Any OPH booths in NH recently?

[Atlas]

How is the membership of the NHLP looking lately? Any good news? Obviously not on the website.

[Dreepa]

What is OPH?

[Fluff and Stuff]

It is how groups like the Libertarian Party and Think Libertarian find libertarians-by giving out WSPQ cards.  The FSP has at least 1 OPH both and is looking for people to run the booth (for example, in events in MA).  JP ran an OPH booth at the 2005 Porcfest.

http://www.theadvocates.org/oph.html
Operation Politically Homeless

"Undoubtedly The Movement's Most Valuable Tool!"

Operation Politically Homeless (OPH) is one of the most successful Advocates tools, and one of the most effective and widely-praised tools in the libertarian movement.

OPH empowers libertarian activists with everything they need to easily set up eye-catching outreach booths that entice passers-by to take the World?s Smallest Political Quiz and encounter libertarian ideas. Tens of thousands of Americans have been exposed to the ideas of a new political map thanks to OPH. Thousands have become libertarians, thanks to Operation Politically Homeless!

[cathleeninnh]

Don manned the OPH booth for the LPNH at the peace rally in Concord 3/18. Most quiz takers were understandably left leaning, but one woman surprised herself by scoring libertarian. She claimed to be "so far to the left that I squeak".

Cathleen

[FTL_Ian]

I just did 10 hours of OPH at the county fair on Sunday, and 10 the Sunday before that.  Got lots of FSP info out, as well as some FTL business cards.

Next OPH for me will be Gay and Lesbian Pridefest, where it's always a hit!

I love doing OPH, and look forward to it in NH!   

[Ron Helwig]

OPHs are fun.

In Minnesota, they have a really old electronic board that attracts a lot of attention. A couple years ago a member created an updated version, and the instructions for that are available if you ask them. The parts are over $100, IIRC.

People like pushing the switches and seeing the light (LED) move with their answers.

[Kat Kanning]

Dear friend,

Last week I sent you a short -- and very painful -- email.

I have included it immediately below. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, I URGE
YOU TO
PLEASE DO SO NOW.

We are not out of the crisis I described in that email -- but we ARE
getting
closer, thanks to the generosity of Liberator Online readers.

Indeed, I have been deeply moved and deeply touched by the outpouring
of
support for the Advocates.

I have put an UPDATE on our situation, immediately below this email --
and it
has GOOD NEWS. I ask you to please read this update, too.

And thank you so much for your generous support of the Advocates during
this
very difficult time.

With your help, we will get through this and get back to the vital work
of the
Advocates.

                 Sincerely,

                 Sharon Harris
                 President
                 Advocates for Self-Government


* * *

ORIGINAL EMAIL
Subject: The Advocates is facing a terrible crisis

Dear friend,

This is the most painful message I've ever had to write.

The Advocates for Self-Government is facing a major fiscal crisis. We
desperately need your help.

We've already laid off staff, canceled all discretionary expenditures,
and put
our plans for 2006 on hold.

Time is very short, so I'll quickly explain what caused this emergency.

I'll tell you what we must do to fix it, and how you can help.

Before I do, let me say this: You've never before received a message
like this
from the Advocates. That's because we've never before been in a
situation like
this.

We're a frugal, penny-pinching organization.

We pride ourselves on being fiscally trustworthy.

As president for the last 10 years, I've worked to build the Advocates
into an
organization that is respected around the world. I hate to think that
all our
progress could be jeopardized.

But we've run into a one-time predicament that we simply couldn't
anticipate.

Here's what happened...

In October 2005, we celebrated the Advocates 20th anniversary with a
three-day
conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Atlanta.

We had an all-star line-up of speakers. Headlining was Hugh Downs, the
former
host of ABC's 20/20. He had never before appeared at a libertarian
event. Best-
selling author Robert Ringer also spoke. He hadn't appeared at a
libertarian
event in 25 years.

We thought the opportunity to see Hugh Downs and Robert Ringer would
make this
an irresistible, once-in-a-lifetime event for libertarians.

Harry Browne, David Bergland, Mary Ruwart, Congressman Ron Paul, and
others
were also on the agenda.

It really was a first-class line-up, with something for every
libertarian.

We advertised in Reason magazine, the Libertarian Communicator, LP
News, and
Liberty magazine. We sent out mailings and emails.

I expected this conference to follow in the footsteps of our 15th
anniversary
event, five years earlier. That event had sold out quickly and made a
profit.

For our 20th anniversary, I confidently predicted that we would sell
every one
of the 350 tickets we had available.

At worst, I expected we'd sell 200 tickets and break even.

We didn't. We sold just over 100 tickets.

