“Member of the Network Commission – 6 vacant places” – What do these words mean for the average AEGEE member who never thought of applying to for European level body in AEGEE? Not all too much. You might not dream about joining the Network Commission , but at least you will know for sure who we are.”
The Network Commission (NetCom) has been established at the Agora Athina in 1996. The following year, the newly established team worked on creating structures that are still in use right now – we call them antenna criteria.
However, the work of the Network Commissioner, or NetCommie in short, is not only about helping the locals to fulfill all antennae criteria, he has many more tasks– fun and serious, but undoubtedly interesting.
How long do we work for?
Despite the fact that members of the Network Commission are elected two times per year at the Agora, every NetCommie serves a one-year term. Usually there are six vacant places at the Spring Agora and five at the Autumn Agora. This balance of newly-elected and old NetCommies ensures a proper knowledge transfer and transparency, even after half the team changed. Sometimes Network Commissioners resign for different personal reasons before the end of their term, and the team of NetCom has to issue sad, but yet hopeful Open Calls for Network Commission Assistants. They will then work with locals in the same region, replacing the resigning NetCommie.
What do we do?
One article is not enough to tell you about all our responsabilities! However, this is a short version:
– We help locals to fulfill antennae criteria, contacting them, and advising what to do in risky situations;
– We travel to locals that have difficulties, meet with their members, hold sessions, communicate 24 hours per day when we are there, and do our best to help them to overcome all difficulties;
– We meet not only at statutory events, but also twice a year during the NetCom Meeting in any part of Europe we find suitable and feasible. It is of vital importance to see each other from time to time to keep team spirit and get to know each other better;
– We work in a team – endless communication via email, Skype meetings, night Skype lounges and etc. The NetCom is one of the biggest teams among the European level bodies and there are always 10 more teammates, always ready to help, support, and increase your motivation;
– We serve as a bridge between the European level of AEGEE and the local level. However, we may say that we serve as bridge between all AEGEE-Europe bodies. When any AEGEE body needs to find contacts of another local, project, committee, or commission, where do you think they write to? Of course, to the Network Commissioner!
The list of things we do can be way longer, as during his term, the Network Commissioner is a mother, brother, and boss at the same time for his/her locals as well as an irreplaceable helper for AEGEE-Europe in all matters related to the Network.
What is NetCom all about?
It is all about communication. Three things are surely needed to be a good Network Commissioner – love challenges, adore communication, and be crazy about AEGEE. When the NetCom was established, the very first manual said: “To be in the NetCom, you have to be a kind of masochistic idealist…”, and after some time in the NetCom, we start to understand that it still holds true. And now we, 11 masochistic idealists, are impatiently waiting now for new 6 people to join our team after the Agora!
More about the NetCom, our tasks, and some more information you can find on our website.
Written by Olga Iatsyna, AEGEE-Dnipropetrovsk & Network Commission