Election Results

Hot News!

The new IJR has been announced! Please welcome Rowan El Shimi, IJR 2009-11. Yay!

We are very excited to see Rou at work and to see what she comes up with for the future of IJB. Check out her jbpedia page here

Of course this means we say goodbye to the current Sr. IJR, our dear friend Kelly Bowden. Kelly did a wonderful job over the past two years to work for JBers everywhere, putting in countelss hours and tireless effort. But don't worry, she's not leaving CISV forever, there's even an NBM rumor floating around... hmm.

From Guate!

IJR Candidates

Each year at the AIM the NJRs of the world elect a new International Junior Rep to take on a two year term as the go to person for international junior branch. It's like being NJR, but for the world. The IJRs are responsible for chairing the IJB committee and representing the Junior Branch on the adult board. They help pull together everyone's ideas to make them into a plan to assist juniors around the world.

So this year we have two excellent candidates vying for the chance to join the current IJR Maru in the job. The candidates this year are:

Rou from Egypt and Juanma from Colombia. Last night we had some excellent answers from both sides in the Q and A and both have worked so hard during the last months and for this IJBC. Before the IJBC they were asked to make up album covers for themsleves. These are them:









Of course with the election it means it is time for Canada's own Kelly Bowden to step down from her role as IJR. She has done a fabulous job over the last two years and deserves a huge thank you for all her effort and ideas.

Elections will be held during AIM and of course we'll tell you the result as soon as we know it.

From Guatemala, Kalenne and Rémi.

Summer Time is Meeting Time

Hello lovely juniors!

This is just an update about the fabulous meetings that take place during the summer months for NJRs, active juniors and tons of involved adults!

The meetings are ARMM (America's Regional Members Meeting), IJBC (International Junior Branch Conference) and AIM (Annual International Meeting). This year they are all being held in Guatemala.

ARMM was the first meeting on the agenda and is attended by NJRs and JBers from the Americas Region (from Canada to Argentina and everything in between). This is not much meeting and lots of training and workshops to help give the participants and facilitators more skills and ideas to help their local and national JBs develope. Everyone had a lovely and informative time and is now more prepared to tackle problems, run sweet sessions and make good things happen. Yes!

Many of these ARMM participants have now moved on to IJBC, which is at this very moment half way through its first day. And there's exciting news about this! Ready?!

Rather than reading only reading Kalenne's opinions and memories here you can read a collective blog of many participants' takes on the meeting on the IJBC Live Blog!

The link to it is here:http://ijbclive2009.wordpress.com

Check back often and follow along the IJBC happenings, since afterall, it's a meeting for Juniors around the world and that includes you!

High fives from Guate!

PS The blog is put on by the IJB Connect Team and they're so techy it's also in Twitter form here: www.twitter.com/ijbc09live

Complete at last... Here we are!

With the election of our National Camp Coordinator we now have a full executive that needs an introduction. So, here's a quick word from all of them and their contact emails.

Part of the JB National Executive is of course the NJRs. You probably know enough about Kalenne and Rémi by now, for fun facts just scroll down the blog and we're sure you'll find some gems of information.


NCC (Nat Camp Coordinator)
Nom/Name: James Young
Chapitre/Chapter: St. Grégoire
Email: jyoung1991@msn.com

Bonjour à toute la branche juniore canadienne,
Je tennais à vous remercier pour m’avoir donné la chance d’être le NCC. Merci beaucoup!!! Je ferrai tout ce qui est en mon possible pour que ce soit merveilleux. Donc si quelqu’un a des questions, commentaires, suggestions, ou si vous voulez savoir quoique ce soit à propos du national camp ou bien a propos de moi, vous pouvez me contacter par email.
Hey JB Canada, Just a couple of words to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to be NCC. Thank you!!! I’ll do my best to make it wonderful. So if you guys have any question, comments, suggestions or anything else about the National Camp or me, you can reach me by email.

JBDCC (Junior Branch Development Committee Chair)
Nom/Name: Brittany Bernard
Chapitre/Chapter: Victoria
Email: brittanyj@hotmail.com

Hey Canada! I have been involved in CISV for almost 8 years. One of my favorite CISV memories would have to be playing Murder Mysteries in the very early hours of the morning with the rest of Victoria's JB Board at minicamp. I am really excited about this year and to be more involved with CISV at a national level! My thumbs up in the photo is to yummy Swedish grilled cheese and to a super fun upcoming year! Lots of love.
Bonjour Canada!
J'était une membre de CISV pour presque 8 année maintenant. Une des souvenirs favories de CISV était lorsque j'ai joué Murder Mysteries avec les autres membres du JB Board de Victoria a minicamp. Je hâte de commencer travailler cette année et d'être plus liée avec CISV a une étage national! Mes 'thumbs up' dans le photo est pour le fromage de la Suède et pour une année super animer! Beaucoup d'amour.

