2009 YAL National Convention attendees with Ron Paul
On December 2nd, 2008, Congressman Ron Paul endorsed Young Americans for Liberty as the youth organzation to continue his Students for Ron Paul effort. With his support, YAL launched to train, educate, and mobilize youth activists committed to "winning on principle."
In its first year, YAL's National Field Program started over 150 chapters on high school and college campuses. Thousands of youth activists joined our efforts to promote constitutional principles on campus and within the political process.
If 2009 was any indication, the youth movement for liberty is fed up with the growing debt, endless wars, and loss of civil liberties. Now, a generation of leaders is ready to mobilize and fight for the American Republic in 2010.
To recap YAL's events, stories, activities, and successes from this past year, David Hoyt and Jeff Frazee have prepared a comprehensive End of the Year Report to show you the fruits of your support in 2009. These are the highlights from the past year. Please know that none of these accomplishments would have been possible without your contribution. We are extraordinarily grateful.
For liberty,
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YAL's National Field Program is the backbone of the youth movement for liberty. This is the network of YAL members and chapters that recruits, organizes, and rallies around YAL's mission and statement of principles.
Two primary goals for the National Field Program in 2009 were met and exceeded:
- Goal: Start 100 YAL chapters. End of year: Over 150 active or forming YAL chapters on high school and college campuses.
- Goal: Recruit over 1,000 dues-paying YAL members. End of the year: 1,433 total dues-paying members.
II. National Activism Events
1. Real Change Requires R3volution -- Barack Obama's Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009
Media appearances from YAL chapters:
- Indiana YAL's Andrew Sharp interviewed on the radio about their event.
- YAL mentioned in the USA Today.
- University of California - Irvine
- Rutgers University
- University of Texas - Austin
- Idaho State
- Southeastern Louisiana
- University of Texas - San Antonio
- Washington University
- University of Wisconsin
- Indiana University
- University of Minnesota - St. Cloud
2. CPAC 2009 - February 26-28, 2009
- Volunteers: 200
- Attendees at Ron Paul speech: 500+
- Newsweek took note of YAL's and Campaign for Liberty's presence
3. Tax Day Tea Party - April 15, 2009
April 15th, Tax Day, motivated thousands of TEA party activists to rally against taxes, bailouts, and government spending. YAL led the student effort and took to the campuses and city hall. To organize students and groups, YAL created the website TaxDayCoalition.com. Thousands of activists signed up and protested across the country.
Check out the videos from YAL chapters:
YAL @ Indiana University Tea Party
YAL @ UW Tax Day Documentary
Top stories from YAL Tax Day Protest:
- Devon Minnema is truly a young American for liberty. Read about the 13 year old's Tax Day protest experience here.
- Binghamton YAL took special aim on NY Governor Paterson's proposed "obesity tax." He backed down less than a month later.
- Wake Forest YAL taking over campus.
- YAL @ St. Cloud tabling on campus.
- YAL @ University of Washington.
- Nashua High School YAL proves that not all youth are apathetic.
YAL @ University of Wisconsin - Madison
YAL @ Wake Forest University
4. Constitution Day - September 17, 2009
Constitution Day was Thursday, September 17, 2009. Thanks to your investment, YAL chapters distributed custom-designed pocket Constitutions, hosted speakers, and spread the Constitutional message on campuses across the country.
48 boxes filled with YAL Pocket Constitutions were mailed to every YAL chapter participating in the day’s events.
The beautifully designed pocket Constitutions were created with your support. Every copy included a foreword by Congressman Ron Paul, the Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Confederation.
Constitution Day was our largest national event to date!
Here are a few of photos from YAL chapters on Constitution Day:
Here are a few videos from YAL chapters:
University of Wisconsin - Madison tables on campus
Rutgers University activism on Constitution Day
Indiana University Call Out Meeting before Constitution Day
Here is a listing of more YAL chapter that participated in Constitution Day [via Campus Reform]:
- Indiana University. IU Young Americans for Liberty passed out Constitutions to students and had an "Unconstitutional Guerilla Gorilla" steal the constitutions back. Video of call out meeting before Constitution Day.
- Quinnipiac University. The Young Americans for Liberty chapter, Quinnipiac Libertarians, gathered students together to sign their 1st Amendment Rights away in order to receive free lunch at an event titled “Free Food, Not Free Speech.”
- Arizona State University. ASU Young Americans for Liberty hosted a speaker, Nick Dranias, the Director of Center for Constitutional Government at the Goldwater Institute, and handed out Constitutions who spoke on the 10th Amendment.
- University of New Hampshire. UNH Young Americans for Liberty's “Constitutional Experience Board” provided students an outlet to list thoughts of the Constitution and Bill of Rights and any experiences they have had of liberties being violated. Complementary Constitutions were also handed out.
