Word: memberships
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...three presidential candidates in tonight's elections agree with Kelman--Young Dems, the largest political organization on campus, "seems to have fallen apart," as one candidate put it. The problem is not getting members--although membership did decline over a third this year. Instead the problem is what to do with the masses who sign up each year. Most of them are attracted by the list of big-name speakers traditionally offered. And it is just this tradition that has led to the eventual decline of the club, one critic postulated...
...fundamental problem seems to be the Young Dems' failure to offer a coherent political ideology to its membership. Elliott Abrams '69, a candidate for president, has said, "An overwhelming majority of the members I've talked to haven't done any serious thinking about what it means to be a Democrat. They join because they think they're liberals, or because their parents are. It's Young Dems' job to help them articulate and act on a Liberal Democratic Ideology...
...members completely free to formulate activities, but "there is scant initiative, to put it mildly," he said. "What is needed is a breakdown of the Executive Committee into smaller groups responsible for activities, consistent policy statements, and cooperation with the state and national party. We have to reach the membership, perhaps through frequent referenda and a newsletter presenting experts' views on national issues as well as rehashes of campus meetings and speakers," he said. "Such a program might overcome much of the wishy-washy thinking now dominant among members...
Within the University, however, it's a question of building respect and influence, not maintaining it. The large drop in membership, coupled with the fact that a third of the Executive Committee resigned this year, is indicative of the trend for activists to seeks SDS or the Young People's Socialist League even though they may not fully support their policies. There is little alternative for political action at Harvard. And those who join Young Dems with the vague hope that it will arouse them from their political apathy soon retreat to the comfort of their books...
...tournament is open to any full time student, and ACBL membership is not required. Fine teams from Texas, Maryland, Toronto, and Columbia will be returning to participate this year...