Financially, it was a bloodbath for us.

With just over 100 people, we didn't cover the cost of the meals,
meeting
rooms, or hotel services. We didn't come anywhere close to selling the
number
of hotel rooms we had guaranteed.

The painful bottom line: We owe the hotel $48,906.

I'm still not sure what went wrong.

I don't know if libertarians weren't excited about seeing Hugh Downs,
Robert
Ringer, or the other speakers. I don't know if an uncertain economy
made people
reluctant to travel. I just don't know.

The people who did attend the anniversary celebration loved it. Many
told me it
was the best libertarian event they had ever been to.

But compliments, while they warm my heart, don't pay the bills.

That's why I must ask you for help.

Before I do, I need to say this: I take full responsibility for this
crisis.
It was my fault.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I put the Advocates in a dangerous financial position. Even
though I
had every reason to believe this conference would be a success, I feel
terrible that it wasn't.

Most of all, I'm sorry the Advocates is being forced to deal with this
fiscal
crisis, rather than go full steam ahead with what we do best --
advancing the
cause of liberty.

It's my fault, and I must ask for your help to fix it.

The Advocates needs to raise $48,906. That's what it will take to get
us out
of debt.

We need that $48,906 immediately. The hotel was kind enough to give us
six
months to pay -- but that time is up.

This isn't hyperbole. I wouldn't ask for your help if the need wasn't
urgent
and real.

Until this debt is paid off, the Advocates is paralyzed.

If we can't raise $48,906 right now, I'll have to spend the rest of the
year
trying to scrape the money together, while trying to avoid the
possibility of
legal action against us.

The Advocates for Self-Government, one of the most active and
innovative
groups in the libertarian movement, will be sidelined -- at a time when
America
desperately needs to hear our libertarian message.

If the debt is paid off, we'll be able to move forward with our unique
programs
that move liberty forward...

* Getting more people to take the World's Smallest Political Quiz. More
than
5.5 million have already taken the online Quiz -- and many of them
learned
about libertarianism for the first time.

* Reaching more people with our Liberator Online email newsletter, the
largest-
circulation libertarian publication in the world. More than 65,000
people in
100 countries already read it.

* Encouraging more vital, grassroots libertarian outreach with our
"Lights of
Liberty" awards. Hundreds of thousands of Americans encounter the
libertarian
message every year thanks to our "Lights of Liberty" award-winners.

* Distributing acclaimed tools like Operation Politically Homeless and
books
like Secrets of Libertarian Persuasion and Libertarianism In One
Lesson.

* Getting the Quiz into thousands of classrooms around the country.
More than
420 schools already use it.

There's so much we want to do in 2006! But we can't do anything until
this
debt is paid off.

And we can't pay off the debt without your help.

If you've never made a contribution to us before, can you make one now?
Anything you can give will help.

If you've given before, can you match or double that previous amount?
If you can afford it, can you donate $500 or $1,000?

Your donation -- however large or small -- moves us closer to paying
off the
$48,906 we owe.

Right now, as you read this message, you hold the fate -- the future --
of the
Advocates in your hands.

Your generosity is the only thing that stands between us and disaster.

Please click here to safely make your secure online donation now:
https://www.fbs.net/advocates/donate.cfm

Thank you for anything you can do to help.

     Sincerely,

     Sharon Harris
     President, Advocates for Self-Government

PS: If you can help, I'll make two promises:

***1. Every penny you give will be used to eliminate our conference
debt.***

2. If you have any questions, I'll personally answer them. If you're
not sure
how we got into this crisis, or what we need to do to get out of it,
just
email me. I will respond.

The Advocates isn't some big, impersonal organization. I consider
anyone who
makes a donation to be a friend. And if a friend has a question, I'll
answer
it. Email me at sharon@TheAdvocates.org. (Or call me at our office at
(770)
386-8372.)

If you make a donation, I want you to be 100% certain that you've made
a good
decision, and that your hard-earned money will be used exactly the way
I say
it will. You have my personal promise on that.

But please don't delay in making a contribution. We need to raise that
$48,906
immediately. We're going to need everyone to pitch in to get through
this. Can
I count on you?

Please click here to safely make your secure online donation now:
https://www.fbs.net/advocates/donate.cfm

Thank you so much.

Sharon

==========================================

* * * * UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! * * * *

The crisis is still real. We still owe that $48,906.

But... thanks to the incredible generosity of Liberator Online readers,
we are
much closer to settling it!

To date, in response to my email, we have received $19,574. WOW! --
THANK
YOU!!!

