Will there be home government this year? Could you explain how it works and what role it fills?

There will be a home government (HG) this year and Assistant Secretary General-Internal Thecla Prentis will be serving in that role. The role of HG is to answer any last minute questions that a delegate may have about their country. HG is back-up for students, should an issue arise that they have not research in preparing for the conference.

However, HG does not take the place of a well researched Position Paper and additional research on the topics before your committee. HG is a service for all students to use to further their countries foreign agenda.
Students should be prudent when contacting HG. Students only have four contacts to HG, and if a crisis were to happen they would not be extended additional contacts. Additionally if a crisis were to occur a delegate would have to run any action by HG. I.E. if China were to attack Israel, the United States would have to contact HG for permission to attack China.

What is considered “appropriate dress wear” for my students?

That is a great question and with just a week left before debate something we should cover!

The following is taken from the MMUN staff presentation. It was present by Will Selph and written by SG Kelsi Steel

 Suits and dresses encouraged
 Pants, slacks, skirts, sweaters, and collared shirts are acceptable
 Blue jeans, t-shirts, flip flops, and other casual attire prohibited
 ABSOLUTELY NO: costumes, character attire, or national symbols
 As MMUN staff, you may confiscate anything deemed inappropriate or disruptive (please notify Secretaries—General)


The last bullet point is referencing a distraction that occurred a few years ago. A hat became an ongoing and annoying part of the Conference. If something like this happens, staff is fully authorized to confiscate the item. The items storage will be decided by staff and SG’s who will be your point of contact if a problem occurs.

Looking forward to seeing you at the conference!

Selph Improvement

How can my students improve their scores at the conference?

There are several ways to do this. As a former committee chair, it is hard to notice the work of students in the large committees. However, students can do a few things to catch our eye.

1. Author resolutions, for students afraid of public speaking--we have a winner! A delegate can work with other students to craft thoughtful and successful resolutions. If we see your name of a few resolutions, the dais will start watching you. This will pay off.

2. Make speeches early and make them meaningful. A lot of times students get up and give a speech full of "ums," "ahs," and "ya know like." This will not positively introduce yourself to the dais. Come with a pre-written speech, were not looking for Obama at INVESCO Field, something short, thoughtful and true to the country you represent. A speech addressing the order of topics, or to guide the committee on a topic from a knowledgeable sounding delegate will go far.

3. Use of "parli-pro," this can be hard to master, but it pays big. Nothing impresses the dais like a student who knows how to use motions.

These are just a few helpful hints. We do score students in each round of a committee. Make a splash early and keep your performance on par. You will do fine and might even make a trip to the award ceremony. We offer a scholarships and Model United Nations awards look good on college resumes.

Where should I send the registration form?

Greetings from the Road. It's a double whammy week. We have a second Q&A.

Where should I send the registration form?

MT Model United Nations
c/o College of Arts and Sciences
The University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812-5544

If you have questions let us know.
mtun.highschool@gmail.com (me)
or
kelsi.steele@umontana.edu

Do the students write up all three positions for the three topics on one piece of paper?

Students do in fact write all three positions for their committees on “no more than two” pages. These instructions can be found on our website. We know it is a lot of information for a limited space. We have similar restrictions for our national’s team.

Additionally, students should remember the following format guidelines for MMUN position papers.
· Printed double-sided
· 10 or 12 point font
· Single spaced within paragraphs and double spaced between paragraphs
· Heading with the official country name, the name of the school representing the country, and the name of the individual serving as a delegate for that committee
· Short introductory paragraph, followed by three paragraphs on each topic
· Topic sections divided by topic headings. Topics should appear in the order they appear on the topic list and in the committee background guides on the MMUN website. Each topic heading should be bold and centered.
· Either left alignment or justification of the body of the text is acceptable

The above information and more can be found by clicking here. Then click the link for “Position Paper Writing Guides” You can also find a link for a sample position guide.

Does the MMUN staff host traveling workshops for students?

Yes, we often travel to different cities in Montana and host workshops. Requests for these workshops should be made at the beginning of the fall semester. However, we only put on one (1) to two (2) sessions per year.

If you are unable to attend a work shop, we have good news. In the coming weeks Secretary General Kelsi Steele will be posting a web video of this year’s training. You can watch a portion of the web video or the entire thing. The executive staff will cover a variety of topics to help students excel at the conference.
I will post a link when we post the video. Until then please send any questions to us at mtun.highschool@gmail.com.

