We are sad to say that the digital Spring meeting was the last for the Board of National Organisations and we are nothing but grateful for their contribution. We have reached out to the board members and gathered inspiring input on their motivations and takeaways from the experience, if you are also inspired by their work consider applying to become a member yourself!
What made you apply to chair the Board of National Committees?
“Having been in my National Committee (NC) board for two years I thought that it was time for something new and I wanted to explore the international governance of EYP further. During my time in the NC Board I attended the BNC Meeting four times, which gave me a lot of experience on how the international governance works, especially in terms of the work of the BNC and its board.” – Iida
“I’ve had a strong interest in international governance, even before I first joined my NC Board in September 2016. The BNC Board seemed like a role suited to my skills and interests. It is a slightly strange role in that you are not necessarily advocating too much change in direction yourself, but rather ensuring the space exists for others to express their views.” – Peter
How did you like working in the Board the past year? What were some highlights of your Board’s term?
“The BNC Meeting of 19-02 was a big highlight for me. Getting to meet all NC representatives, members of the Governing Body and the International Office was really great. We had worked very hard to plan and pre-prepare for the BNC meeting and having it be a success was a great experience. The meeting of 20-01 was very different, but a highlight in itself as well. We had to thinking about alternative ways to run the meeting, prepare additional documents and do a lot of planning that had not been done before. The meeting in my opinion was a success and a great learning experience.” – Iida
“Successfully delivering the first Digital BNC Meeting has to be a highlight. Going digital was not planned and I still think physical meetings will have a place going forward. However, proving that it is possible to have a meaningful BNC meeting covering a limited range of issues means there will be more flexibility for International Governance in the future. I also think it’s really cool to be able to live stream the whole event and show the network the important work that their NC representatives are doing.” – Peter
What are you taking away from this experience?
“First and foremost, the connections and friends I have made and the mutual trust we have created. This has made the work so much easier, since I have felt comfortable to share my ideas and get feedback and help to make them a reality. Secondly, the skills of running an international meeting and chairing discussions. I believe this to be especially useful in the future in working-life. Finally, I have gained trust in myself and in my skills. I have learned a lot, but also realised that I also know a lot already and those skills have also been very useful! All in all, I highly recommend applying to the BNC Board, if you have even a little feeling that you should! A variety of skills and knowledge is needed for the Board and if all the Board members have little bit different skills and interests it is only positive for the work of the Board.” – Iida
“I have learned that we have a very engaged EYP Network who do take in an interest in the decisions that ultimately affect how sessions are run and the volunteer experience. One thing that was really heartening is that 37 National Committees managed to attend and vote in the Online BNC Meeting. When we planned it, we had no idea how high the turnout would be with the switch from physical to digital and were surprised so many NCs made the commitment to attend. I think this shows that every National Committee has a very dedicated board” – Peter
