OKLAHOMA HOME EDUCATORS' CAPITOL DAY
MARCH 8, 2005 is
Oklahoma Home Educators' Capitol Day! We invite you to join us at the capitol - this is
your day as a homeschool parent to make an investment in your family's future. Be educated
on issues of concern to the homeschool community and cultivate a one-on-one relationship
with your legislators. Capitol Day is a great opportunity for home educators across the
state to unite, appealing to and informing our legislators in a positive way about the
benefits of home education.
Pre-Registration for Capitol Day 2005 has closed.
The objectives for Capitol Day are
1. To protect the right, granted in the Oklahoma constitution, of parents to home educate
their children;
2. To bring home education to the legislature, demonstrating that it is a viable option
for providing an excellent education and that regulation is not necessary;
3. To build positive relationships with our lawmakers, allowing them to meet and visit
with homeschooling families and students.
Tentative Schedule:
8:30 a.m. - Check-in begins for adults and students on 1st floor rotunda
9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Future Statesman program
9:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. - Legislative Impact Workshop
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Lunch with legislators on 2nd floor rotunda
Legislative Impact Workshop
This morning session is designed for parents, young adults, and older teens (ages 17-18)
only. It will provide presentations to inform participants on legislative issues of
concern and equip them to make positive contacts with their legislators. Ned Ryun will be
our featured speaker this year. A former Presidential Writer for President George W. Bush
and son of sitting U.S. Congressman Jim Ryun, Ned Ryun is currently the director of the
Generation Joshua Program, a division of Homeschool Legal Defense Association. Ned also
directs the Homeschool Legal Defense Association Federal Political Action Committee.
Due to the size constraints of the capitol meeting rooms, this session will again be held
at the Oklahoma Museum of History auditorium, located within walking distance southeast of
the capitol at 2100 N. Lincoln Blvd. We urge you to pre-register since seating is
limited. In order to accommodate as many homeschool parents as possible, please make
child care arrangements for this session.
Luncheon for Legislators
Legislators will be invited to a complimentary luncheon on the second floor rotunda of the
capitol, allowing them the opportunity to meet with homeschooling constituents from their
districts. We notify the legislators that their constituents are attending and at which
table they should meet. Therefore, knowing the districts you represent is an important
part of pre-registration. Boxed lunches may be purchased in advance but are not required.
The lunch will include turkey and provolone on wheatberry sandwich, chips, brownie and
lemonade or tea.
Future Statesman Program
The Future Statesman program will be offered for ages 12-16, as we are encouraging our
young adults, ages 17-18, to attend the main session with their parents. Debating on the
House floor, devotions in the Supreme Court and hearing a dynamic speaker are some of the
highlights of this year's Future Statesman program. This year brings many changes to the
former Junior Legislator program, but the concept is the same - to give our students a
chance to experience government in Oklahoma firsthand.
This year is going to be very exciting! We have opportunities never afforded to us before.
One of these privileges is that we have been given permission to sit on the House floor to
debate a mock bill. Each student who wishes to participate will be given the opportunity
to serve in one of many roles from Governor to author of the bill. Each participating
student will have a chance to defend or refute the bill in question. The theme of the bill
is lowering the age for a driver's permit to 14.
Ned Ryun will also be speaking to the students with a great line up of topics.
The hours spent participating in the Future Statesman program, along with the unit study
provided in the packet, may be applied toward your student's Government/Civics class. The
unit study includes researching the bill to be debated, as well as fun games and thought
provoking activities regarding the theme, "The Role of Christians in
Government." Your student will also receive a certificate of completion documenting
the number of hours of instruction.
Registration will be $6 per student, which includes the unit study packet that will be
mailed in advance. Once your student has completed the projects in the packet to your
satisfaction, a parent's signature on the enclosed form will allow him/her to receive a
Future Statesman T-shirt following the student workshop on March 8th.
Because of the new format and the amount of projects it will incur, we will not be
offering lunch this year. We encourage students to bring a simple snack and drink.
Participation in the Future Statesman program is open only to those students whose parents
are attending Capitol Day. Space is limited to the first 100 students and you must be
pre-registered by February 28th. If you have any questions, you may contact Cindy Nicolai
at fcnicolai@pldi.net.
Meeting with Legislators
In addition to a luncheon meeting, you and your family are encouraged to meet with your
legislator in his/her office. It is advisable to make a morning appointment in advance.
Legislators will be in session beginning at 1:30 p.m. If your legislator is unavailable
for an appointment, plan to drop by his/her office and speak with the administrative
assistant. A positive meeting with the assistant will be relayed to your legislator. Show
a portfolio representing your homeschool or group and or bring home-baked goodies from
your family. If you will have younger children accompanying you to the capitol and are
therefore unable to attend the morning sessions, please make it a priority to visit your
legislator's office at some point in the day. Direct contact with legislators is our
primary goal.
Cookie Drop
Following lunch, families or older students are encouraged to deliver a homemade package
of cookies to each legislator's office. Cookies will be provided by volunteer support
groups. By helping to bake cookies and decorate the boxes, children are able to play an
important role in supporting Capitol Day objectives. If your group would like to
participate in this service project, please contact Peggy Hoshall at 405-946-1699.
In addition, individual families are encouraged to deliver their own baked goodies to
their legislators.
General Comments
For planning purposes, we strongly encourage you to pre-register. Pre-registration helps
us plan all aspects of Capitol Day, especially knowing the districts you represent. Be
sure to check in at the registration tables on the first floor, whether or not you have
pre-registered. Nametags will be available to identify you as a homeschooler attending
Capitol Day.
Oklahoma Homeschool Capitol Day is not OCHEC Capitol Day. OCHEC sponsors the event for all
Oklahoma homeschoolers. It is not represented as an OCHEC-only event. If you choose not to
participate in any of the formal events of Capitol Day, we still encourage you to join us
on March 8th to represent yourself or your organization. Together we can make a positive,
combined impact for homeschooling in Oklahoma. If you are unable to attend, please make a
point of writing your legislators, reminding them of Capitol Day on March 8th and
encouraging them to protect our freedoms as parents and home educators.
To prepare for Capitol Day:
1. Pray for successful, positive contacts with legislators, by letter and in person, and
for those organizing the day.
2. Determine who your legislators are. If you are a registered voter, you can contact your
county election board or check www.lsb.state.ok.us (click on "Find Your
Legislators" and enter your address).
3. Dress for success. Business or business casual is appropriate for both adults and
children.
4. Children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or adult at all times.
Please remind children to walk, not run, and to talk, not yell. Discuss with your children
the importance of acting in a respectful and polite manner while visiting our capitol
building and elected officials.
5. Payment for boxed lunches must be made by PayPal when registering on the website. You
may also mail your registration to the OCHEC office. Payment for boxed lunches must
accompany registrations.
If you are interested in volunteering for the planning
committee for 2005, please contact staff@ochec.com
*Map
to State Capitol*
Our legislators do take notice of the large group of home educators who come to the
capitol each year to ask for nothing more than to maintain their lawful right to educate
their children at home. It is our sincere hope that these efforts will influence our
legislators to maintain current laws relating to home education. We are looking forward to
seeing each one of you at the capitol.
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