SCW Role Manual 2024

SCW 4/3/24

Attachment: 4148/SCW-manual-2024.pdf

Welcome to the Team!

Congratulations on being selected as a Content Writer for Convention of States. Your willingness to
step into this critical role will help fulfill the mission of COS by building up the grassroots army of
educated and engaged citizens. You have been entrusted with a vital job - helping to write content that
will communicate the COS message.

The mission of Convention of States is to “Build an engaged army of self-governing grassroots
activists.”

We aim to grow a grassroots army large enough to call the first convention of states and drive the
political and cultural narrative across all 50 states. We want to see self-governance and liberty
flourish in our nation and we believe this will only happen if good people like you get involved in
the political and cultural battle. We want to train you how to do this as effectively as possible.

Since it usually takes several attempts to pass our resolution in a state legislature, we just keep growing
the grassroots team and training more activists until we have enough influence to effect the change and
pass the resolution. Every additional person we educate, train, and get involved with is one person
closer to victory! We often say, “There is no political problem that more grassroots can’t fix.”

In this manual, you will find a wealth of information to equip you to handle most situations. It is not
intended to be all that you need. Instead, it should give you basic guidelines and principles for you to
use.

Some other sources of support and training you can use are

●

**COSU University**

**:**

Specifically, there is a course for content writers

here

and another course on

digital communications

here

.

●

Your State Team.

In addition to your Regional Director, there are likely many seasoned leaders

on your state team who can help answer questions and provide support, direction, and
mentorship as you grow into this role.

●

Our

**website**

**.**

There is a vast amount of content you can look through on our website to give

you ideas and examples of content that is being used across our organization.

●

Make COS part of your weekly routine

. Set aside time for COS and invest that time weekly

and monthly. You will be amazed at what you accomplished.

As you start, take it one step at a time. When you have never done something like this, learning to be an
influential activist can initially feel overwhelming. Make sure you stop and enjoy the feeling of being a
part of something historic and monumental. You are helping save the country for yourself, your loved
ones, and generations of Americans.

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Responsibilities

As a Content Writer you will help create content to communicate the Convention of States message to
your state. You will work closely with your State Communications Coordinator and State Director.

Your job as a Content Writer includes:

●

Learning the basics about Article V and Convention of States so that you can create content that
educates and builds awareness.

●

Writing content that will be used on our website, on social media, and in emails.

●

Coordinating with your state team to determine what types of content need to be written.

●

Writing content that highlights the activities of the grassroots within your state.

●

Writing content that builds knowledge and awareness of Convention of States in your state.

●

Being active on the

coscomms

and state Slack workspaces.

Getting Started

Here are some tips to help you get started and acclimate to the organization:

●

Strategize with your State Communications Coordinator or State Director. Get to know these
leaders and get a handle on the state’s needs and how you can help.

●

Accept your email invite to Slack. Slack is a communication tool that we use. Please sign up
immediately to connect with the state and national teams.

●

Take this

training course

at COS University within the first two weeks you are assigned. It will

give you ideas for projects and help you learn our tech tools.

●

Create a routine of staying in contact with your state leaders and creating content for your team
at a pace that is sustainable and enjoyable.

●

A state or national editor will review state-level emails and new website content to check new
content for spelling, grammar, formatting, and possible legal issues.

●

Ideally, each state will submit one or more new posts every week. This ensures that current and
relevant content for your state is posted on the site and encourages website visitors to return.

●

Please allow a review time of 24 hours (up to 72 hours over the weekend or holidays).

Content Creation

1. Use your COS log-in on the website to sign in and create a new post, as demonstrated in the

CitizenBuilder training video.

2. Include a Headline, Body, and a one-sentence excerpt describing the blog.
3. Fill in the Parent Post with your state’s “Parent Page for Posts.” Fill in the Geo-Permissions

with your specific state, and mark the Category as “Blog.”

4. Follow the formatting guidelines as found in “

Types of Posts to Create

” in this manual.

5. Include a cover photo if you own the rights to that photo. Otherwise, you can request a desired

Shutterstock photo by sending the link in the #newcontent Slack channel. You can use any
photos in the Grassroots Gallery or you can use a free site like Wikimedia Commons or Pexels.
Do not use photos that you pull from internet searches unless you are absolutely sure they are
for public use.

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6. Include an action item. Even if it's a volunteer story, there could be an application button for

“Be a State Videographer” or “Join Gun Owners for COS,” using the merge tags or hyperlinks.

