We would thoroughly enjoy acting as your host for a visit to the Capitol when we return to Salem for the short session in Februrary 2012. Available dates are from February 1st through March 6th and we will return to the district for interim work beginning March 7th.

Please view the information below as a guide to help design your visit. When you’ve decided which visitor experience is best for you, please contact us at Rep.ShawnLindsay@state.or.us or call (503) 986-1430. Rep. Lindsay’s Chief of Staff, Laura Jannsen, will assist you in making all the needed arrangements.

Visitor Options:
1. Morning Bagels and Coffee with Shawn in the Capitol café (8:00 am – 8:30 am)
2. Meet & Greet with Rep. Lindsay and historical tour of the building (we’ll set up an official tour with Visitor  Services; only available 9:00 am - 3:00 pm)
3. Can’t wait for an appointment?! Watch a virtual tour of the capitol via a short video:
http://www.leg.state.or.us/capinfo/ (click on ‘Entire Capitol Tour’)

** Tours of the tower and the gold man will not be available due to forseeable weather conditions  

Especially for Kids:
1. Act as a student intern for a day in Rep. Lindsay’s office
2. Kids virtual tour of the Capitol: http://www.leg.state.or.us/kids/ (Click on ‘Oregon’s Capitol’)

Honorary Page Program:

The House Honorary Page Program operates during the legislative session from the middle of January to the first of June in the odd-numbered years. An honorary page may serve for one day.

Page service is a unique honor with a rich history. The first pages were actually apprentice knights. Pages served while they received scholastic, social and military education. Pages who successfully completed their studies were then squires and allowed to continue their education. Hardworking squires were rewarded with the honor of knighthood. Pages were first associated with lawmaking bodies when they began appearing in royal courts. The term "honorary page" is applied to our guest attendants today because it recalls the honorable status and goals of pages in history.

Pages today have somewhat different duties. This web page will give you a preliminary introduction to our program. Then serving as a page, we hope that you will learn about legislative procedures and see firsthand the way the state legislature functions. Have a good time!

Qualifications: Minimum age is 12 years old.

Scheduling: Contact Shawn's office at (503) 986-1430 or rep.shawnlindsay@state.or.us. The Honorary Page Coordinator will send out written confirmation of the date and time of your visit. The House schedules only six honorary pages on any one day, so your date may be a few weeks away.

Dress Code: Please be aware that when the honorary pages assist in the House Chamber during a floor session, they are in contact with elected officials and may be on television as part of the gavel- to-gavel coverage. We recommend clean, modest clothing respectful of the Oregon State Capitol, as well as comfortable shoes. Unnatural hair color/haircuts, nose rings/studs, extreme clothing such as short tight skirts and/or pants, low-cut blouses or shirts, logo T-shirts, etc., are not appropriate for the House Chamber.

Hours: Check in with the Honorary Page Coordinator, Room H-271 in the State Capitol when coming on duty. The day will begin with a detailed historical tour of the Capitol. During the daily floor session, you will have the opportunity to meet some of our Representatives. Duties for honorary pages in the afternoon vary in tasks such as using a copy machine, filing and running errands. If you become separated from the group or are unable to complete a task, report back to H-271 immediately.

A typical day for an honorary page is from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. with a lunch period at noon. (There are fast-food restaurants close as well as the Capitol Cafe in the basement of the Capitol Building.)

Decorum: We look to parliamentary custom and basic courtesy to define the conduct of pages while on duty. The Speaker of the House is responsible for the decorum of all personnel in the House Chamber. Supervision of the honorary pages is the responsibility of the Honorary Page Coordinator. Honorary pages will primarily serve the legislative needs of the Representatives while in session, but you may also assist the committee staff and Representatives' personal staff.

Rules to Follow During Session:

Assigned stations are to be occupied except when on an authorized errand. When leaving the House floor, check with the Honorary Page Coordinator.

The center aisle and the space between the front desk and the members' desks are limited to Representatives' use only.

Do not cross between a speaker and the rostrum, or two Representatives engaged in debate.

Pages are not to express opinions or speak except when necessary to complete an assignment.

Be alert to the Representatives' needs at all times.

All notes carried are confidential and not to be read by anyone except the addressee. Overheard conversations should remain confidential.

When carrying messages to the Senate, always remain outside the bar. The Senate doorkeeper will gain the attention of a Senate page who will accept and deliver the message.

Eating and/or drinking is not permitted in the House chamber. The Oregon State Capitol is a non-smoking building.