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Show Politics, Anyone? Introduction to Mass Meetings By JANE LOBELL At one mass meeting this week eight people in an area with 138 registered voters met to elect their leaders and to choose a delegate to represent them at the county convention. (Mass meetings in Utah are held so that "the people" or the "grassroots" of each party can determine de-termine their stand on any issues and elect a delegate to represent their views at the county convention.) (The delegates at the county convention conven-tion choose a delegate to the state convention con-vention who will represent their county's opinion when the convention determines which candidates will be placed on the primary ballot. "The people" at the mass meeting will also elect officers to organize or-ganize their district for the up-coming campaign.) The meeting was chaired by an out-spoker out-spoker minister. Present at this meeting meet-ing were: a white-haired, retired professor profes-sor who had once run for state office; an elderly woman who had worked for the party "back when our district extended ex-tended into area;" a thoughtful, middle-aged man who is moving out of state this summer but who "attended the meeting to tell the members I am leaving so that I won't be re-elected;" a quiet woman whose cousin has a high position In state government; a middle-aged middle-aged woman who has servtd the party in many capacities; the minister's wife; and a student with long blond "bangs" in his face and a sincere, serious look about him. None of the others present had ever seen this young voter before. All or almost all of these people peo-ple were sincere, informed on issues and candidates, and dedicated totally to the party. They had worked for the party as long as they could remember. They had knocked on doors to "sell" the party's candidate to the voters; they had solicited contributions from their neighbors and friends for the party; they had spoken out at meetings. They were the staunch supporters of the party. One woman said ",We should be careful care-ful of re-electing someone who puts his job ahead of the party." The eight people meeting in the home of the minister first watched their party leaders on television. Then they moved on to the elections. Each group was required re-quired by the party to elect a chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary, a treasurer, at least three committee members, and a delegate to the county convention. The chairman was re-nominated; and there were no other nominations for this position. The chairman was then nominated nomi-nated for the office of delegate; and again there were no other nominations. Most of the offices were distributed among the people present. The staunch i nartv members nominated the s Me office ofSS?t older party members we re surp ( see anyone of the student age interest in local government and wanted to elect him to office. Tw people not PSS committee members. One w except he's out of town; the otter been active in city government Because there were no is only one person was noma W ( each office except for the P committee member whic lar e no u in number, the retired ff J,; that the slate be accepted b jc c tion. The chairman said loon we can do that." He re-AJ structions from the PVlo?" voting must be by secret ballot. The slate was elected. After the meeting had IbeJ the participants staye I afou talked informally over atter rgen from economics to the w stl During this informal discussion (, dent, st elected to A is the faithful party worker member of a -, radical yjm pus organization and that n of the party sxmply became th to agree with more of the a p tf year on certain issues tfian positions of the other party- |