“Diplomacy is the art of letting someone have your way.” – D. Vare

Where is the best place to start researching for the conference?

The first place to start is the MMUN topic back ground guide site. These issues briefings have all the information you will need to start your research. Delegates will find information posted about each topic to be discussed here.
The topic guides are overviews of complicated topics; they will give your students a start. However, they will have to find the information about their specific countries.
The following are great places to look.

CIA World Fact Book, Basic Country information
UN News Center, Programs and Official statements are found here
The New York Times, The international section will be helpful

Or for more official information check out these suggestions.

The Government Website of the assigned country (especially foreign ministry site)
Newspapers from the assigned country or its region (if available in English)
The country’s UN mission site (these will often have speeches and other documents). To find this site easily, Google the country’s name followed by “Permanent Mission to the UN”
These sites and other research tips can be found in Katie Peers article on the website.

“We do not covet anything from any nation except their respect.” Sir Winston Churchill

When writing the position paper is there a preferred format for citing references such as MLA?

No, we do not require citations for position papers. Students have one page (back and front), and thus should focus on information rather than sources.

If students directly quote someone they should include the person's name (i.e. Secretary General Moon recently said, "[quote].")

Hope this helps.

Next week will be a longer post. If you have questions let me know.

How can we improve our position papers?

The position paper is one of the hardest things delegates will do. The first thing to do is take a deep breath. Over 300 people are just as worried about them as your students. The most important thing to do is review the criteria.
“A position paper is a diplomatic statement of your country’s position on the issues under consideration by a committee.” The main reason we require them is to prepare students for the conference. The points associated with them are a lesser concern. A delegate should read the background guides for their committee. These topics will be the core of the position paper. Students should reflect the goals and beliefs of their country, not themselves. This is a common mistake we see in position papers.
After the research portion of the paper, take a look at the formatting requirements. As seen on the website.
· No more than two pages in length
· Printed double-sided
· 10 or 12 point font
· Single spaced within paragraphs and double spaced between paragraphs
· Heading with the official country name, the name of the school representing the country, and the name of the individual serving as a delegate for that committee
· Short introductory paragraph, followed by three paragraphs on each topic
· Topic sections divided by topic headings. Topics should appear in the order they appear on the topic list and in the committee background guides on the MMUN website. Each topic heading should be bold and centered.
· Either left alignment or justification of the body of the text is acceptable

Finally when writing the paper, keep in mind the MMUN 3 step. A brief introduction leads you into the History, Position and Proposal of your country on each topic. Those are the main points to cover for each issue addressed in the committee.
As always, check the website for more details.
Information for this FAQ was found in the Position Paper section of the MMUN website.

What are my students doing on Monday night of the conference?

We will be hosting the first ever Global Gauntlet! Aimee Ryan, Kelsi Steel, Kedra Arnold and I have worked to create six rounds to the Gauntlet. Each round will feature 15 questions. So what are the rounds and what kind of questions can you expect? Below is a brief overlay of the competition.

Round 1: Parliamentary Procedure
The answers are taken from the quick sheet provided on our website and the United Nations website.

Round 2: Origin of the United Nations and Structure
These questions are found in come from the United Nations Charter.

Round 3: World History
These are basic question about global history from each corner of the globe

Round 4: MMUN Back Ground Guides
Each question is created from the background guides of each committee member. Thus the whole team should read their committee background guides. Beware that Security Council questions will be included. Thus if you don’t have a member you may want to look at these guides.

Round 5: Current Events
These events garnered major headlines between 2007 and today.

Round 6: Geography
These range from basic locations to political geography to physical geography.

Why is participation important in the Global Gauntlet? We will be awarding points to the best team. Points will be given to countries and count towards the individual school awards. These were decided by just a few points last year

My students are having trouble with parliamentary procedure. What can I do to prepare them for the conference?

