’re unable to sustain your desired level of activity. After all, you still have to balance your other responsibilities and personal relationships in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. How many hours a month can you invest in advancing Liberty in New Hampshire?

Make it fun

Activism doesn’t have to be dull and boring. If you’re engaged in activities that you enjoy, it won’t seem burdensome. Combining social activity with performing a clearly defined task can make the experience more fulfilling. Also, try inviting others to participate with you and make it a group effort with people whose company you enjoy. Employing the buddy system with just one other person can keep you both motivated to be consistent and persistent.

Take initiative

We humans are creatures of habit. Sometimes we get stuck in our routines or within our online echo chambers, and we may feel reluctant to venture out and engage with the wider world. Being a more effective activist requires us to step outside of our comfort zone and engage with members of the legislature and the voting public.

By making our Activism for Liberty a Habit, with small incremental improvements through practice, we’ll all make steady progress in becoming more effective and persuasive activists. Doing this together as a community of like-minded people can have a historic effect on the future of Liberty in New Hampshire.

If you’d like to become more involved with the NHLA, email volunteer@nhliberty.org for more information.

 

Bylaws Change 2019-02-24

DRAFT BYLAWS CHANGE 2/24/2019

Purpose:

A) Remove Development Director position

B) Add ability to hire independent contractors.

 

A) Remove Development Director position

Article Three – Board of Directors

3.2 The Board will consist of eight seven Directors: a Chairman, a Director of Development, a Director of Political Action, a Director of Membership, a Director of Research, a Director of Information Technology (IT), a Secretary and a Treasurer. Specific duties may be assigned to each Director by majority vote of the Board.

3.5.1 Starting in December 2017, the term of office for each board position shall expire as follows: Odd years: April 30th: chairman, secretary; November 30th: political action, treasurer. Even years: April 30th: membership, IT; November 30th: development, research.

Article Four – Officers

4.8 The duties of the Director of Development shall include, but not be limited to: soliciting donations from individuals and organizations; managing donor relations; organizing the annual Liberty Dinner.

Article Five – Committees

5.2 The Ways and Means Committee shall be responsible for raising the funds necessary for the NHLA to fulfill its mission of advancing the cause of individual liberty in New Hampshire. The Director of Development shall be the chair of this committee.

5.3 5.2 The Public Relations Committee shall be responsible for communicating with the media and the public in a manner consistent with the directives set forth by the Board. The Secretary shall be the chair of this committee.

5.4 5.3 The Information Technology Committee shall be responsible for fulfilling the needs of the organization as they relate to technology, as determined by the Board. The Director of IT shall be the chair of this committee.

5.5 5.4 The Research Committee shall be responsible for writing policy briefs and proposed legislation in furtherance of the purpose of the NHLA, for distribution to the media and elected representatives, as directed by the Board. The Director of Research shall be the chair of this committee.

5.6 5.5 The Civic Action Committee shall consist of all members of the Board of Directors and their designees and shall be responsible for finding appropriate NH residents to receive financial assistance through our Civic Action Fund and scheduling charitable events throughout the year to bring non-governmental assistance to NH residents. The Membership Director shall be the chair of this committee.

 

B) Add ability to hire independent contractors

Article Six – Independent Contractors (New Section)

6.1 An independent contractor may be engaged to accomplish specific tasks or duties and whose engagement would meet 1099 IRS reporting requirements.

6.2 The board shall have the authority by a simple majority to retain or discharge the services of an independent contractor.

6.3 The board shall develop, and approve by simple majority, a well-defined scope of duties before establishing a position and must advertise the position.

6.5 The board shall approve by simple majority any compensation, commissions, expense reimbursement policy, board oversight processes, and/or reporting requirements for the position. These requirements may be defined by the board and negotiated with applicants but must ultimately be approved by the board.

6.6 No independent contractor may be a voting member of the board.

6.7 Independent contractors will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Article Six Seven – Dissolution

6 7.1 Should the NHLA dissolve, all remaining assets shall be distributed in a manner advancing the purpose of the organization.

Article Seven Eight – Amendments

7 8.1 These Bylaws may be amended with the approval of four-fifths of the Directors, provided that at a prior meeting such amendments were approved by a majority of the Directors, and that these amendments were distributed to all Directors for review, and made available to the members on the website and in an email newsletter, in the interim between meetings.

7 8.2 Any Bylaws changes shall take effect at the close of the Board meeting at which they are ratified.

Article Eight Nine – Conflict

8 9.1 If there is any conflict between the provisions of these Bylaws and the Articles of Incorporation of the NHLA, the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation shall govern. Should any of the provisions of portions of these Bylaws be held unenforceable or invalid for any reason, the remaining provisions and portions of these Bylaws shall be unaffected by such holding.