In addition to this, I have been talking to supporters in person and 
by phone,
which has brought in pledges totallin $20,000. A printed letter is in
the mail
now, and I'm hoping it will bring in donations, too.

But WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP. We *must* pay this bill.

We now need $9,332.

Whatever you can give now will help put us over the top.

If you haven't yet -- can you please help us with a donation?
https://www.fbs.net/advocates/donate.cfm
(A safe, secure site graciously provided by the good libertarian folks
at
Future Business Systems.)


*  *  *  *  *  *

I have been so heartened by the flood of supportive email I have
received along
with your donations. I must share a few examples with you:

"Hope this helps... Thanks for all you do in promoting the libertarian
principles in our society! You are sorely needed! "

"Though I'm a poor law student and money is tight, helping keep the
bulwark of
liberty that is Advocates for Self-Government alive is a cause that I
can find
a few bucks for. I hope that you're able to keep up the fight."

"This is my morning coffee money for the week. Use it well."

"I love your organization. I love what it stands for, I love the
columns I read
in your e-newsletter (esp. "Good News, Bad News and Unbelievable
News"). I'll
do what I can to keep you guys around!"

"Donation sent. I hope to hear everybody else chipped in enough to put
you back
in the black. You guys occupy a very important niche in the libertarian
ecology. If you didn't exist it would be necessary (and difficult) to
invent
you."

... and that's just a small sampling. This outpouring of support has
truly
lifted my spirits in this difficult time.

You can see more comments here:
http://www.theadvocates.org/response-from-supporters.html

*  *  *  *  *  *

Again, I promise you that EVERY CENT YOU DONATE will go to end our
conference
debt.

Thanks to you, I can see light at the end of this very dark tunnel.

I will not forget the great support you gave the Advocates during this
crisis
time.

My sincerest thanks to every one of you.

Please click here to safely make your secure online donation now:
https://www.fbs.net/advocates/donate.cfm

Or you can call our office at (770) 386-8372.

Again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

        Best wishes,

        Sharon

[JonM]

Gave them a donation and suggested they consider relocating to New Hampshire.

[Fluff and Stuff]

Gave them a donation and suggested they consider relocating to New Hampshire.

Or, at least hold their parties there.  They get tons of big names and no one shows up because there are not many highly active libertarians in the Atlanta area.

[Kat Kanning]

Dear friend,

GREAT NEWS! HOORAY!  And THANK YOU!

Last night I sent Liberator Online readers the second of two appeals,
asking you to help us pay off a devastating debt from our recent 20th
Anniversary Conference. That debt -- $48,906 to the hotel alone -- had simply
paralyzed us.

The first email brought a great response. In the second, I told you we
needed $9,332 more.

Again, you responded!

And now the results: WE'VE JUST REACHED THAT AMOUNT!

That's right! The generosity of Liberator Online readers in this time
of crisis -- along with pledges we have from other supporters -- will enable us
to pay the hotel debt!

I know from messages I've been receiving during the last week that
you've been pulling for us. And I knew you would want to know as soon as we hit our
goal.

I have been SO MOVED by the response of libertarians from all over the
world who have come forward to make sure we get past this crisis. The
messages we have received have touched me deeply. I will treasure them always.
(Please take a moment to read some of them here:
http://www.theadvocates.org/response-from-supporters.html )

Again, THANK YOU!

Thanks to your generosity, we wrote a substantial check to the hotel
and delivered it TODAY. (As soon as funds come in from pledges made, we'll
pay the rest, and that huge debt will be gone!)

We're still reeling from this crisis, but -- thanks to you -- we're
getting back on our feet and will soon be able to focus again on our vital work
for the glorious cause of liberty that you and I love so much.

As I write this, more donations are coming in, and those funds will be
offered back to the donors. Remember that I promised that *** every penny ***
given in response to those two emails would go to pay our conference debt. I
will keep that promise.

Of course this doesn't mean that the Advocates no longer needs your support. If
you were considering making a donation to help with the hotel bill,
that same gift will still be greatly appreciated -- but BE SURE TO LET US KNOW
(in the comments field) THAT IT'S OK WITH YOU for that money to be spent on
Advocates programs instead of debt payment.

Your donation to the ongoing work of the Advocates is still urgently
needed and most welcome! You can safely make a donation at our special secure page
here:
https://www.fbs.net/advocates/donate.cfm

I'll share more details with you in the next Liberator Online, which
will go out tomorrow night. For now, please join me in celebrating!

And THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!

   Sharon Harris
   President
   Advocates for Self-Government

[aries]

Got both of those newsletters 

I'm so antsy to get out of college and get a real good well paying job so I can afford to make donations like that. I'm glad enough people donated.