20 October 2018

Dear Distinguished Delegates:

Welcome to the 2018 Montana Model United Nations (MMUN) High School Conference! As your secretaries general and committee chairs, we are looking forward to meeting you and hearing your ideas for solving international problems.

The United Nations (UN) depends on the cooperation and goodwill of its 193 Member States. Because each state has unique interests and concerns, it is challenging to write, negotiate, and pass resolutions. Every stage of the process demands creativity and diplomacy.

As your secretaries-general and committee chairs, we will work to keep the 2018 MMUN committees running smoothly. We will do our best to help you understand parliamentary procedure and to ensure that the views of all delegates are heard and respected.

We expect each delegate to come to the conference with an understanding of his or her country’s positions and a willingness to forge agreements. The best way to prepare to represent your country well, is to complete the ‘Country Worksheet' found on the MMUN Website and bring it to the conference for your own reference. To ensure that you act professionally and diplomatically, please learn and practice MMUN’s Rules of Procedure, and read and adhere to MMUN’s Delegate Dress and Conduct Code. Those documents and many more can be found on the Welcome and Information, Tools for Delegates, and Topic Guide pages of the Montana Model UN website. It is highly recommended that you print all of the above documents, plus the Rules Chart, Resolution Writing Guide and Template, your position paper, the topic and background guides for your committee, and any additional research regarding your country compiled in a binder or folder to give you easy access to these resources at the conference.

The UNA-USA Model UN Preparation Guide has additional tips for researching your country, writing position papers, preparing your speeches, and participating effectively in caucuses (http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-model-un/how-to-participate/model-un-preparation).

Please note that position papers are due by 11:59 pm on Monday, November 5th. In late October, we will provide you and your teachers with instructions for submitting your position paper to your committee.

If you have any questions or comments before the conference, please contact Secretary-General External Bailey Durnell — at mtmodelun@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you at the University of Montana on Monday, November 20 and wish you the very best in your preparations.

Sincerely,

• Carly Chapdelaine, Secretary General-Internal
• Bailey Durnell, Secretary General-External