NOW

National NOW Conference: 2009

Session Glossary

Plenary Sessions | Breakout Sessions | Workshops | Organizing Institute
Issue Hearings | Special Constituency Caucuses | Regional Caucuses

Plenary Sessions

Plenary Sessions are meetings of all conference participants. In Plenary Sessions on Friday and Saturday we open the conference, adopt the rules and agenda, and hear the conference's featured speakers. This year we also will hear from the candidates running for national NOW office. We devote the final plenaries on Sunday to setting policy for the organization. Delegates will vote on resolutions passed in Issue Hearings or submitted by petition. Members who are not delegates may speak for or against resolutions but may not vote. The election results will be announced at the early plenary session on Sunday.

Breakout Sessions

Breakout sessions include workshops, sessions of the Organizing Institute, Political Institute and Issue Hearings (see below).

Workshops

Workshops are interactive sessions focusing on organizing for women's rights. Presenters and participants will share information, exchange ideas and discuss action plans. The presenters' role, unlike that in a traditional workshop, is to make brief opening comments and then to inspire dialogue and creative problem-solving. The goal of these sessions is to send participants home with new information, inspiration and tactics organize in their own communities and mobilize local chapter activists.
Learn more about the conference workshops here.

Organizing Institute

Workshops in the Organizing Institute are designed to send attendees back to their communities prepared to hit the ground running. Learn how to plan protests and other events, build chapter membership, raise funds, start a blog, promote diversity and other components of successful grassroots organizing. Each breakout session includes at least one Organizing Institute workshop -- load up your feminist tool belt by attending five, or choose as many as you wish.

Political Institute

Workshops in the Political Institute are designed to enhance our ability to elect more feminists to office at every level. The Institute will build skills to prepare activists to run for office and to provide trained organizers to work in elections. Attend all three sessions to develop a broad range of skills and knowledge, or choose those that interest you most.

Issue Hearings

NOW's annual conference is the supreme governing body of NOW, and the resolutions passed by the conference form the basis of organizational policy.

The sole purpose of an Issue Hearing is to develop and produce resolutions for consideration by the body. NOW members can bring ideas to the Issue Hearings, even if the ideas are not in resolution form. However, due to time constraints, it is preferable to have proposed language prepared in advance. The ideas will be incorporated into the resolution(s) coming out of that session, if accepted by the majority of the participants. The hearing format allows for combining similar ideas/resolutions, editing, and general refining before the resolutions come before the conference body on Sunday. Only two resolutions may be voted out of each Issue Hearing. Issue Hearings will take place during the breakout sessions. Information on the resolution process can be found here.

Special Constituency Caucuses

Friday 11:45 AM - 1:45 PM

Special Constituency Caucuses provide a time for feminists who share a common interest to get together. This offers an excellent opportunity to meet others from around the country who share specific concerns. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis; sign up on the board outside the conference office. These caucuses also provide a forum for discussion of possible resolutions (learn more about the resolution process here). We also encourage small groups to caucus outside of the set time, at breakfast and during other breaks.

Regional Caucuses

Friday 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Regional Caucuses will take place before dinner on Friday. These sessions provide an opportunity for regional activists to get together. Since this is an election conference, the candidates for national officer teams will circulate (by office sought) through the regional caucuses to make statements and answer questions from embers of the region. Regional issues, actions and organizing plans may also be discussed, as well as resolutions and other conference business. See the list below to determine to which region your state belongs and the location of your caucus. Some regions have been grouped together:

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