On October 9th, the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association (MCR-SGA) successfully held its first county-wide General Assembly at Magruder High School located in Gaithersburg. Attended by executive board members and student representatives across the county, this assembly marked a great kick-off to MCR’s year-long work in youth empowerment. Facilitated by MCR president Jeffrey He, the assembly consisted of discussions on youth and school-related issues, workshops for break-out groups, and remarks by special invitees, including the Student Member of the Board Of Education and the Maryland Association of Student Councils Vice President. The attendees were also treated to a marvelous performance by the Magruder Forensics Team.
“We had a lot of agenda items to get through. I believe the assembly went well. It is always great to see so many passionate student representatives coming out. This should be what creating responsible citizens is about,” says MCR president, Jeffrey He.
A diverse array of legislation was brought to table at the assembly. During their reports and break-out groups, Vice President Richie Yarrow and Lobbying Director Benjamin Feshbach informed delegates about many major county and state-wide issues. As a part of MCR’s core mission, increasing awareness among students about current issues is essential to building informed members of society. Spreading the word out in occasions like these is a great plus for communities.
“I’m pretty pleased with how the first General Assembly went. I think many delegates took back valuable information about subjects ranging from federal sequestration to the Maryland DREAM Act,” says Mr. Yarrow.
Nonetheless, nothing is as effective in building bright leaders of tomorrow as underscoring the value of teamwork. During break-out sessions, GA. participants brainstormed ideas for prospective fundraisers, learned about the workings of MASC, and gained basic understanding of parliamentary procedures. The collective efforts put forth by students as they recounted stories of inciting social change and voiced perspectives about hot-button issues led to a productive, meaningful assembly.
“I found the assembly enlightening. It feels great to learn about all the different issues in our county,” says Alyssa Hu, junior at Richard Montgomery High School.
MCR welcomes all concerns and suggestions from students to ensure the success of advent general assemblies.
“MCR is always learning from the past, and will look at what happened at the last GA to plan for coming months,” Mr. Yarrow Added.
The next MCR General Assembly will be held at Rockville High School on November 15th. All interested students should contact their School SGA advisor and complete required permission forms. MCR encourages all students who are interested in learning about our decision-making system to attend.
Photo Credit: Zachary Williams, MCR Historian