David Garcia Rodriguez from AEGEE-León has been active in AEGEE for a long time. After being subcommissioner of the Audit Commission for some time he has decided to put forward a candidature for that particular commission and The AEGEEan interviewed him about his interests.
When and why did you join AEGEE?
David: I joined AEGEE after my Erasmus studies in The Netherlands, as I missed the European feeling and I speak only English. I wanted to feel that again. After joining, I attended to some local events and training courses. Summer came and I attended a Summer University in Istanbul, were I discovered what it is like to be active in AEGEE. After my return to León, I attended the Fundraising European School (FRES) Zaragoza, where I learned even more about how AEGEE works internally and at the European level. Right after that I applied for a board position in my local as FR-responsible. In a few weeks I was organizing events and encouraging all my friends and classmates to join AEGEE. Not only for parties,but for the experience and knowledge they could earn with it.
I have to mention my mentor in this Article, which is Jorge Ruíz Quintela from AEGEE-León, because he introduced me to the wonderful world of AEGEE.
The Audit Commission is a very serious Commission which primary goal is not to provide a cool experience for the Commissioners but to supervise the Financial Director. We now have a very competent, experienced and hard-working Financial Director (FD), so do you consider yourself to be capable of supervising such a Financial Director? And what are your qualifications for this task?
You are right, our current Financial Director is fully capable to deal with all financial AEGEE-tasks. I really admire her, and on my first visit to the CD House I was really impressed. From my point of view, the Audit Commission is an internal organ whose main task is to supervise the FD, but further than auditing, we are here to provide support in her tasks.
I still have a lot to learn and I believe I have the full support from former Audit Commissions, to whom we can ask for help and advice, but, replying to your question, I feel motivated enough to take care properly of that task. I have attended the two Audit meetings I was invited to, and I have observed their practices.
You have only taken part in 1,5 Agora, do you plan to be more active in terms of statutory events?
Unfortunately I have only attended, as you said one and a half Agorae. In that time I was looking for a job and I could not spend time on traveling during the week days. Now I have a stable job, so I can attend them. However, I was following the news of the other statutory events I could not attend, such as EBM Izmir, Agora Enschede, EBM Valleta, and Agora Rhein-Neckar, and I will participate actively in this Agora Zaragoza.
On the contrary you have been in many different trainings such as the European School. How have the experiences of ES1 & FRES prepared you for the Audit Commission?
FRES, as my first event, prepared me for the local level, and European School 2 Castelló prepared me for focusing on project development, but I don’t think that those events prepared me for the Audit Commission. This is something that you cannot learn in any event. In my program I am proposing an idea which will be Traesury European School and Treasury Workshops on NWM´s, more focused on helping those antennae which are having difficulties with treasury and financial reports. This is something that I have learnt on my work environment together with the European knowledge I got on those AEGEE events, and my business studies.
Why did you join CRC, what have you done in CRC so far and how do you plan to help in CRC?
I joined CRC (Corporate Relations Comitee) with the aim of helping them to collect money in order to give economical support to the organization of events, but, I have to say that my activity in it has been very passive.I would say that I did not put too much effort on this activity and it is one of my limitations in AEGEE. However I appreciate the work thy are doing and the opportunity and confidence they put in me.
What have you learned as job shadower of the Audit Commission?
I have learned basically the main tasks an Audit Commissioner should know. Which things we should check on the reports, and which reports we need to check. How to validate the Financial report of AEGEE Europe and all the locals. But if I am elected I hope I will learn much more.
How would you like to help treasurers across the Network as Audit Commission?
Taken the idea from the former Audit Commission, we will deliver an AEGEE Treasurers Manual, and we will help them on any treasury query they would have trough mail, or Facebook Group. Also, as I said, I will promote the idea of Treasury European School and Workshops on events, so they can get more skills related to their tasks and share experiences and questions.
How do you plan to make sure that all antennae submit their Financial Reports, which is an important antenna criteria that not all locals fullfill?
With the idea of the Treasury European School and Workshops on events, plus he treasury manual, they will be able to elaborate Financial Reports, and they will submit it (theoretically). However we will be in touch with them and we will remind and help them on doing it.
How have you gained deep knowledge about how the AEGEE Network works?
By attending the already mentioned events, and staying tuned up to AEGEE mailing lists, I got a general idea of the AEGEE Network, but the most revealing experience was my first visit to the CD house, where they are very glad to explain their daily tasks. Then you have have a real idea what AEGEE is and why those guys are there.
How do you plan to increase the recognition of the Audit Commission in the Network?
By making us more active and accessible to all members and specially for treasurers, we hope they will be more encouraged to join the Audit Commission in future terms as Job Shadowers or as members.
Those are all very interesting plans for the Audit Commission and The AEGEEan wishes David good luck with his candidature.
Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Koebenhavn