Town Meeting DVDs

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Town Meeting DVDs

The Massachusetts Moderators Association has produced and makes available two educational DVDs to encourage voters to participate in their town meetings across Massachusetts. One DVD entitled Town Meeting and You describes the experiences of voters in open town meetings. It helps to familiarize those who have not previously attended town meeting with the key elements of this form of local government, and it serves as a refresher for those who have.

The second DVD entitled Voice of the People: The Representative Town Meeting includes some of the same content, since, in many respects, open and representative town meetings operate in similar fashion. The DVD describes, in addition, the role of town meeting members who are elected by the voters in each precinct to represent them and vote on their behalf on all matters decided by town meeting.

Each DVD is narrated by NECN's R.D. Sahl and includes comments from a number of voters on why they participate and why others should participate in their town meetings.

Praise for - Town Meeting and You "... a most informative and professional video ... Town Meeting and You is an excellent layman's description of the equalitarian open town meeting, its procedures including voter addition of articles to the warrant, and the importance of voter participation in the decision-making deliberative process."
	Joseph F. Zimmerman Professor of Political Science University at Albany, State University of New York Author of The New England Town Meeting - Democracy in Action

Through the assistance of several moderators, the DVDs include scenes from a number of vintage and recent town meetings, along with current substantive and procedural information presented by three moderators about various aspects of town meeting, including the warrant, the role of the moderator at town meeting, and the most common motions available for use at town meeting. Each DVD runs for approximately thirty minutes. Copies of the DVDs can be purchased from the Massachusetts Moderators Association at $10.00 each, or three for $25.00. Download and print an order form. Complete the order form with your shipping address. Include a check, payable to the Massachusetts Moderators Association. There is no charge for shipping and handling. Write to:
	Massachusetts Moderators Association c/o Alan E. Foulds 9 Ide Street Reading, MA 01867-2753
To make inquiries about your order, telephone Alan Foulds at 781-942-0129 or send email to alanfoulds@verizon.net.