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Attending Events

Sometimes members and supporters can be found beyond tabling. By attending other organizations’ events, you open your chapter up to a whole new field of recruitment opportunities.
There are a number of different approaches you can take in this regard.

First, keep abreast of the on-goings of other liberty-minded groups in your area. Attend their meetings and represent your chapter at their events.

On your own campus you should also try to form alliances with other student organizations. If you find groups that you can agree with on a few issues, network with them, attend their events, and promote YAL through casual discussion. Their members and those who attend their events may view your organization as a great way to find like-minded individuals that can best promote their cause. You may disagree with each other on 80% of the issues, but focusing on the 20% can advance the movement and increase the numbers in your chapter.

Most importantly, make sure to attend the events and speakers your school hosts. If your school is like most in the America, the speakers tend to have a left-leaning bias. While frustrating, their presence provides a prime opportunity for your chapter to get some attention. Spread members of your group throughout the audience to avoid appearing like a disgruntled unit and capitalize on the Q&A session at the end. Whether it is a Keynesian economist visiting the Economics Department or a socialist visiting Political Science, there are always hard-hitting questions to be asked that can reveal the flaws in their logic.


Not only do you get to put the speaker on the spot but other students will also get a taste of the liberty movement through your action. Controversy sparks interest, so make sure to have club fliers or business cards handy if students approach you or other chapter members afterwards.

Don’t forget to do your research about the topic of the event. You are likely to be met with hostility or challenged back by speaker. The more you know, and the more calm and collected you behave in adversity, the more credible you and your chapter become.

Depending on school rules, you can also nonchalantly pass fliers critiquing the issues and speaker with information about your chapter. You could pass them down rows, pretending as thought it is a paper accompanying the speaker’s lecture.
Another technique is to host a counter-event. If you know a statist group on your campus plans to hold a huge event, you should attend it. However, sometimes publicity--and new members--can be found through presenting yourselves as the opposing group outright. This works especially well if the planned event is highly controversial.


Never miss an event if you think your chapter could benefit from attending. Momentum is everything, so make your presence known!