Guild Concludes Virtual Parliamentary Procedures and Bylaws Workshops

by Sean Lundergan, Fr. Boyle Fellow

The Guild’s first ever virtual workshop series concluded on Tuesday. Once a week four weeks Patti Legault-Frank, our longtime parliamentary procedure and bylaws instructor, ran her usual workshop over Zoom for an average of 25 students each class. The new format presented some challenges but also some exciting opportunities, including the chance to host students from outside our typical range, including a few attendees from Maine and Canada. Patti, as always, managed to make these topics interesting and valuable for all of our students.

In addition to Patti, we owe much of the workshops’ success to our Boyle Fellow Joe Twiner, who joined the Guild in May. Joe organized the Zoom classes, ensured students had their materials and provided support to Patti and our students.

We’re excited to build on the success of these first workshops with a new COVID-related series beginning in just two weeks. On Tuesday, August 11, we’ll have a health and safety procedures and organizing training with Al Vega and Ben Weilerstein of MassCOSH; the following Tuesday, August 18, Rand Wilson of SEIU 888 and Kevin Tierney of MTA will present a workshop on organizing for public employees during COVID and beyond; and Peg Tayler of MNA will run a workshop on mental wellness and essential workers on Tuesday, August 25.

Guild school will also be online, and registration will open shortly. We look forward to further developing our web-based learning and we hope you join us!