Re-Engaging at YDA
YDSC's President and two National Committee Members serve on the YDA National Committee. YDSC is also home to Southeast Region Director Bre Spaulding and Campaigns Committee Chair Jeni Atchley - both also hold National Committee votes. We also have goals for what we want to do to strengthen the Young Democrats of America and South Carolina's place in it. As the defending Outstanding Chartered Unit, we see it as our duty to play active roles in YDA.
Standing Up For Our State, and State Chapters
We feel YDSC has a responsibility to ensure the interests of medium and small-state chapters on the National Committee. Being an organization that was practically built from scratch a decade ago, we know the challenges of building a state chapter. We know the challenges of building local chapters. Making sure YDA rules make sense across the board will be a major goal for our leadership.
Modernizing YDA's Bylaws for a New Decade
YDA's Charter and Bylaws were written for bygone eras and are now unsustainable. The National Committee under President Quentin Wathum-Ocama is doing the right thing by seeking to modernize these documents and this, as well as improving when National Caucuses charter and enforcing accessibility requirements for meetings, will be a priority for us this biennium.
It's On Us to Stop Harassment & Assault
YDSC will not suffer harassment and sexual assault in YDA or at state level, now or in the future. As one of his last acts as Secretary in 2020, Austin wrote a Code of Ethics and Conduct and wrote what was then a national Standing Rule (and now part of the National Charter) into our Bylaws.
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YDA, seeing its Judicial Council was ill-equipped for such cases, committed to retaining outside counsel to investigate cases like this that come up. We will hold them to this. If we need to help the National Board of Directors fundraise the money we need, we'll do whatever we can to help.
Create a Plan to Bid for the 2025 YDA Convention
YDSC is committed to securing and executing a National Committee Meeting this biennium (before the 2023 YDA Convention) in South Carolina. This will not change if we are elected.
At the beginning of 2024, near the meeting the National Committee chooses who will host the YDA Convention in 2025, we will submit a bid plan for South Carolina to host a National Convention and present it to our successors.
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Even if it doesn't succeed, it's a useful stress test for YDSC's financial health and ability to raise money for a large-scale project - regardless of it's a convention or a statewide youth voter turnout drive.
Commitment to Advance Diversity and Inclusion
YDSC will continue to encourage its members to be active members of YDA Constituency Caucuses, and to seek leadership positions in those caucuses. Ever since Austin walked out of a general session in Dallas with our delegation and more than 100 delegates for YDA giving inclusion a short shrift, he's worked to get National Caucuses in general to embrace inclusion in their organizations and in YDA.
Austin will seek to require access accommodation into the National Bylaws (as requested by the Disability Caucus) and all of our members, elected like Austin and Brandi (by us) or Bre (by our Region) or appointed like Jeni commit to making YDA a more inclusive place for our members and for all Young Democrats.
Keeping South Carolina Active in YDA
Where the President is allowed to assign members to YDA committees, Austin will make such assignments openly and with notice so members have an opportunity to apply, just like he will with state-level appointed offices.
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Once we know of appointments from the National President or the Southeast Region Director, we will let members know about these positions so they can either self-nominate or have the President or a National Committee Member nominate them.