TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2012

This day is being planned to give you and your children an opportunity to visit our state Capitol building and enjoy a civic time of learning about the operation of our state government. We want you to meet your elected legislators and show your appreciation and thanks for being able to teach your children at home in Home-based Private Educational Programs.

The following is a tentative schedule for the day. When we visit the Capitol we must remember that this will be a working day for elected officials and their staff. We have to work around their schedule which may not be known until that very morning. Invited speakers will come and speak to the group as they are available and times may vary.

This will be a full day of activities so plan to arrive at the Capitol by 9:00 a.m.

9:00 - 9:30 a.m.-- Arrive at the State Capitol, restroom break, and meet in the large North Hearing Room on the second floor at the head of the stairs in the North wing of the Capitol. Bring your lunches or coolers with you for lunch at noon and it may be a good idea to put your name on your lunch in case they get mixed up. We can leave these items in the room while we go back and forth between activities. We recommend that items of value such as purses, cameras, etc, not be left in the room. We will do a short orientation of the activities for the day and then continue. If you are unsure of where things are located in the Capitol, ask at the information desk in the rotunda on the ground floor.

9:30 a.m.-  We will go as a group to the theater in the basement of the Capitol and view the DVD describing the Capitol design and architecture for a preview of what we will see throughout the day.

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon-  Meet back in the North Hearing Room. A number of legislators and staff people have been invited to speak to our group and will do so as their schedule permits.

12:00 - 12:45 p.m.-  Eat lunch in the North Hearing Room. You may want to observe the protestors rally during the noon hour in the rotunda as they meet every day during the noon hour.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.-  Tour the Capitol. Our guide will be Marv Munyon!!

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.-  Sightsee in the Capitol or meet with your own Senator and representatives if you so desire. We recommend that you call ahead and make an appointment. We may have some National Home School Study Booklets available for you to hand to your representative, so that they may have some good solid information on home schoolers across the nation. This is a great time to let these people see how dedicated and committed we homeschoolers are to the education of our children!

3:00 p.m.- on-  You are on your own. Some suggestions are:  if the legislature is on the floor, you can sit in the Assembly and/or Senate galleries and observe a floor session in progress, visit legislative offices, visit the free admission Wisconsin Veterans Museum on the southwest side of the Capitol square, or you may want to head home at this time.

If you have never been to Ella's Deli & Ice Cream Parlor you may want to stop there on the way out of town. It is a place that all children and adults love to stop at. It is located at 2902 East Washington Ave.

Suggested Parking at the Capitol:  Parking is always a concern when going to the Capitol. There should be parking available in two different locations near the Capitol. Our suggestion is to arrive as soon as you can- the earlier the better-- to get a parking spot.
Parking for cars and vans- if you are coming into Madison from I-94 or Hwy. 151 on East Washington, turn right on Butler Street two blocks before the Capitol. In the next block there is a large parking ramp. Parking is usually available in this ramp and it is reasonable in price. If you park at parking meters, you will have to continue to go out and plug the meters whereas you can park in the ramp and not need to worry about paying until you leave. There is also an open parking lot to the left at Butler Street adjoining East Washington Ave. It is just a short walk, about a block and a half, from either of these parking areas to the Capitol.

We trust you will join us for a great day at the Capitol and we look forward to seeing you!!

You do not have to be a subscriber to Wisconsin CHEA in order
to attend!!

ALL are welcome-- spread the word!!