8th January 2009

Conference 2009 Draft Agenda

Filed under: Conference, NewsChris Hunt @ 1:29 pm

Jeff Murry has produced a draft agenda for this year’s Affiliated Groups’ Conference:

Friday 13th March

19.00 onwards
Registration
During evening
Meet and Greet / socialise
Quiz

Saturday 14th March

8.30
Breakfast
9:30
Opening Address

  1. Welcome and introductions
  2. Warden of National Forest YH
  3. Order of Agenda
9:40
Apologies for absence
9.45
Minutes of Previous Conference (circulated to groups previously)

  1. Accuracy (to be notified to Chairman prior to meeting)
  2. Matters Arising from the minutes
9.50
WORKSHOP 1 – Map Reading / Navigation
10.45
Tea / Coffee Break
11.15
KEY SPEAKER – Chris Darmon, YHA Chairman
12:00
PRESENTATION 1 – First Aid
12:45
LUNCH
14:00
Walk to include Map Reading Outside (put your skills to work)
19:00
CONFERENCE DINNER
20:00
Party time

Sunday 15th March

9:00
Breakfast
9:45
Election of Representatives to 2009 Company AGM
10:00
Presentation of Presidents Award
10:25
Motions to 2009 Company AGM
11:15
Web Site Workshop
11:45
Refreshments
12:00
Walk – 5-6 miles led by Leicester Group
16:00
Close

Personally, I’m less than impressed with this suggestion. Most of the work that the conference has to do – awards, elections and motions – is squeezed into 90 minutes on day 2, whilst huge swathes of time on day 1 are wasted on, heaven help us, yet another map reading exercise. Is anybody coming who can’t read a map? Can these sessions possibly teach them to do so?

How can the Conference best serve YHA and its affiliated groups? What would you like to see on the agenda? You might be as unhappy with Jeff’s agenda as I am, but at least he’s pulled his finger out and produced something. Without feedback from groups, he has no way of knowing what they want (and don’t want) to do in March.

PS. The “Web Site Workshop” scheduled for Sunday is a session Jeff wants me to lead. I think most groups who want a web presence have set one up by now, so how much use would such a session be? Is there any aspect of  the internet and its relationship to groups that you’d like to see covered?

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4 Comments »
  1. Ivan
    8 Jan 2009 @ 6:00 pm

    I was looking forward to attending this years conference, until I found out the price!

    I find it hard to believe that the National Forest Youth Hostel was the cheapest place to hold a conference.

    I also agree that a conference can be held in one day. This years conference at Bradwell was excellent and value for money, with a good meal and social on Saturday evening and a walk led by the local group on Sunday morning. Perhaps we should have gone back there again.

    Unfortunately, I will not be attending this year, and wonder if anybody will be attending this years conference.

    Ivan

  2. 8 Jan 2009 @ 6:22 pm

    Don’t give up on it just yet, Ivan, the price hasn’t been fixed yet either. I agree with you, though, that Bradwell should be taken as a model

  3. Nigel
    8 Jan 2009 @ 7:03 pm

    If I was a member of a local group (which I’m not), I’d be pretty appalled by that agenda. It seems more like a social with a bit of official business pushed in to justify the event in the first place.

  4. Jeff Murry
    9 Jan 2009 @ 9:38 am

    I have applied to the Gatliff Trust for a grant to help fund the conference. This has been agreed and the cheque issued. I can now offer a reduction in the accommodation by £3 per night to the first 40 delegates booking through National Forest YH. The overnight cost is therefore now £19.90 per night

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