- California State University-Fullerton. CSUF Young Americans for Liberty will be hosting speaker, Dr. John Eastman, Dean of Chapman University School of Law and handing out Constitutions. Due to scheduling conflicts, the event will be held next week.
- Eastern Michigan University. EMU Young Americans for Liberty handed out Constitutions and conducted Patriotic Street Theater.
- Marquette University. MU Young Americans for Liberty tabled and handed out Constitutions to students. Click here to see their video.
- Michigan State University. MSU Young Americans for Liberty passed out Constitutions to students.
- Purdue University. Purdue Young Americans for Liberty hosted a student debate, called “Freedom Forum.”
- Rutgers University. RU Young Americans for Liberty wrote the Constitution out on the sidewalk, gave Constitutions to students, and quizzed students over the Bill of Rights.
- Southern Polytechnic State University. SPSU Young Americans for Liberty handed out fliers and discussed Constitutional principles with students.
- State University of New York College at Buffalo. SUNYB Young Americans for Liberty tabled on campus and passed out Constitutions to students.
- Texas State University. TSU Young Americans for Liberty - Distributed fliers and Constitutions to students.
- University of Houston. UH Young Americans for Liberty tabled and handed out Constitutions to students.
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. UIUC Young Americans for Liberty handed out fliers and Constitutions to students.
- University of North Carolina-Wilmington. UNCW Young Americans for Liberty tabled and handed out Constitutions to students. Click here to see their video.
- University of Rhode Island. URI Young Americans for Liberty provided students a mock-situation to teach them their rights as a driver and a pedestrian in a police situation; in addition, they handed out complimentary Constitutions to students.
- University of Southern California. USC Young Americans for Liberty handed out Constitutions to students.
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. UWSP Young Americans for Liberty handed out pocket Constitutions out every day last week and engaged their classmates through open discussions about the loss of our freedoms in this nation.
- Washington University. WashU Young Americans for Liberty provided students complimentary Constitutions and answered questions pertaining to liberty and the Constitution.
- Western Carolina University. WCU Young Americans for Liberty held a panel discussion at the university and gave complimentary Constitutions to students.
- University of Wisconsin-Madison. UWM Young Americans for Liberty tabled, chalked sidewalks with Constitutional phrases, and handed out Constitutions to students. Video of Constitution Day activities.
Restoring the U.S. government to its constitutional restraints is what this country needs. On September 17th, YALchapters brought the Constitution back to campus and educated thousands.
5. 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall - November 9, 2009
On November 9th, 18 YAL chapters participated in a national day of activism to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Across the country students asked, "Are we rebuilding the wall... In America?" and protested our country's steady slide towards statism.
Thanks to the generous support from over 60 contributors, YAL chapters received $100 activism grants to build a wall on their campus.
As a result, this event earned more media coverage than any other to date! Over 40 news stories from newspapers, television outlets, blogs, and radio stations covered YAL chapters.
Pictures from the day's events can be found by visiting our Flickr page here.
We also awarded the three YAL chapters with prizes as a result of their activism:
- First place received a $500 activism grant for a future event, and the winner is the YAL chapter at Washington University in St. Louis.
- Second place received 3 signed copies of Ron Paul's Audit the Fed, and it was a tie between YAL at St. Cloud State University and Indiana University at Kokomo.
YAL at Wash U built a soviet-style gulag in the middle of campus to demonstrate the dark-side of communism. It didn't take long before the university administration shut them down because they didn't have "approved tools." Unbelievable!
Listen to Jonathon's firsthand account of the administration's actions in the video below. These are the battles YAL chapters face every day:
Due to the administration's actions, the local media was all over their story. Even investigative video journalist James O'Keefe of recent ACCORN fame, covered the gulag at Wash U.
St. Cloud State University [YouTube Video]
Indiana University at Kokomo [Youtube Video]
Wichita State University [YouTube Video]
Clemson University
Rutgers University
Case Western Reserve University [Youtube Video]
University of California - San Marcos [Youtube Video]
Thanks again to the YAL chapters and donors that made this event a success. Your actions and support keep the liberty message strong and growing amongst America's youth. No longer does the Left have a monopoly of ideas on campuses.
6. End the FED
In October, 15 YAL and C4L members dropped off 160,000 petitions on Capitol Hill urging Members of Congress to sign on to Ron Paul's Audit the Fed bill. It has worked! Currently, there are 317 Members co-sponsoring the bill and it has already been approved in committee.
YAL Interns dropping off 160,000 signed petitions on Capitol Hill
Keep contacting your representatives and tell them to cosponsor the bill. If they have already cosponsered the bill ask them to push it to a roll call vote.
