Mike’s Quick and Dirty Tea Party To-Do List:

1. Pick a time and a place for your Tea Party.

1. We are fortunate to be planning an event that falls on a Sunday. This should greatly increase turnout, but at least one thing must be kept in mind. Many people attend church services on Sunday morning so your event should start no earlier than noon.
2. It should probably last no more than two or three hours. This is a balancing act between those who don’t wish to spend a great deal of time at the event, and more total attendance as participants come and go throughout the day. It’s your call.
3. Your location will need an available wired or wireless internet connection for this event. (No duh!) That is, unless you’re fortunate enough to have a volunteer with a cellular internet access-equipped laptop, or some such. I’d recommend one computer per 40-50 expected participants, but having at least two means you won’t be shut down due to the malfunction of your only computer.
4. It would certainly be desirable to have an electric outlet available as well.

2. Promote the event to supporters and the news media.

1. If you a doing this through a MeetUp group the first part is a natural, although you should also try to locate Ron Paul supporters outside your group as well. This event could be great recruiting tool.
2. Writing a press release is beyond the scope this list, but I suggest mailing/faxing/emailing one to as many news media contacts as you can locate 6 days prior (December 10), and three days prior (December 13) to December 16^th. It’s also a good idea to make reminder phone calls early on the morning of the event.
3. Designate a spokesman/contact (or two), including (cell)phone number(s) in your press release. You’ll know who in your group this/these person(s) should be; bright, polite and well-spoken.

3. Arrive at the event in plenty of time to setup prior to the announced start.

4. Special considerations for using computers for this event.

1. You’d better have complete and well-placed trust in the person(s) whose computer(s) you employ for this event. Participants will be entering sensitive personal financial information on these machines. One bad apple with key-logging software could make a mess of things. The likelihood of this happening is admittedly small, but not so small that you shouldn’t give it thought.

2. Similarly, you need to set up the computers at your event is such a way that no one except the person sitting at each computer can see the screen. This means backed up to a wall (watch for video surveillance cameras), or with an opaque screen or banner behind where people will sit at the computers. Better safe than sorry. This would be the perfect way to use a large banner created for the event, or for your group, or for the campaign in general.

5. That’s it, now get to work and don’t forget your politically incorrect, but historically significant Indian costumes! And don’t forget to record any news coverage for YouTube.