Please join us Fri 13th for our DemsAbroad Get-Together - details below. 

Friday 13 Feb at 19:30 at the Ratskeller Restaurant - Stuttgart Markplatz, basement of the Rathaus. If you plan to attend, it would be great if you could send a quick email to ensure enough seating.

ATTENTION: We will have our election for Chair of Stuttgart (interested??) and I urge you to sign up to attend our Germany-Wide Annual Meeting on Saturday March 7 in Munich - see below for details.

We can relive the inarguration and discuss what has been accomplished in the first few weeks of the Obama Administration and what needs to be done over the coming months/years.

IMPORTANT: As required by the Democrats Abroad By-Laws, there must be an election for Chair of Democrats Abroad Stuttgart – it will be at our next Get Together on Friday 13 February at the Ratskeller so this is the official announcement  - anyone interested in nanomating someone or running for the post please contact me. For the rules of the election, please visit http://www.democratsabroad.org/node/7530 - or see below for the rules in full.

DAG Annual Meeting - March 7 in Munich

It's time again for the DAG annual general meeting - a celebration of our victory and a look towards the future; also, the election of a new slate of DAG officers and at-large members of the DAG Executive Committee.
With all the excitement about our hope for real change in the future, I am writing to you to tell you about the upcoming Annual General Meeting of Democrats Abroad Germany that will take place Saturday March 7th in Munich starting at 3:00 p.m (check-in and welcome reception to start at 1:30pm).

Every year, in accordance with our bylaws, all of the members of DAG are invited to meet together to conduct any needed business, the most important of which is the election of Officers and At-large members in odd numbered years. This being 2009 and thus an odd numbered year, this year's AGM is your chance to participate in the political process of DAG to its fullest. Not only can you vote, but you can also run for any office you would like to compete for. The rules for this election can be found in the DAG's Bylaws posted here: http://www.democratsabroad.org/node/7530.

This year we will be electing a new Chair, Vice-chair, Secretary, Treasurer and 6 at-large members (the offices of Chair and Vice-chair must be gender balanced per the Charter and Bylaws of the Democratic Party). We will also hear reports from the current officers and newly elected chapter chairs (which are also up for new elections prior to the DAG AGM per our Bylaws), plan our support for President Obama, and vote on any resolutions that come before the organization. Much to do, but a lot of fun and you get to meet all those crazy volunteers sending you Newsletters, passing out election information, organizing events, registering voters and best of all helping to elect Barack Obama the President of the United States. Yes we did, so why not join us?

As we have done for many years, Saturday night we will have a dinner with a special guest speaker, some fun activities and home grown entertainment. For those arriving early or leaving later, the Munich Chapter will try to fill your free time with even more fun and sightseeing. Munich is a great town and there's lots to see and do outside the official meeting on Saturday. All in all, a great weekend of politics, good humor and a chance to meet fellow Democrats and grassroots activists from all over Germany.

So here is the information in more detail on the hotel, meeting and gala dinner location, times, prices and how to register and pay. PLEASE NOTE AND FOLLOW THE DEADLINES.
Democrats Abroad Germany: ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
March 6-8, Hotel Gasthof zur Post, Muenchen-Pasing
Meeting Agenda – 7 MARCH, 2009:
Welcome reception and registration at 13:30
Coffee/Tea/Drinks
Finger food-Buffet
Opening statement and calling the meeting to order - 15:00
Old business
Reports from Officers
Reports from Chapter Chairs
Election of Officers
Selection of Election Chair
Selection of Election Monitors
Report from the Nominating Committee – John McQueen
Call for nominations from the floor for all officers and at-large representatives
Candidate Statements
Voting
Handing over of the gave
New business
Resolution honoring Democratic Party Chair Dr. Howard Dean
Closing statement and calling the meeting adjourned

Gala Dinner:

Cocktail reception (pay as you go): 19:00

3-Course-Meal:

Markklößchensuppe
***
Knusprig gebratenes Spanferkel, Kartoffelknödel, Speck-Krautsalat
or
Bayer. Flusszander auf Gemüsebeet, Kräuterbutter, Petersilienkartoffeln
or
Käsespätzle mit Allgäuer Bergkäse, Röstzwiebeln, kleiner Salat
***
Bayerische Cream with fresh fruit

½ Bottle Water per Person incl.