Find your representatives here.
Additionally, YAL chapters are educating their peers about the dangers of the Federal Reserve and informing them about our effort to pass HR 1207. Here are a few stories from the front lines:
- Wake Forest YAL protested at the regional Federal Reserve branch, and used a time-honored campaign tactic called a Burma Shave.
- Arlington High School YAL distributed anti-Fed podcasts with economist and author Robert Murphy, as well as Mises Institute Senior Fellow Tom Woods.
The YAL chapter at Case Western Reserve University takes on the Fed.
7. Individual YAL Chapter Highlights
YAL strives to develop youth activists into the leaders of tomorrow. In addition to the National Days of Activism, many YAL chapters took the intiative to address local issues and promote the Constitution in their own way. Here is a small sample of the countless stories from YAL chapters:
- Jared Fuller at Wake Forest explains “Freedom Fridays” to the YAL members
- Ohio State YAL enters video contest on campus
- Quinnipiac YAL hosts Will Creeley of FIRE
- YAL members in NY protest proposed soda tax
- Jonah Kinley mowing for liberty
- YAL members lobby state reps to support state sovereignty bills
- Gadsden Flag week on Facebook
- Get Tom on TV
- UWisc Madison YAL questions representative at town hall
- UNH YAL hosts screening of “For Liberty”
- UWisc Madison YAL hosts screening of “For Liberty”
- UW Seattle YAL’s Obama report card
- UCSD YAL protest Nancy Pelosi
- Dixon HS YAL creates posters to announce meeting
- Indiana University YAL hosts candlelight vigil for the dying dollar
- WFU YAL passes out national debt water bottles to incoming freshmen
- OSU YAL protests inflation and government spending
- University Wisconsin - Madison YAL educates students about the national debt
- Faulkner University YAL hosts a healthcare forum
- UNH YAL hosts anti-war display
II. Ron Paul & Tom Woods on Campus
1. Ron Paul at Wake Forest University
The YAL Chapter at Wake Forest University hosted Congressman Ron Paul at Wait Chapel on April 20, 2009. Congressman Paul spoke to a packed auditorium of 1,300 students and supporters.
The Winston-Salem Journal covered the event and YAL filmed a video of all the behind the scenes action.
2. Student Town Hall w/ Rep. Ron Paul and Rep. Michele Bachmann
The YAL Chapter at the University of Minnesota held a Student Town Hall at Northrop Auditorium on September 25, 2009. Over 2,200 students and supporters were in attendance and all the major local media outlets covered the event.
Watch the entire event at the YAL YouTube Channel.
3. Ron Paul at the University of South Carolina
Following Lindsey Grahman's comments suggesting "the Repulican Party is not the Ron Paul party", over 1,500 students and supporters came out to the University of South Carolina to hear Congressman Paul speak.
Congressman Paul's speech was titled "The Politics of Tolerance". You can watch it here:
4. Ron Paul at Iowa State University
The YAL Chapter at Iowa State University and the Iowa Campaign for Liberty hosted Congressman Ron Paul's first trip back to Iowa since his presidential campaign. The turnout was more than expected! Over 1,100 students and supportes packed the auditorium and overflow room.
Watch Congressman Paul's speach here:
5. Ron Paul at Arizona State University
The YAL Chapter at Arizona State University hosted Congresman Ron Paul on December 4, 2009. Over 2,000 students and supporters attended the event. The local media was sure to cover the story.
More pictures are available here.
6. Tom Woods at the University of New Hampshire
Author, American historian, and Senior Fellow at the Mises Institute, Tom Woods, spoke at the University of New Hampshire along with Scott Horton as part of YAL @ UNH's Revolution Week on campus.
You can watch the event here:
III. Training
1. 2009 YAL National Convention
The first annual YAL National Convention held in Arlington, VA, July 30 - August 2, brought together the top youth activists in the country to train in campus activism and campaign management.
A FULL REPORT of the 2009 YAL National Convention can be found here.
Here are a few of the accomplishments from six of the attendees.
As part of the YAL National Convention, attendees collected signatures to petition Congress and stop national healthcare. It didn't take long until the SWAT team arrived to put a stop to our freedom of speech.
2. Youth Leadership School
YAL Chapters are encouraged to host and/or attend a Youth Leadership School. Every weekend the Leadership Institute travels to a different campus in the country training youth activists the nuts and bolts of politics.
In 2009, over 100 YAL members attended a Youth Leadership School. Travel scholarships were awarded to top activists to cover their transportation expenses.
3. Campaign for Liberty Regional Conferences
YAL's sister organization, Campaign for Liberty, held Regional Conferences feature top-flight philosophical and political training. YAL’s donors provided student scholarship for many of these students to attend.
