BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer
The Running and Winning Committee is composed of members of several county organizations. TINTON FALLS – – Although women make up 51 percent of the population of this country and have had the right to vote for the past 86 years, they still hold only a small percentage of elected positions.
One very hopeful sign is that for the first time in the history of Monmouth County, women are in the majority on the five-seat Board of Freeholders.
In order to promote greater participation by young women, local women’s organizations have joined together to hold a program for high school girls that will educate young women about what it takes to be a political official.
Barbara Goldstein, co-chair of the committee that has worked for almost a year to put the program together, said it is an attempt to increase the number of women holding office in all areas of government and to stimulate self-confidence and interest in the political process among young women.
The organizations involved include the Greater Red Bank Area League of Women Voters, the Red Bank Chapter of Hadassah, the Northern Monmouth Branch of the American Association of University Women, the Junior League of Monmouth County and the State Public Affairs Committee of the Junior Leagues of New Jersey. They have joined together to sponsor, plan and provide volunteers for this interactive leadership workshop called “Running & Winning” on Friday, May 4, from 8 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. at Monmouth Regional High School, Tinton Falls.
“This event, which is a first for Monmouth County, will hopefully become the prototype for similar events in the future that will help young women to see politics as an attractive and possible career goal,” said Goldstein, who is a League of Women Voters member.
She explained that 60 high school junior girls representing 10 local school districts have been invited to attend the unique event. The students will have opportunities to network, to develop decision-making skills, gain self confidence, to interview and to be mentored by women in government, while learning about some of the intricacies of the political process.
Under the direction of trained facilitators, they will also craft a mini-campaign to be a congresswoman, choose a position on an issue presented to them, develop publicity materials and write and deliver a candidate’s speech. Each student will receive a certificate of participation at the conclusion of the event and will have been encouraged to assume leadership roles in their schools, communities and political areas.
Goldstein said that she had heard about programs like this and thought it was a wonderful idea, but it took a while to pull it together and it took almost a whole year to coordinate.
“We were able to pull together this great group or organizations and a committee of a dozen people,” she said. “When I wanted to pull this off a couple of years ago, I thought it would take a few months. Hopefully, it will be a bit easier next year.”
She explained that the idea for this kind of event originated in the towns of Camden and Mountainside. “We were very fortunate. because we didn’t originate it. Camden put together a wonderful handbook. Mountainside as well as Camden are doing it again this year.
“Camden is in its fourth or fifth year,” she said, adding that people from both towns came to their committee meeting.
“We were able to pick their brains and see the material that they used,” she added.
Goldstein explained that they decided that 60 participants was a good number and that all of the towns in the area should be included.
“We reached out to 10 high schools in the area that we cover, public and vocational schools. They all indicated interest so we asked that each public school send six students and each vocational student, because they are smaller, send one student.
“It’s a chance for the girls to meet peers from other schools,” Goldstein said.
While they were looking for students to participate, they also needed to find a host school. Former Tinton Falls mayor Ann McNamara, who is also on the committee, recommended that they contact Monmouth Regional High School because that facility would be able to accommodate the program.
Monmouth Regional agreed and they found a date that did not coincide with anything else going on at the school that day, Goldstein said.
She noted that in addition to donating the facilities, the administration offered the services of the photography club.
“They are going to video the event and take pictures of every one of the girls participating in the program. We are going to have a large picture of a capitol building in the background and put the girls’ pictures on it like they were actually congress people,” Goldstein said.
Since school will be in session, organizers had to work out the problem of overflow parking and arranged to use a shuttle bus from the parking lot at the Sycamore Avenue Soccer Complex.
Goldstein said they are still looking for women in politics who can attend the conference.
“We need 15 people from state, county and local government, as well school boards. We haven’t firmed them up yet,” she said.
Thanks to the generosity of the Northern Monmouth Branch of the American Association of University Women, Commerce Bank, Valley National Bank, The Gourmet Picnic, East Coast Printer, Focus World International, Amerprise Financial, Elder Life Management, Birdsall Service Group, Monmouth Regional and others, this workshop is being offered free and will include student notebooks, breakfast and lunch.
For additional information, call Goldstein at (732) 747-0824.