The XXVII EYCA conference took place in Amsterdam from June 18 until June 20, 2011 and was hosted by CJP Netherlands. EYCA member organisations came together to discuss changes in key documents such as the Statutes, the Quality Standards and the Graphic Chart as well as to exchange ideas about projects and activities connected to the card. During the General Assembly, elections of the new EYCA Board of Administration and President took place. Congratulations to the members of the new Board who will serve for a period of three years until June 2014:
President: Jarkko Lehikoinen (Finland)
Vice-Presidents: Dorota Orlik-Lisek (Poland), Manel Sánchez Garcia (Treasurer, Andorra)
Members:
Suzan Damen (The Netherlands)
Vladimir Jedlicka (Slovakia)
Kristiina Ling (Estonia)
Ana Martinez Fernandez (Spain)
David McNeill (Scotland)
Milos Milenkovic (Serbia)
Mugurel Stan (Romania)
Jose Sousa (Portugal)
Observer: Concha Fernandez Iglesias (Spain)
On behalf of all member organisations of the European Youth Card Association we would like to extend our most profound thanks to Wolfgang Schick - the outgoing President - as well as Angela Dato (Italy), Xavier Castellana (Spain-Catalunya), Walter Groenen (the Netherlands), Graeme Robertson (Scotland) and Riivo Sinijarv (Estonia) who served on EYCA's Board from 2008 until 2011.
We would like to thank Marcel Hagmann for his energy, dedication and ideas that helped make EYCA what it is today. Thank you, Marcel, for being a great boss and a friend through all these years.
A huge thank you also goes out to the Dutch organisers who put together a fantatic programme with a theatre show, a dinner cruise on the canals as well as a great farewell party. The host also enriched the conference by inviting two speakers who shared their insight on research regarding young people's mentality and their use of social networks.
From July 25th, 2011, EYCA will have a new Director – Bob Forsyth. Bob has a strong connection with the Board and staff at EYCA, as he has worked closely with EYCA member organisations during conference design / facilitation, delivering a summer school, facilitating a vision review process and supporting the annual members’ survey process.
Before joining EYCA full time, Bob worked as Programme Development Manager with Habitat For Humanity (a major global NGO). His previous work experience also includes the position of founding director for a successful social policy consultancy company, which employed twenty-five people in three offices across the UK. Among other assignments, he has been commissioned by National Youth Agency for England, British Youth Council, Scottish Youth Parliament and Young Scot, as well as UK and Scottish Governments to devise strategic responses to issues for young people. Bob has a Master of Arts (Honours) in Social Policy from the University of Edinburgh and also obtained an Additional Certificate in Community Education Studies from the University of Koblenz.
The EYCA office and all European Youth Card organisations are looking forward to a new chapter in the Association with the new Director and the new Board.