BY JACK WILLEY AND TOM ALTER

This column is written and edited by the Young Socialists (YS), an international organization of young workers, students, and other youth fighting for socialism. For more information about the YS write to: Young Socialists, P.O. Box 14392, St. Paul, MN 55114. Tel: (612) 644-0051. Compuserve: 105162,605

ST. PAUL, Minnesota - With six people recruited this week, Young Socialists members are confident that the goal of recruiting 80 new members to the socialist youth organization by December 1 is within reach. With just over one week to go, YSers are getting ready for the Regional Socialist Educational Conferences to be held in four different cities across the U.S. November 29-December 1. This coincides with the deadline to collect $6,000 for the YS National Fund Drive.

Following are reports from YS members across the country who are fighting to make the recruitment goal, raise money for the fund drive and get as many supporters as possible to the regional conferences:

* Stefanie Trice spoke to a dozen students November 11 at Drew University on the topic, "Socialism and Feminism." The event was sponsored by Drew's Women's Concerns organization, which gave $50 honoraria. The Newark YS is putting this toward their fund goal.

Participants discussed where sexism comes from, class society and the role of the family and religion. Coming out of the meeting, two young women plan to attend the socialist conference in Washington, D.C.

* Vanessa Knapton, from the Los Angeles chapter, reports that the newest YS member in Los Angeles was recruited through campaigning with the socialist candidates at the University of California in Los Angeles. The chapter has also been going to Riverside, where a YS member lives.

"Having weekly chapter meetings has made a big difference," she reports. "We have chapter meetings every Wednesday where we plan what we're going to do the following week. We've understood the importance of these meetings; this is where we make our decisions. We have educationals at every meeting and a regular class series where we invite other young people," Knapton added.

The Los Angeles chapter raised $54 through a raffle of a Che Guevara T-shirt and a T-shirt from the October 12 immigrant rights march in Washington D.C. They are working with three people in nearby Pomona to set up a video showing as part of building for the educational conference in San Francisco. On November 20, the chapter is holding a class on Che Guevara. In addition, a dinner for socialists and contacts is taking place to raise money for the YS fund drive and build for the conference.

* The YS in Miami has raised their local fund drive goal from $100 to $200. A member of the YS there, reports that 16 YS T-shirts with a picture of Che Guevara were sold at the October 12 immigrant rights march in Washington D.C.

"We're now collecting pledges from YS members and supporters," she said.

* Rebecca Arenson, member of the Philadelphia chapter, reports that $60 was raised through selling raffle tickets at a Militant Labor Forum. One of the members of the Philadelphia chapter took raffle tickets to sell at his high-school. The chapter there is raffling a copy of New International no. 8, with articles on "Che Guevara and the Road to Socialism," and a Pathfinder Readers Club membership, among other prizes.

The chapter is also building the regional educational conference in Washington D.C. "We're calling people that we met when James Harris, the socialist presidential candidate toured here," she said.

* The newly formed YS chapter in Athens, Georgia, is setting up tables in downtown Athens leading up to the conference in Atlanta. They are also holding classes, starting with Marxism and Terrorism.

For more information on the regional socialist educational conferences contact the Young Socialists at: 612-644-0051. Please send contributions towards the YS fund drive to: Young Socialists, PO Box 14392, St. Paul, MN, 55114. 60 new members in the YS!
From July 10 to November 16 City # of new members
======================================

Athens, GA 3

Atlanta 4

Boston 1

Chicago 2

Cleveland 2

Denver 2

Detroit 2

Fresno, CA 3

Houston 3

Los Angeles 6

McAllen, TX 1

Minneapolis/St. Paul 2

Morgantown 1

Muncie, IN 1

Newark 3

New York 3

Philadelphia 1

Portland, OR 1

Salt Lake City 3

San Diego 1

San Francisco 5

Seattle 2

Spokane, WA 5

Washington, D.C. 3

TOTAL 60  
 
 
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