7. If you need to come back and edit, click Save to save it as a draft.
8. Click Ready for Review when you are finished.
9. Once the content is “Ready for Review,” an editor will review and publish it.
10. Note: Special instructions regarding geo-permissions or time considerations can be emailed to

comms@cosaction.com

.

Content Review and Publishing

The editors will regularly check for new content and respond to notifications. Once the editor has
determined the content is ready (using the “

Types of Posts to Create

” as listed in this manual), he or she

will publish the content, and the post will appear on the site as one of the latest headlines.

Note: Each state team should develop an internal process for generating new content. Questions to ask
your state team to understand the internal process include, but are not limited to:

●

Who will submit new content?

●

Does a member of the state executive team need to approve submissions?

State Directors should coordinate with the State Communications Coordinator and anyone with
permission to submit new content to ensure that the content fits into the state strategy and that the
targeting is accurate.

Tips on Messaging

Remember always to be nice. No matter how infuriating someone's argument might be, we need to rely
on facts and calmly point them back to the truth in the Constitution. The facts are on our side. There’s
no need to resort to name-calling or foul language. Doing so only hurts our credibility. We stand on the
strong foundation of the Constitution, partnered with thousands of pages of research and the consensus
of our nation’s top Constitutional minds.

As you speak to people about Convention of States, make sure you never refer to it as a “Constitutional
Convention.” We are not seeking a constitutional convention. It is a convention of the states to propose
amendments to limit the federal government's power. The Constitutional Convention was where the
Constitution was drafted and ratified. When people use this term, it creates concern that we seek to
rewrite the Constitution. This is incorrect. We are seeking to amend the Constitution through one of the
two methods that the Founding Fathers unanimously approved in Article V of the Constitution. You
want to refer to it as a “convention to propose amendments.”

You will find some good resources for dealing with this and other objections

here.

Here are some documents that will help you communicate the Convention of States message, whether
in a conversation or when making a presentation:

●

A Solution as Big As the Problem

by Michael Farris

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●

The Process of An Article V Convention for Proposing Amendments

Types of Posts to Create

Now that the boring stuff is out of the way let's get to the excitement. With the above parameters in
mind, let's take a look at some examples of what kind of content we should be publishing.

Grassroots Stories

Our movement is a positive one: We the People are using the Constitution to accomplish big solutions.
So anytime we can tell positive stories of citizen activism and progress, we should do it.

Whether your team got 170 petition signatures at an event, or received a positive commitment from a\\ new co-sponsor, five new District Captains joined your team, or COS volunteers visited 60 legislative
offices, people in your state will be excited to hear those stories and it may even push them to further
engagement.

Include photos and videos whenever possible.

Here are some examples of Grassroots Story Posts:

●

Event Report

●

Volunteer Spotlight

Local Media Hits

Sharing positive Convention of States media coverage is always a good idea. This shows we are getting
the message out and becoming an essential part of the public debate. Whether it's a newspaper article,
radio interview, television report, or even letters to the editor, media hits are simple to share on the
website.

For a radio or television hit, make sure that a recording of the clip is embedded or there is a hyperlink
to the recording available.

For a letter to the editor or newspaper article, simply copy and paste the content and include an
introductory blurb linking to the original source.

Volunteer Applications

Need to fill a volunteer position in your state? Create a post that is targeted at website visitors from
your state. If it's a District Captain application, you can geotarget the districts where you need support.
Recruit State Videographers strategically so they don't have to travel too far to get the story.

Event Promos

Have an upcoming event, like a rally or headliner event, where you need people to show up? You can
direct website visitors to an RSVP page with all the details. Ask your team about using a CiviClick
registration page, or contact your State Communications Coordinator about using a Facebook Event.

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Important Note:

Set an expiration date for the post so it will no longer appear as a headline on the

website after the event.

State Call Invites

State-level calls and webinars are great opportunities to coordinate with your team, and the website is a
great way to remind people. If you don't want newbies listening in, make sure you've targeted the
correct volunteer positions.

Local Messaging Stories

Another good idea is to demonstrate the need for Convention of States with local stories of federal
overreach in your state. The frustration these stories generate can spark people to take action.

Examples are below:

●

EPA puts local coal miner out of work.

●

FDA sends an Amish man to prison for making a harmless oil.

●

Federal mismanagement of public lands puts local residents at risk.

Newsletter or Weekly Update

You can also create a regular newsletter so you send supporters to a single link on a regular basis. This
can help keep your most active supporters in the loop of all the latest messaging and calls to action.

Educational Articles

Have someone on your team who is a real history buff? This may be a good chance to channel their
energy into an educational post that ties into Article V and the Convention of States movement.

