Year in Review

Dear friends,
On the eve of a new year, it’s a time for both reflection and planning. It’s a time for look at achievements, and to set new goals. It’s a time to look back on the successes we have had, as well as look forward to our plans for the new year.
This past year has been amazing and inspiring as together we formed the first South Dakota Young Democrats state chapter in decades. The spring months were spent recruiting members all over the state, holding our first elections, and attending McGovern Day, where I had the opportunity to mc the dinner.
Summer was spent continuing to grow our membership, beginning to build local chapters, officially chartering our state chapter with the national organization, fundraising, and attending the Young Democrats of America National Convention. We were able to raise money to fully pay for 5 people to attend the convention, where we helped elect a new outstanding leadership team, as well as attended trainings. We also worked to get important issues on the national platform such as reform for IHS, and the need for accessible polling locations on college campuses, rural communities, and reservations. Because we raised awareness about the need for Native outreach, the Minority Caucus added an appointed position for this purpose.
In the fall, we had a series of calls on different progressive issues with allied organizations. We identified our top issues, and built our issue advocacy plan for the coming months. We had an outstanding meeting at the Black Hills Pow Wow that included a conference call with Young Democrats of America Executive Vice President Rod Snyder, where we talked about many important issues including the unjust voting conditions on reservations. We also worked with the SDDP as they revised their constitution, to include a seat on the executive board for the president of the South Dakota Young Democrats.
The fall also included a November trip to New Orleans for the fall YDA conference. It was attended by Edie Renner, our national committeewoman, Michael Pyle, our national committeeman, and myself. A highlight for me, was getting elected as the first ever woman, and the first ever South Dakotan to be chair of the Young Democrats of America State Presidents Association. With this, I gained a seat on the YDA executive committee.
Winter included a kick-off training event in Sioux Falls for our partnership with OFA. We had holiday parties in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Aberdeen. Just recently, the Rapid City Young Dems took a strong stance in the face of opposition, RCAS worked on revising their non-discrimination policy.
Looking ahead, we have lots of work to do. We will continue with issue advocacy, put together our campaign plan for 2010, build and solidify chapters, fundraise, and most importantly, continue to build a community of progressive young people in our state. In order to do this, we need more dynamic young leaders, more members willing to face opposition, and additional time and energy invested in our common goals. We need to be strong, we need to be united, and we need to work hard. The past year, has been dynamic, and inspiring to see how we can come together. The year ahead can only get better from here.
Sincerely,
Kristin Aschenbrenner
President of the South Dakota Young Democrats
630-204-1423
sdyoungdemocrats@gmail.com