ICC (Internal Communications Chair)
Nom/Name: Julia Sheldon
Chapitre/Chapter: Ottawa
Email: cisvbum@hotmail.com

I am studying geography and religious studies at the University of Ottawa. I am in my 3rd year, and loving every minute of it. I LOVE shepherd's pie, sleeping in late, board game nights, and spending time with a boy I am crazy in love with. December 28 - January 3 is Ottawa's annual winter camp, and I can't wait!! It will be my 6th winter camp, and it is personally my favourite program in CISV.

As Internal Communications Chair, it's my job to keep everyone in touch. So answer my emails and Facebook messages, please!! So far everyone has been really good about it :)

Much love from O-Town, j.shelds

Je suis dans ma troisième année d'école à l'Université d'Ottawa dans la programme de géographie et les études réligieuses, et je l'adore!! J'ADORE "shepherd's pie", dormir tard, des nuits de jeux avec mes amis (comme Sorry et Scrabble), et passant du temps avec un garçon que je suis fou dans amour avec. Le 28 décembre - 3 janvier est le Winter Camp annuel de JB Ottawa, and je ne veux pas attendre! Ce sera mon 6e camp d'hiver et c'est mon programme favori de CISV. Comme Internal Communications Chair, c'est à moi d'assurer que vous êtes tous en contacte, donc répond aux emails et messages de Facebook, s'il vous plaît!

Tant de bisoux du capitale, j.shelds

ECC (External Communications Chair)
Nom/Name: Caitlyn Wood
Chapitre/Chapter: Calgary
Email: caitlynw1@gmail.com

Salut! Moi et Julia planifions d'avoir une année très productive pour CISV Canada. Nous allons faire quelques nouveaux changements et quelques vieilles traditions vont rester dans CISV Canada. Je suis super énervée d'être dans le conseil exécutif national (National Board) cette année et j'espère rendre les JBers (brancheux!) canadiens aussi enthousiaste que moi! Je suis une personne très occupée mais j'aime avoir des choses à faire! Quelques unes des choses que j'aime faire quand j'ai le temps sont : yoga, dance, magasiner, aller voir des films, bénévolat et voyager! On se voit dans la prochaine année!
Hey! Julia and I are planning on having a very productive year with CISV Canada and we hope to make some new changes as well as keep some old traditions within CISV Canada. I am super excited to be able to be on the National Board this year, and I am hoping to make Canadian JB'ers just as excited as I am! I'm a pretty busy person but I enjoy having things to do! Some things I like to do when I have the time is yoga, dance, shop, go to the movies, volunteer and travel! See you in the New Year!

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

Big happy hello under the snow "Québécoise" (neige est un mot féminin)!

After a lot of waiting, some e-mail reading, a phone call or two, a good counting session... K 'n R came out with one name as the new National Camp Coordinator! Yes, you understood just as us that the three candidates were awsomely good ones and that the decision was quite difficult to make. But, the choice has been finally made...

I'm stressed to write it down and I know I should do it short and sweet but I first want to thank the 10 chapters that have voted in such a short delay. You guys helped us to be effective! What happened with Toronto and Victoria??? Well... The majority of voters decided that this year, they wanted their NC to be hosted by James Young. He will be working hardly from now on to plan a fantastic National Camp next August with a team of staff he will build. You will for sure hear from him in the next few weeks so he can get his planning starting!

So we now have our EXEC full-filled. YAY! This is a great year starting on a good note for JB Canada. Let's try to keep it as good as it started!

Rémi for the two NJRs !

Coming back from Calgary!!!

Wow ! After such a weekend, it's difficult not to be crying to be back home with a lot of school, work, family stuff, dishes to clean and brooming to do...

The time as come for JB Canada to start the year with whole bunch of fun!!!

One of the really fun things that the NJRs have done at National Board Meeting was... CHANGING... yes, you read well, Kathy and Kalenne are now replaced by...

Kalenne and Rémi!

Of course, one of the two current NJRs as the same name as one of the two past NJRs. The thing is that each NJR are voted for two years and they will start as Junior NJR and then the year after they become Senior NJR. Concretely, Kalenne Thors is now Senior NJR and Rémi Francoeur the Junior NJR.

"But, are they alone?" (I can hear you asking in front of your computer!)
NO! They are not! They have all of you Juniors from all across our beautiful country. But as well, they have a wonderfull team with them on the EXECUTIVE of JB Canada. This team is including
Julia Sheldon as the Internal Communication Chair,
Caitlyn Wood as the External Communication Chair,
Brittany Bernard as the Junior Branch Development Committee Chair
and James Young as National Camp Coordinator.

Those people will be the people you guys can refer to at any time during the next 11 months in case of needs, questions or just for having a nice talk!

If you want to contact your NJRs, you guys just have to write a comment on this blog or you can send an e-mail to njr@ca.cisv.org

With love and respect,

...your most bearded NJR...

NJR candidates 2008!

Hello juniors of Canada!

as some of you may know, the time has come to elect a new njr. The election will take place AT nbm 2008 this weekend in Calgary, so let your chapter representative know who you think should be leading junior branch canada for the next two year. So without furthur ado, let's meet our candidates!
Looking good guys.