Ron Paul with the Ole Miss YAL chapter at the Missouri Regional Conference
IV. Young American Revolution
Young American Revolution (YAR), the official publication of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), is the premier publication for young libertarians, conservatives, and anti-statists of all stripes.
Each issue contains the best political, cultural, and economic writing by a rising generation of young Americans fighting the welfare-warfare state -- alongside essays and reviews by seasoned veterans of the liberty movement.
YAL understands the importance of spreading this powerful message and recognizes the opportunity for success is now. A publication written to educate and train an audience of future leaders and opinion makers is essential to our cause.
In its first year, the magazine has featured interviews with Rep. Ron Paul and Judge Andrew Napolitano, as well as essays by Thomas E. Woods Jr., Glenn Jacobs, former Rep. John Hostettler, Justin Raimondo, Jack Hunter, and other leading pro-liberty voices. Young American Revolution is edited by Daniel McCarthy, former Internet communications coordinator for the Ron Paul 2008 presidential campaign and senior editor of The American Conservative.
Please subscribe to Young American Revolution by supporting YAL with a $50 donation or joining YAL as a dues paying member.
Issue #1
YAR Cover #1:
Exclusive Interview with Congressman Ron Paul:
Featured Articles
End of Big Gov't Conservatism by W. James Antle III
Battle for America's Youth by Daniel McCarthy
God is Antiwar by George Hawley
Buchanan was Right by Jack Hunter
Where have the Peacenicks Gone? by John W. Payne
Profiles in Liberty by Trent Hill
America's First Dr. No by Dylan Hales
Don't Blame the Market by Thomas E. Woods, Jr.
Issue #2
YAR #2 Cover:
Featured Articles:
The New Left was Right by Dylan Hales
Enemy of the State by Kelse Moen
The Trouble with Burke by George Hawley
We Don't Need Another Hero by Franklin Harris
History Lesson by Gregory L. Schneider
Who Owns You? by David Gordon
Conserving the Constitution by Mark Nugent
Issue #3
YAR #3 Cover:
Featured Articles
Anarchist's Playbook by W. James Antle III
Racism, Roe, and Natural Law by Bonnie Kristian
Ayn Rand Lives by Justin Raimondo
Edmund Burke, Our Prophet by Kelse Moen
Issue #4
YAR #4 Cover:
Featured Articles:
Marxist America by George Hawley
Blueprint for Revolution by Steve Bierfeldt
A Life on the Right by Karen De Coster
Hollywood at War by John W. Payne
Obama's Bad Medicine by Rand Paul
The Power of Fusionism by Donald Devine
V. Young Americans for Liberty Staff
It is with your support, YAL is able to hire full-time employees, part-time staff, and interns. YAL started with $25,000 in seed money from the Campaign for Liberty and a volunteer staff of four. Jeff Frazee, Chris Robertson, Jeff Hubbard, and Tim Schumann rented a home in Arlington, VA to continue the youth R3volution.
Since then, your support afforded YAL the opportunity to open an official office and hire two full-time employees, five part-time staffers, and seven interns.
A full list of YAL's staff can be found at the organizational structure page.
VI. Conclusion
In 2009, Young Americans for Liberty proved the youth movement inspired by the Ron Paul 2008 campaign is here to stay. Over 150 active and forming YAL chapters sprouted up on high school and college campuses across the country last year and thousands of young people joined YAL.
This End of the Year Report summerizes YAL's major events and reflects back on its first year in operation.
Most importantly, please know that none of these accomplishments would have been possibile without your generousity. These are the fruits are your support. YAL is building a sustainable youth movement for liberty that is committed to restoring the American Republic.
This upcoming year is an election year and has great promise. With your continued support, there is no doubt YAL will stomp out statism on campus and in Washington, DC.
To conclude, I've included an email I received from a YAL member earlier this year. This is just one of the many members whose lives have been transformed by YAL.
I want to thank every one of you who has recently helped the YAL MTSU chapter. This little email cannot come close to expressing the gratitude and respect I have for LI [Leadership Institute] and YAL.
The past weekend at the YLS [Youth Leadership School] was invaluable. The training and ideas we received are getting put to use right now – our new Faculty Advisor is going to submit a press release in the school newspaper announcing YAL MTSU! I’ll send you guys a copy.
Because of the avalanche of books you all have been giving us, we are going to start our own YAL Library! Collectively (dare I use that word?! ha!) we now have over 20 books and plan to make them available to all members . When I work out the details on that I’ll let you know in case it turns out to be something other groups could benefit from.
Jeff and Ed, the YAL Pocket Constitutions look amazing. I think they are the best looking out of all of the different ones.
I look forward to visiting the HQs in Arlington sometime soon.
Social Networks for YAL