Parliamentary Procedure (parli pro) is a tough subject. However, a working knowledge of “parli pro” is a big plus early on. The staff will notice a student’s ability and this is reflected in awarding points in the first few rounds.
The best way to help students learn the procedure is simple, a debate. Montana Model United Nations (MMUN) uses an abbreviated or modified parli pro sheet. It can be found on our website, in the “delegate tools” menu.
Some ideas for the debate: Coke versus Pepsi, Griz versus Cats (or Cat versus Griz), Peanut versus Plain M&Ms. The simple topics are the easiest to debate and allow students to have fun. The debates should have the same set-up as MMUN.
Smaller groups will ensure that everyone has a chance to learn parli pro. You and your experienced students can serve as chairs.
The order of debates should go as follows:
Topics
I Pepsi versus Coke
II Griz versus Cat
III Plain versus Peanut M&Ms

Script

1. Provide Students with three topics to debate. This allows students to see how to set the order of debate.
2. Open a speakers list to discuss the order of topics. Students should raise their hands to be added to the list.
3. Entertain a motion to set the speaker’s time. This time is for the discussion of the possible topics.
4. Students would raise their hands, and once recognized by the chair, would say “I move to set the speaking time at ____ seconds/minutes. The chair has the discretion to accept the motions. (i.e. no 30 minutes or 2 seconds motions)
5. Once a few times have been suggested, close the floor and vote on the speaking times. The first with a simple majority wins.
6. Once a speaking time has been set, the chair asks “are there any points or motions on the floor?” This should be asked after every speaker or action on the floor.
7. A student may make a motion to set the order of the agenda right away. However, considering the purpose of the activity, do not accept the motion. Allow a few speakers to suggest an order. After each speaker remember to ask “are there any points or motions on the floor?”
8. After a few students have gone, allow a motion to set the agenda. As many suggestion can be made as possible orders.
9. Setting the order
a. First Student “I motion to set the agenda at II, III, I(2,3,1)”
b. Chair “Is there a second?” [look for a second] “Seeing a second. Are there any other points or motions on the floor?” [Call on a delegate if on rises.]
c. Suggestion can continue for a while or till the chair feels the students have a good grasp.
10. Once the order has been set the number reassign. Assuming the order is set as suggested in 9A the new order would be: I Griz v Cat II Plain v Peanut M&Ms III Pepsi v Coke
11. The old speaker’s list and time are discard and must be reset for the first topic.
a. Ask for a volunteers to be on the speakers list
b. Set a time for speakers
c. Then allow them to discuss the topics.
12. Other Important motions:
a. Un-moderated caucuses will allow time to write resolutions
b. Point of Order to correct a delegates or chair’s error
c. Point of Personal Inquiry allows students to ask question in committee
d. Suspend the Meeting is used to break at conference for breaks, lunch, and the evening
e. Adjourn the Meeting is used to end the simulation and conference
This script is only a partial suggestion. Further information can be found on our Parli Pro quick sheet.
If you would like more help with the script please contact me at mtunhighschool@gmail.com

As an Advisor, where should we start in preparing for MMUN?

The very first thing you should do is check out our website. This is a great source of information that covers everything from the topics of each committee to the rules and regulations for the conference.

You should also register with Kelsi Steele [kelsi.steele@umontana.edu]. She will need the number of students you expect. You can always request additional countries. The countries assigned to a school should be filled before the request for additional countries is made.
Kelsi will provide you with the countries your school has. Each country will have four or five student slots. Assigning your students will allow them to begin researching their country. Students should begin studying the basic information about their country. The CIA World Fact Book is a great way to start.

When you have assigned students their country and committee, the students should begin to look for statements, news articles, and government policies of their country regarding the issues to be discussed in their committee.

The first step to a student’s success at Model United Nations is to have an understanding of the country they represent and how it relates to the global community.

: Does the General Assembly meet whenever a conference meets or just during the first combined session?

The General Assembly meets during each scheduled session. However, the conference is bookended by joint sessions known as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. All delegates attending the conference will attend these meetings. The Opening Ceremony features a keynote Speaker and an introduction by the Secretary General. The Closing Ceremony includes the presentation of awards and other cultural events.

Delegates who are assigned to the General Assembly will attend these meetings, and students who are assigned to other committees will attend those meetings. These meetings are where delegates will work on their assigned topics. Delegates will not need to prepare for these joint sessions. Instructors will want to focus on the topics assigned to each person individual committees. The work done here is how students are scored during the conference.

These scores are how students obtain delegate awards and schools are awarded. This in conjunction with submitted work is also how outstanding senior scholarships are presented.
Answer: The General Assembly meets during each regularly scheduled session. The conference is bookended by joint sessions known as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. All delegates attend these General Assembly meetings. Delegates with other committee assignments will attend those meetings during regular sessions.