>Network Meeting Bilbao – Get ready for the next level!

>

AEGEE Network Meeting Bilbao, Spain
Network Commission & AEGEE-Bilbao
12th – 14th November, 2010

In the middle of cold and rainy November, a group of 50 people from more than 20 different locals gathered in the north of Spain, in order to get to the next level. Yep, I’m talking about network meeting in Bilbao!
This Spanish network meeting was a bit different that the first one in Madrid. This network meeting was aimed on tackling the topic of European level in AEGEE and focusing on finding the ways how to motivate (new) members to become more active.
We started on sunny afternoon on Friday with icebreaking games in the park. Bunch of people from Spain, France, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Czech Republic and Slovakia got to know each other better through different cool games. In the evening, we left from Bilbao, to the rural cottage in the middle of nowhere in the woods of beautiful Spanish countryside.
During Saturday and Sunday, participants had a chance to get to know more about each antenna’s activities and tried to brainstorm about possible future cooperation and joint projects. As there were some fresh members as well, we also had an introductory course to AEGEE. Great trainers’ team provided workshops about running an antenna and about twin antenna project; presentation about current European projects of AEGEE and how to get involved and we also delivered sessions about developing thematic activities for 2011, about human resources management and developing HR strategies.

On Saturday we had great fun during European Night, which was
happening in the same rural cottage and organizers prepared for us also nice cultural programme, explaining us about old myths and legends from Basque country.
Sunday was cold and rainy, but cottage full of AEGEE spirit was the best place to have an interesting case study, which gave our participants an opportunity to try to organize a fictional summer university. After lunch, network meeting was over and we all left from rainy Bilbao back to our home cities and countries. Tired, but happy after fruitful network meeting, where we had fun, where we made new friends, where we learnt something useful and where we spent enjoyable autumn weekend.
Thanks, AEGEE-Bilbao for great organization; thanks, great participants, for active contribution during sessions; thanks, trainers’ team for helping us to make this network meeting being so great!
And now it is time to get to the next level!
By Miroslava Ganzarcikova, Comité Directeur 2010/2011