By NSW State Director – Phil
Lamb, 18 June 2004
The short
version:
We need you to book a venue,
organise catering, decide how much to charge people or whether or not they order
and pay for themselves at the venue. If you will be collecting money and paying
for the catering, could you do that locally. If the dinner raises any money,
when it's all over you can send in one cheque to our office for Fred Nile's
Senate campaign. The CDP office can mail out an invitation to people on the CDP
database if you send to admin@cdp.org.au
the draft text of the letter and the State electorates to whom you think the
invitation should be sent. However, not many people respond to mailouts so if
you can phone people that would be good as well (if you need a new list of
people and phone numbers we can give that to you if you ask). The dinner can be
advertised in eMag if you send the info to admin@cdp.org.au
(see the style of the other calendar items in eMag).
The long version (more info):
1)
Decide on the venue
and time (dates have already been set).
You will find the Senate Campaign Schedule on our website. See how your dinner fits in with the overall
schedule at www.cdp.org.au/members/elections.asp
(username: members password: kuyper)
1)
Nominate one person to be Campaign
Dinner Chairman. This may be the Regional
Advisor, Branch President or Co-ordinator.
You will need a Campaign Dinner sub-committee. It is their responsibility to plan and
organise the dinner so it runs smoothly (see sample programme). Be bold and try to guess your numbers
right. However be realistic. It is better to fill a mid-sized restaurant
than one-quarter fill a large one.
2)
Most likely you will
want to get an INVITATION letter printed (send draft
text to CDP Head Office admin@cdp.org.au
to have the letter formatted on campaign letterhead etc and emailed back to you
for printing). A sample letter and media
release can be viewed at www.cdp.org.au/members/files/20040618_
Sutherland_Shire_2004_Federal_Election_Senate_Campaign_Dinner_invitation_letter.doc.
Make sure you carefully check the details (eg. time, date, contact phone
numbers and venue) before the Invitation is printed or distributed.
3)
Communicate these details to all
the workers and supporters on your list as quickly as possible. Use email – this is a wonderful tool to
inform about your dinner. Don’t forget
to send posters to your local churches. A follow up phone call, if possible, will
help to maximise attendance at the function. Urge them to invite friends, neighbours,
etc.
4)
Create a comprehensive invitation
list, and post them invitations. Request
local CDP member/supporter address labels (or address data for mail merging)
from CDP Head Office by email or phone 1300-667-975. Post additional invitations by Email. Use your own Contacts list as well. A brief personalised letter (or mail-merged
email) plus a leaflet is best, but just a leaflet will do.
5)
Set an RSVP date, and include an
email and phone number for replies.
6)
Contact your local newspaper. They will usually be willing to list the
meeting in the Community events column for free. If not you then consider a small
advertisement, even a classified advertisement if funds are low. You should prepare and forward to the
newspapers a short description of the meeting that contains the following:
a)
date, time and venue (you should
give sufficient advance warning);
b)
the theme of your Dinner
c)
who the speaker(s) will be
d)
RSVP
Use the media
release on the second page of the sample letter linked to earlier in this
document. Put in the details of your
dinner and send it to the election journalist / Editor for the newspaper.
7)
Be bright, cheerful and courteous
with the media. Ask them whether they
expect to attend the Dinner (at their own expense) or not. If not, then offer to provide to them on the
next day some brief notes on what happened so as to help them with a
story.
8)
Take your Camera or ask someone to
take some high quality digital photos to email to the journalist who does not
attend.
7)
Display leaflets on Notice boards
in town and in shop windows, libraries, child care centres, schools, Churches,
bus stops, railway station etc. Always
seek permission by consulting the notice-board “owner” first.
8)
Visit the Venue several days
before the Dinner to check location of light switches, toilets etc, state of
repair or cleanliness of chairs, how the PA system works etc.
9)
Arrange to have a proper lectern
and tables on the stage or at the front of the hall. Get hold of an Australian Flag and drape it
beside the table or hang it on the wall.
Don’t forget a jug of water and glasses for the speakers. Do they want a screen?
10)
Consider whether you can sell cups
of tea, coffee, cordial and cakes or biscuits at the meeting in order to raise
funds.
11)
Whether or not media will attend,
arrange for someone to take photographs and/or video film.
12)
Plan a table for display of books,
pamphlets, CDP policy statements, CDP media releases, etc.
13)
Consider the appropriateness of
specifically inviting by word and letter a prominent local clergyman. The Mayor or President of Chamber of
Commerce may be invited to give a welcome.
You may like to have suitable music to play in
the background.
14)
Develop a program for the
Evening. A suggested format is included elsewhere in this document.
15)
Other details are published on the
CDP secure members website under the Election menu button on the Left Hand
side.
16)
A Chairman or MC should be appointed
to make the evening flow smoothly and enjoyably for all who attend. Don’t forget some humour. At the appropriate point INTRODUCE THE
SPEAKER. Prepare for this. Please gather some background information,
to worthily introduce him/her.
17)
Prepare response forms to go
around to each table, so that people can volunteer, or be co-opted to help with
the election. You can print these
response forms from our website at www.cdp.org.au/fed/images/helpfredA5.pdf. Perhaps a “pledge” may be appropriate. Your goal for the evening is that every
attendee will become a Polling Booth Captain, or a Polling Booth worker, AND will help distribute Letter
Box leaflets prior to the election.
18)
Significantly, this Dinner is an
important opportunity to Fundraise. Pass an offering bag, or hat around. Press the point that CDP needs your funds to
help put the Candidate into Parliament.
Perhaps have an Auction, and make it lots of fun.
19)
Near the end of the Dinner,
announce a follow up event for all to attend - a Branch Meeting, Election
Meeting, Fund-raiser, Letter Box event etc.
Give the attendees anticipation, and something more in CDP for which to
look forward. Thank them for coming, and
make sure their “Pledges” have been collected.