Meet Your District Captain

A volunteer spotlight can be a good way for a district captain to recruit volunteers in his district. It can
introduce them to website visitors right in their local area. Include their contact information to foster
that personal connection and ensure the post is geo-targeted correctly.

Guest Commentary

Ask a legislative sponsor or other contact (such as the leader of a local coalition) to author an

article

expressing support for Convention of States. This will take little work on your part, and the guest
author will be grateful for the promotion.

Legislative Calls to Action

Convention of States is taking advantage of a powerful tool called CiviClick that makes it easier to
promote, execute, and track legislative calls to action. Please consult with your State Director and
Regional Director about when to post content with links to these action pages.

So that's it! Let's go tell the COS story in your state and harvest the power of the American people.

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Formatting Parameters - Tips for Making Your Posts Awesome

Our content must be credible, professional, and legal. Below are a few reminders to help. Giving too
much information or lingering too long on unnecessary details will cause you to lose people. Instead,
let them leave wanting more. Keep the following tips in mind when creating engaging posts:

●

Keep your paragraphs short. You’re not writing an essay. Many “paragraphs” often only contain
1-2 sentences. This makes it easier for people to quickly skim, pick out important points, and
move on.

●

Use only one exclamation point! Using more than one is unprofessional. Avoid exclamation
points as much as possible.

●

DON’T USE ALL CAPS. It makes people think you’re screaming at them. And it’s
unprofessional.

●

DoN’t Use a weird mix of CApiTilization! You may think it’s fun, but it’s not.

●

Only use the black font.

●

Use bold sparingly for subheadings.

●

Headlines should catch people’s attention and make them want to open the email or post to get
the rest of the information.

●

Hyperlink text

instead of pasting a link in the body of the post. It just looks better.

●

Pay attention to formatting. Your post should be laid out so that the reader can quickly skim and
easily grasp major points of information. Subheadings, bullet points, numbered lists,
appropriate bolding, and concise writing are your friends.

●

Use single spacing between sentences. Having multiple spaces after each sentence was
customary, but that is no longer the standard and should be avoided.

●

Keep ellipses to a minimum . . . if at all . . . because I know you’re capable of writing in
sentences . . . and finishing a thought . . . and never use more than three dots in a row.

●

Use spell check. Grammerly.com has an excellent free tool.

○

Note: the most common mistake in COS posts is saying “reign in the feds'' instead of
“rein in the feds.”

●

Keep text left-aligned.

Click here for a video

on formatting tips.

Legal Limits On Your Volunteer Activity

Convention of States represents a significant threat to the established powers in Washington, D.C. They
would love nothing better than to shut us down and silence our voices. We need to keep our activities
clean under the law to ensure they can't do that. As part of this, COS requires all state leaders to
complete the

Legal Training Course at COS University.

Organizational Information

Who Are Citizens for Self-Governance, Convention of States Foundation, and Convention of
States Action, and How Are They Related to Convention of States?

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Mark Meckler, a co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, founded Citizens for Self-Governance (CSG) to
promote the ideals of the Tea Party beyond the partisan divide. CSG encourages the principle of
self-governance by educating citizens about their constitutional rights and defending individuals and
groups unjustly targeted by the government.

In August 2013, CSG founded the Convention of States Project to educate citizens about a little-known
but very potent power in Article V of the Constitution. Convention of States Action (COSA) was
created a little over a year later in late 2014 when it became clear that Convention of States would
require a massive legislative effort to get applications passed in 34 states.

In 2018, CSG filed to operate under the name Convention of States Foundation (COSF) to establish
more consistent messaging and make it clear how CSG was connected to the Convention of States
movement. CSG and COSF are just two names for the same organization. CSG/COSF continues to be
involved with COS by promoting the idea of a convention and educating citizens about their
constitutional power in Article V. Most of the COSis now under COSA, which works to get the COS
application passed in 34 states.

Why Have Two Different Organizations?

We have two different organizations because of how the IRS regulates nonprofit organizations. The IRS
allows different types of nonprofits to engage in different kinds of activity. According to the IRS,
COSF is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization, which means that it can educate people about their
constitutional rights but can’t promote legislation to protect those rights or get involved in supporting
or opposing candidates. COSA is a 501©(4) nonprofit organization which can promote legislation and
support or oppose some candidates as long as it does so in accord with state and federal laws .

There are all kinds of technical differences between 501©(3) organizations like COSF and 501©(4)
organizations like COSA. However, the main one you need to understand is that COSF can’t promote
legislation and absolutely can’t promote or oppose candidates, but COSA can. COSA can talk to
legislators about the COS application, collect petitions, host legislative strategy sessions, and engage in
other activities to promote the COS application. COSF cannot.