Rémi Francoeur

Hey hey! You people reading this text about who are the NJR candidates on the NJR blog less than 4 days before NBM starts... yeah, you! You might be really intense in CISV!!!
But well if you don't know (or if you want to know more about) me, her is a little intro to my person. I'm never brief, neither in French or in English and my Spanish is good but not yet enought to make clear and simple sentences. So I guess I will write my 200 words without saying much about my self but eh! that's not to bad.
When people ask me what I like to do in life, I usually answer "Make people smile!" . In general, it works and the person I told it to smiles. This is one of the thousand examples of how good I am to achieve what I want to do. But it's mainly a good way to explain you how important a smile is for me. In fact I think that smiling is a cure to a lot of diseases and problems. I once studied clown. One day, I would love to work as Doctor Clown (hope you heard about it). As well, a smile is way better than some make-up to "pimp-up" your face. If you want to be pretty, the cool stuff to do is not to wear a super-dress, have a newh air cut or use the extra-lip-gloss-dupper-cool, the cool stuff is to put a smile in your face. I believe.

What? Else than smiles? What do I like as well in life? Here is a quick improvised list : monkeys, chocolate, shaking hands, latin languages, philosophy, strawberry soymilk, hugs, theater, airports, looking to the toilets(bathrooms) in fancy restaurants or hotels, palmtree, juggling, dressing up, biking, people playing acoustic guitar, cats, potato chips, fresh carrots, lezards, Facebook and all its possibilities, folk music, seeing the raise and the set of the Sun in the same day, beaches, climbing(in trees, on buildings, in CISV hierarchy), sudoku, french fries, cutting my friends hair, have a beard so I can shave with weird shapes, taking pictures, singing, jumping, when the sound of the fridge stops suddenly and I realize it was annoying me since a while, skipping, throwing rocks on the water and count the bounces, bread, futuristic movies, making analogies on the spot when I talk about something, improvised theater, circus, dancing, beeing told by people I like that I did somehting good, my mom, my sisters, sleeping, complimenting someone if I really think it, my backpack, my other one as well, wearing hats, collecting hats, trading clothes, my friends (including a lot of great human beings), trying to guess what language people are speaking on the street, history, mini-anything (everything really small is really cute; deodorant, trucks, animals, music instruments...), someone looking directly in the eyes, human touch, clapping my hands together, hammocks, hiking, maple trees, salt, talking, did I say talking?, oh and finally, i really appreciate to talk (I can almost say I'm talkative)...

I'm Rémi Francoeur, 21 years old, male, from St-Grégoire Chapter, french speaker, live in a city called Trois-Rivières, work in entertainment, tourism, arts and restaurantion, involved in CISV since 1999, candidate for Canadian NJR this week-end at NBM in Calgary. I can't wait to let you all people know more about me... Take care of yourselves!

Love, Remi.


Julia Sheldon

hey hey hey,
Julia Sheldon here. I've decided to give you some stats a.k.a. statistics about myself to start things off.

Hometown: Waterloo, Ontario
Current town: Ottawa, Ontario
Birthday: Oct 6 (I expect presents :P)
Years in CISV: 9 (officially), 16 unofficially
Hobbies: reading, traveling, tree climbing, drinking tea, good conversation, having my mind blown
Languages: English, French, German (barely)
Education: 3rd year University of Ottawa - major in Geography, minor in Religious Studies
Countries visited: Germany, Holland, France, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, England, United States, Nicaragua, Canada DESPERATELY HOPING FOR MORE!
Favourite food: chocolate, hands down.
Favourite colour: green, hands down.
Favourite energizer: "Who Gives the Best Hugs" from USA NBM 2007
Favourite CISV activities ever played: Hopes and Fears, Ottawa Winter Camp 2005; Communication, Holland Seminar Camp 2007; Cross The Line, every time!
Pet Peeves: incorrect spelling, improper grammar, people who talk during exams or lectures, being late, when things/people are late, the feeling of unbrushed teeth ... you know, when it feels like there's a layer of fuzz on your teeth EW.
Recent exciting journey: went to Berlin for an interchange (junior leader), got home, slept for 2 days, then drove across Canada (from Kamloops, BC to Ottawa, ON) in 4.5 days!

More about me? Staples is my favourite store. I love school supplies. And being organized. Ridiculous? What are you gonna do about it?!... That's what I thought.
I love learning. SO much. Also, I have realized that in certain circumstances, I tend to turn into a southern ghetto-fab grandmother. It's slightly ridiculous.

I think being NJR would be a HUGE change for me, and something that I am very excited about. That being said, Remi is a great guy, and would do a wonderful job. I wouldn't want to have to choose between the two of us. So good luck!!!

MUCH LOVE
j.shelds



Well, that's it for now friends! Stay tuned for much more nbm news!


love!
your friendly njr's, Kathy and Kalenne