Saturday, November 25, 2006

The NBM Outtakes: What You Didn't See!

In the planning process of any CISV activity, camp or meeting there will be an overwhelming wealth of ideas, deams and plans. What can I say? We're a creative bunch. But the practical reality usually means that we can't do everything we want to every time. Some of those dreams will ultimately have to give way to practical reality and that's just life.

The planning process of NBM 2006 was as rich and bursting with ideas and dreams as ever. The planning team of Adina, Alex, Kelly, Kalenne, Kathy and Keenan spent long hours (and hundreds of e-mails) coming up with the most innovative, funny and functional ways to make NBM a success. It was a magical process. One that paid off, we think.

But like always, there were some outtakes. Some ideas that didn't make it to final release. For your personal enjoyment, here is one of those outtakes. A Kathy and Alex collaboration, filmed on location in Halifax, originally intended to be a promotional video for NBM...

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=8631452844489694549
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-2234068935688084682
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-2154817036207286014
http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=1539520009411957964

Production was derailed due to lack of funding and the disappearance of some key footage late in the post-production phase. The producers would like to help everyone who worked in the film.

Enjoy!

Alex & Kathy
NJRs


Sunday, November 19, 2006

National Board Meeting Madness!

Well your birthday comes but once a year and so does NBM
And we've come from across Canada, 'cause it's time to meet again!


This was the opening line of the NBM Welcome song, sung by Kelly, Rick and Alex in the early hours of the morning on November 9th, 2006 in London, Ontario, Canada as CISV Canada's National Board Meeting officially began.

It's hard to summarize NBM in one blog post. Maybe impossible. Probably unecessary. If you're looking for the NBM play-by-play, check out the minutes from the meeting. Who seconded the budget motion? Only the minutes will tell.

The blog is for highlights. Not for the budget.

You Are at the Centre of Everything
NBM 2006 was designed to put the participants at the centre of the action. The idea was to make NBM the most useful weekend possible and for us all to remember that CISV couldn't sustain itself as an organization if it weren't for each and every volunteer. Participants at NBM had options for the way they wanted to spend their time. They also led project groups and helped guide the meeting content. It was pretty awesome.

Project Groups
Juniors Unite! At NBM, project groups were formed around some ideas such as environmental sustainability for CISV programs, visioning the future of JB Canada, ideas for JB fundraising, exploring the idea of activities and a national dance-a-thon project. NBM participants worked hard to get these projects started and will continue to work on them throughout the year. If you are interested in hearing more, or getting involved e-mail njr@ca.cisv.org for more info!

A New JB Executive!
We said goodbye to our JB executive of 2005-2006 and welcomed in a brand NEW JB executive! We also passed a motion which changes the structure of the JB exec so that the position of Canuck editor no longer exists, and instead we now have an internal communications chair and an external communications chair! Woah! So say hello to Holly Norris, our new National Camp Coordinator, Emily Rankin, new chair of the Junior Branch Development Committee, Kalenne Thors, new External Communications Chair and Brittany Joy, our new Internal Communications Chair. A pretty amazing team, spanning both coasts of Canada!

A New Junior NJR!
As is pretty obvious in the below post, we had a pretty incredible slate of candidates for the NJR election this year. Kalenne, Kennan and Kathy all poured their hearts into their candidacy and did amazing jobs as members of the NBM planning team.

Congratulations to Kathy Lewis who was elected as Canada's new Junior NJR and will represent JB Canada from 2006-2008! Kathy is from the Fredericton chapter and currently goes to school in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She's a cool cat.

An Outgoing Senior (or Peace Out, Friend!)
Kelly Bowden was CISV Canada's NJR between 2004-2006. At this NBM she finished her legendary term as NJR to fanfare and hoorah! Kelly will be missed as one of JB Canada's warmest, most creative leaders, but we know that she won't disappear and that CISV will continue to benefit from her genius. To see some congratulatory remarks from some of Kelly's friends, check out...

http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=8283232557493355738&q=Bowden+Appreciation

A New Year!
For CISV Canada, NBM is kind of like New Year's. It marks the end of a year gone by and celebrates the advent of a new one. After it ends, there's a short period of lull where we all catch our breath and reflect and then all of a sudden the cranks start turning again and off we go! So hop on the train everyone, it's going to be a good one!


With Love,
(the new) K & A