Democrats will gather in Portland and Orono this weekend for an Organizing 101 session to get ready for the 2008 elections.

The closed meetings aren’t top secret, said Maine Democratic Party Executive Director Arden Manning, but they don’t want nosy media types there either.

“They aren’t super secret, but it’s not stuff we would want to publicize,” he said.

The national party is sending up a trainer for the sessions, which are expected to draw about 100 people. They’ll learn how to run phone banks and other election activities, Manning said.

Damien LaVera, spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said much of what will be taught is former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean’s 50 state strategy — an effort to build a strong party not just in key presidential states but everywhere.

Part of the training focuses on an online tool that allows people to find 25 voters to contact three times to ask for their support.

“The most effective way to win over new voters is to ask them for their vote,” he said.

Maine and Hawaii are the last states in the country to get this training. And the DNC has provided money for each state party to hire someone to carry on the work once the training session is over, he said.