BY MEG NOVAK
CHICAGO - On May 15, the Young Socialists launched a national fund drive, with a goal of raising $4,200 in the next six weeks. Money raised through the fund drive will be used for basic expenses the Young Socialists incur through functioning as a centralized national organization, such as travel to political events and conferences, and phone and fax expenses for the national office.

Chapters around the country met and discussed the fund drive, and adopted goals based on pledges from members and reaching out to a broader number of supporters of the Young Socialists with fund-raising events. Goals in chapters were set based on raising roughly half of the money through pledges by members.

By May 15, Young Socialists from 11 cities sent in goals for the fund drive, totaling $3,675 (see chart). YS members will use their weekly chapters to review the fund drive and map out plans on how to reach their goals. They will send in weekly reports on fund-raising efforts to the YS National Office - which has just moved to Chicago - along with the money raised.

Young Socialists in New York plan to ask for honoraria to speak on local college campuses. In Des Moines, the chapter is selling raffle tickets for a donated set of the Collected Works of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels on YS tables and plan on selling them to their co-workers on the job.

Young Socialists in Morgantown, West Virginia, are kicking off the drive at a local Socialist Educational Weekend, hosted by the YS and Socialist Workers Party, on May 24-25. The Houston chapter adopted a goal of $600, largely made possible by YS members making sizable pledges. They plan on having a raffle and a fund drive party to help reach their target.

The fund drive will enable the Young Socialists to continue to reach out to young fighters in the U.S. and around the world who are attracted to revolutionary politics. The money raised through the fund drive makes it possible for Young Socialists to participate in conferences and protest actions on women's liberation, immigration rights and other political events. It also helps make it possible for the YS to maintain three full-time organizers.  
 
 
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