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Ten Steps to a Local or State IYC Proclamation

Elected officials, civic groups or business organizations may be willing to sponsor an official proclamation or resolution recognizing 2011 as your city’s or state’s “Year of Chemistry.” Arranging such a proclamation or resolution creates an opportunity to network with government officials and key community groups. In addition, resolutions and proclamations create opportunities for positive media coverage.

Identify Your Target Organization(s)

Identify the local or state political organizations you wish to approach. This may include the town or county council, mayor’s office, state legislature or governor’s office. Feel free to send the request to organizations at different levels of government.
Determine the Best Point of Contact

In some cases, this may be the elected official (a county council member or a state representative, for example). In other instances, it might be a staff member. For civic groups, it usually is the president or executive director (if there is a paid staff).

The best way to identify your point of contact is to call the office of a prospective official or organization, tell them what you seek, and ask for the correct way to proceed.
Send a Letter of Request to an Official at Each Governmental Organization or Civic Group Selected

The letter of request should clearly explain what you are seeking and why it is important to the official’s constituency or the organizations. Be sure to use the right form of address and correct postal information. (If you are unsure, ask the office of the official for the key details.)

We recommend using traditional mail, but if you choose email, please inquire if your recipient’s mail service can accept attachments (such as the proclamation). If not, include the proclamation in the body of the email, following the actual request.

Here is a draft letter to a public official requesting a proclamation. (This letter can be modified to approach civic or business groups as well.) Be sure to send it on your section or chapter’s letterhead, and include the IYC 2011 logo (for information on use of the logo, visit the official IYC 2011 website, www.chemistry2011.org/assets/39/Logo-Guidelines_090713.pdf.)
(Date)
The Honorable [name and title]
[Official address]
[City, State and zip]

Dear [official’s name]:

The U.N. General Assembly has declared 2011 the “International Year of Chemistry,” a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humankind. Under the unifying theme “Chemistry—our life, our future,” the goals of the International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) are to increase the public appreciation of chemistry in meeting critical needs, encourage interest in chemistry and chemical engineering among young people, and generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry.

In the U.S., chemistry is a nearly $700 billion business that employs up to 850,000 people, touches more than 96 percent of all US manufactured goods, invests $48 billion in research and development each year, and generates nearly 11 percent of all U.S. patents. (Insert state data from ACC website as appropriate.) The American Chemical Society has more than 160,000 members and 189 sections. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers has more than 40,000 members in 110 sections, including (city or state).

On behalf of [organization], our members, and the thousands of citizens in our [city or state] who work in or depend on the business of chemistry, I am asking you to consider sponsoring a [mayoral, council, legislative, gubernatorial, etc.] proclamation designating 2011 as the “[name of city or state] Year of Chemistry” to coincide with the IYC. In this way, [city or state] will recognize the vital contributions of chemistry and chemical engineering and help encourage our young people to seek careers in these important fields. I have attached a draft proclamation for your review and consideration.

Thank you for your attention to this request. I look forward to hearing from you soon and can be reached at [telephone number] or [email address].

Sincerely,
[name], [title], [organization]
cc: your members/employees; other JTF organizations
Be Sure to Include a Sample Proclamation

Government officials often appreciate seeing an example of what you are requesting because it makes their efforts easier. Feel free to use or modify the following sample proclamation:
Whereas the United Nations General Assembly has declared the year 2011 to be the “International Year of Chemistry” to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Madame Marie Curie; and

Whereas the theme of the International Year of Chemistry is “Chemistry—our life, our future;” and

Whereas, the International Year of Chemistry – 2011 will:
• Improve public understanding and appreciation of chemistry and chemical engineering and their roles in contributing to solutions to global challenges;
• Enhance international cooperation by serving as a focal point or information source for activities by national chemical science and engineering societies, educational institutions, industry, governmental and non-governmental organizations;
• Inspire students to study the “science of matter” to help address global public health, energy, environmental and other technological issues; and

Whereas, the men and women engaged in all aspects of chemistry and chemical engineering in [name of city, state] make essential contributions to our [community’s, state’s] health, agriculture, economy and environmental well-being; and

Whereas, innovations in chemistry and chemical engineering have made and will continue to make crucial contributions to a sustainable future by addressing challenges to society such as water treatment, renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and conservation, recycling, medicine and medical devices, communications, information technology and more; and

Whereas, we wish to encourage our young people, including young women, to study chemistry and chemical engineering and join those who put chemistry to work for society;

Now, therefore, be it resolved, that _____________________ , does hereby designate the year 2011 as the “[city, state, organization] Year of Chemistry” in recognition of the crucial contributions made by the hundreds of thousands of men and women who study and teach chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry and the other chemical disciplines and produce, transport and utilize the chemicals upon which all Americans depend.
Follow-up with a Call or Meeting

Now that you’ve sent the letter to the local or state official or civic group, please wait a day or two (a bit longer for traditional mail) before you call your contacts to encourage them to take action.

You may wish to schedule a meeting that both encourages the recipient to take action and demonstrates support for the resolution. So, consider if you should bring a representative from other groups supporting IYC 2011 – ACS, ACC or others.

In any case, when you follow-up, please tell the official you need a firm yes or no response by a certain date. This will allow you to plan your approach to other officials and organizations.

You should avoid getting caught in a web of indecision if possible. Therefore, once your officials have reached the deadline you’ve set, give them a final call reminding them of the deadline. If there is still no decision, you may conclude that you’ve received a negative decision. So move on to your next official.

Repeat as often as necessary.
Alert Your National Organization

Once an official agrees to support or issue a proclamation, alert your national organization and follow their advice about planning a celebration and issuing a news release. (See “Ten Steps to IYC Media Relations” for additional guidance.)
Alert Your Membership

Be sure to inform your members about your success. Through email, your website, newsletters or whatever communication you normally use, make them aware that others have embraced the IYC, and encourage members to thank those who’ve supported you.
Plan a Signing Ceremony or Other Celebration

If you will receive a proclamation from a governmental body or a civic group, a signing ceremony or other event might be an excellent vehicle to highlight the IYC. Such an event should include participation by your members and others who share an interest in IYC.

Begin by letting your contact know you’d like to have a ceremony and then ask how they typically handle such activity. Take your cues from them.
Issue a News Release

Even if your contact’s organization issues a news release, it is both appropriate and beneficial for your organization to issue one as well. (See #6, above.) Coordinate activity with your contact’s office.
Send “Thank You” Notes

Be sure to thank everyone who helped obtain the proclamations. A personal thank you note is still the best way to let people know you appreciated their efforts.