Funky Dragon AGM 2010
Funky Dragon AGM 2010 - We were there!
This is Jessica Peters and Matthew Harry, two representatives for the Vale of Glamorgan of the Funky Dragon Grand Council.
The other two Funky Dragon members are Bradley Young and Rhodri George.
When we arrived at Funky Dragons AGM on 15th July at UWIC in Cardiff, we left our bags in the car bracing ourselves for the adventure ahead for the next three days.
We went to reception to pick up our important name tags (which we drew all over) and keys and then ventured up that familiar corridor to get our hoodies, t-shirts, goody bags and to get our new pictures taken.
After going back to the car and unpacking our bags into our rooms, we went for lunch in the new and improved canteen.
We filled our bellies and then headed straight on to our main welcome from a very nervous Jess to kick start the next few days of the AGM. We played a few ice-breaker games and listened to some presentations about Funky Dragon’s R.I.O.T. (Rights In Our Time) and a presentation from a Climate Change Champion.
Later that morning we had a presentation about the Governance in Wales and then looked at the ministers portfolios. We broke for dinner, followed by some workshops about the Funky Dragon website and the introduction to their management committee.
After this we all went back into the lecture theatre to watch a few DVD’s that were made by youth forums across Wales including the Vale’s participation rap “Choices / Dewisiadau”.
After such a busy jam packed day we had our free time which included Welsh lessons, giant twister and Wii games! The evening of entertainment finished at 10.30, and then we chill until midnight. So not too late, as our forum workers wanted us to have an early night so we had enough energy for the next day ahead.
Friday morning: wakeup call at 6.45am! We were SHATTERED! We had breakfast and left on busses for Cardiff Bay to go to the Senedd where we were greeted by the First Minister Carwyn Jones.
The grand council got split into workshops about different areas affecting young people in Wales, and then spoke about it to the ministers for that sector (even though half of them never turned up!).
After the workshops with the ministers Matthew dragged Jess to Starbucks in the pouring rain, and then we went to the real part of the AGM (and Jess and Rhodri had comfy chairs). At the official AGM we had elections for the management committee and Funky Dragon’s finance.
Newly elected management committee members are: Isabella Hughes for Ceredigion, Tom Childs from Powys, Guto Davies from Anglesey, Mia Amore from RCT, Ant Aratoon from Flintshire, Mathew Bradley from Neath Port Talbot and Luke Carlmain from Cardiff (although everyone who tried for the management committee did really well!).
So it was time to leave and catch our bus for UWIC, now everyone was to get into their fancy clothes ready for the awards dinner and epic party ahead at the Millennium Stadium! Those who were leaving Funky Dragon received their awards and Funky’s and we all danced the night away, it was gone midnight when we got back to campus.
Luckily we did not have to get up that early on Saturday! We got dressed and trying to wipe away that tired look on our faces, had some breakfast and then went back to the lecture theatre to tell people where to go for the evaluation of the whole residential.
We evaluated the ministers’ workshops, how the planners did, good and bad points of the AGM, what we want to keep, what should go, our thoughts of the AGM and Flan’s dress sense!
Finally we then said a cheerful goodbye to everyone after an action packed, fun weekend, fought back the tears and made the journey home. What a weekend!
2 Comments – Postiwch sylw
Snow..
Rhoddwyd sylw 18 mis yn ôl - 29th July 2010 - 11:48am
It was great, me and Matthew took ages writing this, simply because we couldn't stop talking about the AGM (we didn't think to type what we were saying until Ve said how long we had left to write it). I took ages to recover, I can't wait 'till the October resi (:
CLIC Kathryn
Rhoddwyd sylw 18 mis yn ôl - 7th August 2010 - 00:50am
It sounds like you had a great weekend! I watched the Funky Dragon film "Our Rights Our Story" again last night and was reminded once again of the huge respect that should be paid to your organisation and all of the young people involved.
I'm really interested in the new project Rights in our Time - you can guarantee I'll be finding out how CLIC can support the developments!
I'm also looking forward to the next residential, we'll be there with members of the National Editorial Group delivering CLIC workshops so the rest of the young people involved in Funky Dragon can keep young people visiting CLIC informed about the work that you do.