Northwood News ♦ April 2014

Have You Heard About the Montgomery County Civic Federation?

By Carole A. Barth

NFCCA has been a member of the Montgomery County Civic Federation (MCCF) for many years, but how much do you know about the MCCF?  In writing testimony, “Civic Feders” often use the tagline, “Representing Montgomery County’s Civic Associations and the Public Interest since 1925” or note that we are one of the County’s oldest community advocacy organizations.  (In fact, our 14 April 2014 membership meeting will be the 855th session of the Federation.)

The Federation can be justifiably proud of the fact that it is a broad-based, all-volunteer organization that has worked so long to preserve and improve the quality of life for all current and future residents of Montgomery County, Maryland.  Anyone who has organized a bake sale, creek cleanup, or grass roots campaign can appreciate what an impressive track record that is.

It’s pretty dang amazing so many ordinary residents have committed themselves to providing an effective citizen voice to government policy makers, both elected and appointed, over so many years.  I say “ordinary” because we are not paid to participate, nor are we beholden to any particular party or interest group.  We all have lives (jobs, families, and passions) that demand our time, energy, and attention.  Most of us are active in our local civic associations.  Yet somehow, we make time for County-wide civic activism as well.

This continuity of commitment helps the MCCF monitor County and State policies and legislation affecting our communities and it informs our in-depth studies of critical issues.  Recognized as the primary voice of residents, the Federation is given representation on several county boards, commissions, advisory committees, and working groups.  But more importantly, the Civic Fed exists to ask the hard questions, to look beneath the political hype, to balance the influence of pressure groups, and to represent our communities.

Still, the Federation is more than our long history — we are evolving with the times and looking for new ways to pursue our mission.  For example:

• MCCF Tweets.  Have you signed up for the MCCF Twitter feed yet?  Join the more than 100 news organizations, politicians, agencies, nonprofits, and just plain folks that follow the Federation (@MC CivicFed).  This is your source for up-to-the-minute information on MCCF events and actions.  The Federation also re-tweets items from other public interest groups of general interest to County residents.  Do you tweet?  Do you want to publicize important events or hot community issues?  Let us know; the Civic Federation is designed to promote cooperation, education, and effectiveness of civic and community associations in Montgomery County.  Tweeting is a convenient way for us to stay in touch with you!

• Great Montgomery Hackathon.  What do you picture when you think of the Federation?  Do you think of talented middle-schoolers enthusiastically engrossed in computer coding?  Well, you should!  That was the scene at the Federation’s first hackathon.  This was a great event that applied young residents’ computer skills to making government more transparent and public data more user-friendly.  It is my hope that this is just the first of many intergenerational projects.  After all, we want to have a vibrant and effective MCCF in 2025!

So how do we get to that future vision?  We get there with your help.  The Federation currently represents about 150,000 people.  MCCF addresses a wide range of concerns in transportation, land use, environment, education, budget and finance, health and human services, public safety, and ethics.  With its strength of numbers and the thoroughness of its deliberations, the Federation influences county policy and balances the activities of vested county pressure groups.  We also partner with groups like the Montgomery County Taxpayer’s League, the Coalition to Save 10 Mile Creek, the Parents’ Coalition, and many others.

Still, we could be doing so much more.  So how about it, have you noticed that communities around the County face many of the same issues?  Do you believe that citizens have a right to be heard?  Do you think neighborhoods should have a say in projects and policies that affect their future?  Do you want to work with dedicated, knowledgeable activists?  Then consider becoming more involved in the Federation.

You could contribute a newsletter article or “Federation Corner” column, organize a program for the monthly meeting, help with an event, join a committee, or help MCCF build capacity.  A great way to start is to attend one of our monthly meetings on the second Monday of the month at 7:45 p.m.  Meetings are held in the First Floor Auditorium of the County Council Office Building at 100 Maryland Avenue, Rockville, Md.  There is free parking in the evenings onsite, and it is close to Metro.  The April 14 meeting will feature a program on the County’s proposed $2 billion+ operating budget — you can’t afford to miss it!

So visit us, tweet us, email us, or even give us a call with your great idea for the “Federation 2.0.”  [Visit MCCF’s website at montgomerycivic.org.]

[Barth, immediate past president of the NFCCA, currently serves as president of MCCF.  She lives on Lockridge Drive.]   ■