If you have been to an Agora or EBM, you have seen the Chair Team sitting on stage. Some things are obvious: they preside over the plenaries, make sure you can present your candidature, type ferociously, run around in suits, and cut people off.
But there is more work to be done than meets the eye, so have a look behind the scenes.
Like all other teams and Working Groups in AEGEE, the Chair Team also heavily depends on skype meetings and emails, and we can hardly remember the few days when we did not have emails in our inbox. This brings a lot of flexibility, as you can check your emails wherever you are, reply whenever it suits you best and we mostly schedule our meetings at 11 pm so we do not have to take the entire evening off. It might also happen that you think you will just quickly check your mail and end up replying to all mails for at least 30 minutes.
“Of course. I am young, I can work the whole night. I can sleep when I am retired.”, Ilija Bojchovikj, IT Responsible (when asked by Yvonne at midnight if he can help with a task for the next two hours).
We set up the online application system and are in charge of the communication with the participants (you can send your questions to chair@aegee.org), local organizers, the Fair Manager, the Content Manager of the EBM, and CD members. The work behind the screens thus is fairly administrative. This is what makes the Chair Team a bit different from other bodies in AEGEE. Our work is very concrete, goal-oriented, and more or less efficient. We know all the hard work will pay off, because the event we work towards is going to take place. Working so closely with lots of other people and European level bodies is very rewarding and we enjoy the contact with the network.
We cannot manage all our responsiblities just via email. Before every Staturoy Event we have a Chair weekend (somewhere in Europe) where we have a very intense schedule, but also lots of fun and time for teambuilding activities. Next to the Chair Team, the Juridical Commission and the Secretary General of AEEGE-Europe are present. We select participants and workshops, discuss the proposals, arrange the agenda for the event, divide prytania, structure the plenaries, keep in touch with the local organizers and discuss whatever else comes up. During such weekends, working for 11 hours a day is rather common than exceptional.
Mariella Rapa, Vice-Chair: “I have by now accepted the fact that I will never bring my unread emails down to zero because as soon as I finish, I would have two new ones for sure – it’s like plucking a gray hair out of one’s head; you will end up getting two more in its place. “
During the Agora itself, the 11 hour workday of the Chair weekend almost seems like a piece of cake. We get up early, are the first ones in the plenary room in the morning, work after the programme for day is finished (for instance because the vote counting might take up to 2 a.m.) and cannot join the parties until the break of dawn like other participants. Some of the best, yet very challenging moments, are the prytania and plenaries. The Secretary is very busy typing, the IT Responsible has to make sure all presentations are running smoothly, and the Chairs will do their best so all points on the agenda can be dealt with in time. The challenge is to manage for everyone to be heard, to remain impartial, to always keep an eye on efficiency, always stick to the rules, not to take any offense personal, and to ensure a fair and fruitful discussion.
Sygrit Andringa, Secretary of the Agora/ EBM: “It is a lot of work, but coffee, good music and chocolate keep me going. It is rewarding when everyone involved is happy (participants, CD, JC, organisers, Chair Team) even when things do not go as smoothly as planned.”
The team consists of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and IT Responsible. The Chairperson and the Secretary are elected during the Autumn Agora. The IT Responsible is appointed after an open call has been sent to the network. The Vice-Chair can either be elected during the Agora, but if there is no candidate, he can be selected via open call. Before the Autumn Agora, people interested in the task can apply as job shadowers.
Yvonne Antonović, Chair: “The most special moments for me are the Opening Plenary (when you finally get started after all the hard work you have done to prepare a Statutory Event) and the Closing Plenary (when you can get to thank the people you worked with). The big smiles on the faces of the people really come from the very heart.”
We do our best to keep up a clear and friendly communciation with the network (also including you!) and to ensure that the Statutory events are run in a professional way.
We are always happy for your feedback and you can always feel free to approach us at any time.
See you somewhere in Europe!
The Chair Team 2012
written by the Chair Team 2012