Hotel Information:
Hotel Gasthof zur Post
Fritz & Andreas Schön KG
Bodenseestraße 4a
D - 81241 München
Tel.: +49 (0) 89-896950
Fax: +49 (0) 89-89695126
eMail: info@hotelzurpost-muenchen.de
http://www.hotelzurpost-muenchen.de/

The rates for the hotel are €60.50 for a single and €82 for a double. When making a reservation, please use the code "94 – Democrats Abroad" so that the hotel will know that the reservation is part of the DAG room block. The hotel Hotel Gasthof zur Post is approximately 5 minutes by foot from the train station Pasing; taxis are available for those who choose not to walk.

Hotel reservations are the responsibility of the individual attendee and reservations must be made directly with the hotel. The rooms are blocked off until the 30th of January at the special discounted price. If there are individuals who cannot afford this or any other hotel, please contact Munich Chapter Chair Randy Caldwell via email at dag-munich@democratsabroad.org.

Hostel information: Hostels in Munich are expensive unless you get a dorm style room or a multi-shared room.
4 You Youth Hostel - http://www.the4you.de/
Easy Palace - http://www.easypalace.de/
Euro Youth Hostel - http://www.euro-youth-hotel.de/
Haus International - http://www.haus-international.de/
Jaeger's Hotel/Hostel - http://www.jaegershotel.de/

PRICES AND HOW TO PAY
All prices are per person, regardless of age:
Meeting only: €18*
Dinner only: €40**
Meeting and Dinner: €55
*Under the rules of the Democratic Party and Democrats Abroad, a fee for attending the meeting is not allowed. The €18 covers the food/coffee/soft drinks at the reception and meeting and the rental of the hall. All participants are asked and urged to pay the above mentioned prices to save funds within DAG, but DAG cannot require it as a condition of attending the meeting. However, non payees should not partake of the refreshments.
**Apart from the water on the table, individual beverages not included.
NOTE: PAYMENT MAY NOT BE MADE IN CASH AND ONLY US CITIZENS MAY MAKE PAYMENT. (It's the law.)
When paying for the meeting amenities or dinner, please bank transfer the Euros to ARRIVE in the DAG account no later than 15 February 2009 to:
KSK Kaiserslautern
Account Name: Democrats Abroad Germany
Konto Nr. 140270299
BLZ 540 502 20

Please put the name of the person(s) ordering meeting refreshments or dinner in the remarks section of the form.
Remember the prices above are per person, so if more than one is coming to either the meeting or the dinner or both, multiply accordingly.
The officers and members of the Executive Committee are looking forward to seeing you in Munich! Please visit our website for any updates and to get information on the planned extracurricular activities: www.democratsabroad..org/group/Germany

March 6-8 extracurricular activities:
Friday Night – A night out in Munich starting with dinner at locale to be announced on our website.
Saturday Morning –
• Schloss Blutenburg and grounds is within walking distance (http://www.blutenburg.de).
• The Munich Rathaus and Marienplatz/Karlsplatz pedestrian zone and city center shopping is just a few Sbahn stops away (http://www.perob.com/pages/index.htm?page=/pages/munich-rathaus.htm).
Sunday – Breakfast at Gasthof zur Post.
Following Breakfast:
• Walking/biking tours (http://www.munichwalktours.de/, http://www.mikesbiketours.com/1.html).
• Nymphenburg Palace and Grounds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphenburg_Palace).
• Art Museums - old, modern and new (http://www.muenchen.de/Stadtleben/Entertainment_Culture/Art/Museums%2c_C...).