In July, YEE's most important event for this year happened – the Annual Meeting 2015. The significance of this event is based on the YEE's role as an umbrella organisation that caters to its members and their needs.

When it comes to the Annual Meeting, a short description of it is that it is an annual event where delegates from member organisations gather for three days somewhere in Europe, in order to discuss what has happened in the previous year and what should happen in the following, as regards to the work of YEE and the respective member organisations. The meeting also serves as a platform for the member organisations to showcase their activities, projects and plans and furthermore network with other organisations. Last but not least, during the AM, several different documents are adopted and a new Board is selected by voting of the full members.

 Every year, the meeting is held in a different country and this year, the honor to host these events was Prague's, or precisely, the ecological centre of Toulcuv Dvur. For me this was interesting and somewhat even intriguing, since I have spent so many hours in Toulcak (the informal name of the farm), that I consider it an important part of this Prague chapter of my life. Yet, I have never spent a night there, so as funny as it sounds, this was like a logical next step in my relationship with the dvur.

The necessary preparations for the event started several months before, so I was already familiar with the program, number of participants etc. Needles to say, I was looking forward to the meeting due to several reasons. Firstly, my experience when it comes to any NGO work, before starting this EVS adventure, is very poor. Therefore, for me it was important that Annual Meeting included details regarding the work of YEE as well as serving as means to get to know better how an NGO functions.

Of course, no such event will be complete if it is not for the participants. Even with my mediocre experience that I have when it comes to such international events, I am aware that it is always a rewarding experience when many people from all over Europe come together, especially people who share the same vision and dedication for a certain good cause. I can honestly say that during the meeting I met so many interesting people with so many different characters who not only contributed to the success of the Annual Meeting, but also had something different to offer. The sharing and getting to know new cultures is just the icing of the cake, and I'm not talking only about the intercultural evening.

Another thing when it comes to the meeting, and as a part of my ongoing "EVS is all about new experiences" maxim, when I was told by the office staff that someone of the EVS volunteers is supposed to chair the Annual Meeting, I immediately stepped forward. In a nutshell, the chair's tasks mostly include taking care of the meeting's sessions and conducting the voting. The reason behind my offer is not that I enjoy being in the spotlight (quite the contrary) , but because I am still figuring out myself and my skills and I believe that public speaking is something I need to work on more in order to put it into practice in future.

Now, two weeks after, when I reflect on those three days, I see how valuable experience was the meeting for me. This event connected me with my organisation even more and also linked me with its members and people who up until then I have only known through e-mail. Furthermore, since I still have more than 8 months in YEE, the meeting made me feel more included in the organisation's future. For that reason, I am happy that I was given the chance to be a part of YEE's Annual Meeting and a little sad that next year there will be some other EVS volunteer attending and chairing it, not me. Ultimately, I will end this account by expressing my gratitude to the organisers of the Annual Meeting and to everyone who attended and contributed to its success by making their mark.

Until next time,
Vladimir