Logistical Changes - A message from President Lily Eskelsen-Garcia

Highlights of Logistical Changes to 2017 Boston RA

This year the Executive Committee was charged with reviewing the process and content of the Representative Assembly to improve the workings of our highest representative body. We will implement the following, which are within the purview of the president who manages the agenda.

1. The biggest change comes due to bus and bus driver availability. We don’t often go past 8:30pm at an RA, but when we do, we must replace drivers who cannot pick up delegates, return them to their hotels, and get back to their bus barns before a 15-hour window restricting, by law, how many hours a driver can be on duty. We don’t want to take the chance of having some delegates stranded without buses. We have set a hard-stop time on the final day: We must adjourn on or before 8:00 pm.

2. Even so, it’s our intent to design this RA so that we will be able to handle the business before us on or before 8pm. We are taking several steps to maximize the time we have for business:

a. We’ll limit or eliminate most speeches. Eliminate most welcomes and speeches by guests; eliminate candidate thank you’s at close of the RA; shorter PAC & finance presentations; and generally avoid nonbusiness-related speeches. 

b. The president will appoint a small committee of delegates as an NBI Consolidation Committee to review NBIs that might be combined. No one will be required to combine NBIs, of course, but the committee will bring to the attention of Makers of Motions that are connected, and if they agree to combine, they will be recognized and will be allowed to make the Consolidated Motion together. 

c. We’ll try to keep “Requests for Information” to a minimum by setting up a physical “NBI Information” kiosk and a text number where delegates with questions can get answers.

3. To encourage delegates to reflect on our mission and focus the business of the RA on that mission, we intentionally built the agenda around mission themes each day:

a. Day 1: Union Strength – Member Advocacy

b. Day 2: Professional Practice

c. Day 3: Social Justice

d. Day 4: Our Mission

A message from the President of Maine Education Association

I have heard that some delegates are extending their stays in Boston so that they can visit other places in New England.  I have put some coastal locations in Maine that are easy to get to if your delegates want a Maine experience.  Though it is a longer trip than taking the highway (I have put the fastest route times), delegates could pick up Route 1 in Kittery and follow it as far as they want to  the north, passing through villages along the ocean.  I hope this may help.  

 

Kittery:  1 hour.    Shopping Mecca.     Recommend Bob's Clam Hut

Wells/Ogunquit Beach:  1 1/4 hours.  Village with beach.    Recommend Barnacle Billy's

Kennebunk:   1 1/2 hours. Village with Bush's summer home.    Recommend  Nunan's Lobster

Old Port, Portland:  1 3/4 hours.  Shopping, restaurants, museums.

Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth:  2 hours.  Lighthouse.

Freeport:  2 hours.  Shopping @ LL Bean and others. Working harbor.  Recommend Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster

Two Lights State Park, Cape Elizabeth: 2 hours.   Lighthouses.   Recommend Lobster Shack at Two Lights

Harpswell:  2 1/2 hours.  Island community with fishing villages.  Recommend Estes Lobster House

 

Other visits:

Boothbay Harbor.  3 hours

Camden.  3 1/4 hours

Acadia National Park.  4 1/2 hours