How Does This Affect You?

Most of your volunteer activity will be for COSA, so you won’t have to worry about the limit on
promoting legislation most of the time. But every so often, you may be asked to support or assist with
an event or activity sponsored by COSF. When working on a COSF event or activity, you’ll need to
remember that you can’t collect petitions, discuss legislative strategy, display COSA materials or
banners, or otherwise try to persuade people to support COSA’s specific application. When working for
COSF, you can educate people about their constitutional rights, including those in Article V, and
respond to frequent objections like claims that a convention would “run away.”

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One More Limit: No Campaigning under COSF!

Promoting or opposing political candidates is strictly prohibited for COSF and is only allowed for
COSA if specifically approved by the COSA National Legal Team. COSF cannot do any campaigning
ever. COSA can only campaign if it complies with many state and federal laws and regulations
governing campaign activity. As a COS volunteer, you can only tell people how they should vote in the
next election if you receive explicit permission from the national legal team. You can’t send out an
email to our volunteers in your district asking them to support a candidate, oppose a candidate,
volunteer for a candidate’s campaign, or join a political party. You should not do anything even close to
the line–don’t do anything that could be construed as supporting a particular candidate or political
party without checking with COSA’s Legal Team. The prohibition against expressing a political view is
an absolute rule that we strictly enforce because any violation will jeopardize the organization’s
nonprofit status.

If you want to do a limited campaigning effort in your state through COSA, please contact your RD.
The COSA Legal Team will check the laws in your state and determine if you can proceed. If the
Legal Team approves campaigning in your state, they will issue detailed instructions about how to
comply with the law. Make sure you carefully review these instructions before engaging in any
election-related activity

This restriction only applies when you actively volunteer for COS or use COS resources (including the
CitizenBuilder database). You are entirely free to support any candidates or political parties you wish
with your own time and resources.

Who Do I Contact If I Have Questions?

If you would like to get in touch with our legal team about specific questions, please reach out to your
State Director or Regional Director, who will be able to direct your inquiry to the right place.

Continuing Education

We have many resources available. Here are a few to get you started:

●

Our Resource Page

is the best source to learn more, and we encourage you to visit often.

●

Here are a series of

short articles on various topics.

●

We have

hundreds of educational and inspirational videos

available on our YouTube Channel.

●

COSUniversity

offers online training courses.

●

Hundreds of research articles and historical documents can be found on our

Wiki site

.

●

COS Briefing Book.

●

The Law of Article

V by Robert G. Natelson

Personal Development

“If you want to grow and become the best person you can be, you’ve got to be intentional about it.
Many unsuccessful people who try to lead others have the mistaken belief that people will follow them

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because their cause is good. But that’s not the way leadership works. People will follow you when
they believe in you.” - John Maxwell

Suggested reading/resources:

●

We highly recommend you join an online small group study of the book

“Servant Leadership

”

by David Kuhnert which is the cornerstone of our leadership training.

○

To receive more information and learn about the classes being offered, please email
Ginny Rapini:

grapini@cosation.com

●

“

Mentoring 101” by John Maxwell

●

More Information about

Servant Leadership

used by our organization.

Commonly Used Acronyms

Positions

SD

State Director

RC

Regional Captain

GC

Grassroots Coordinator

FUT

Follow Up Team

LL

Legislative Liaison

DC

District Captain

ML

Media Liaison

VCD

Veterans Coalition Director

SIA

State Information Analyst

RD

Regional Director

SCC

State Communications Coordinator SMW

Social Media Warrior

VCD

Veterans Coalition Director

FBEditor

Facebook Editor

EC

Events Coordinator

DD

District Dashboard

CD

Coalitions Director

CB

Citizen Builder

SV

State Videographer

Tools

CB

Citizen Builder

FUT

Follow-up Tool

DD

District Dashboard

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LMT

Leadership Management Tool

LMS

Legislative Management System

COSU

Convention of States University

General

CTA

Call to Action

COSA

Convention of States Action

COSF

Convention of States Foundation

JBS

John Birch Society (opposition group)

EF

Eagle Forum (opposition group)

BBA

Balanced Budget Amendment

NAGR

National Association for Gun Rights
(opposition group)

Your Signature

You should receive an email link to this manual from your state team. Be sure to sign it electronically.

Additional Help

If you have a question or need assistance with something that is not covered in this manual, please
reach out to your State Communications Coordinator or State Director. If they are unable to help,
contact the

help desk

.

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