SI MONTHLY NEWS February March 2006 News
From SI Exco News
Servas Britain AGM, 18/19 March
The Servas Britain AGM was, as always, a relaxed amicable affair, in pleasant surroundings at a cost affordable to all including those with families. Children were welcome with activities available for them. At one point in the meeting they were asked to attend so as to be able to find out what was going on and to be able to offer their contributions. After all they are part of Servas.
Highlights of the weekend included a walk in the glorious Gloucestershire countryside. The traditional food sharing brought a sumptuous feast for all. This all in the Servas spirit of making new friends as well as catching up with old ones.
The business side of the weekend took on its normal constructive discussions with everyone given the chance to have their way and know that people would be listening and not interrupting. Part of the proceedings included the elections. As there had only been one offer for any of the posts so all those standing were duly elected. On the international scene this means that John Dowsett has been replaced by Jean Seymour as the National Secretary.
Over all a good weekend where all felt that everything had gone on in the Servas spirit of caring and sharing.
eGA, Roma, Latina, 02 - 08 April 2006
By the time people are reading this newsletter the eGA may well be taking place or even have ended. Many are feeling that it could be an important time for showing the direction of Servas. Will it have some of the problems experienced 2 years ago in Barcelona or will it have learnt from the problems and so be moving on in a peaceful direction. Servas is a Peace organisation. It is important that it lives by its own ruling. The meeting last year at Askov in Denmark reviewed the concerns in this area. The participants looked in some depth at Conflict Resolution. However as Servas members we should be offering Conflict Resolution to others and not needing it ourselves. Part of the Conflict Resolution is of course just a way of living and reacting with others. In any big gathering there are bound to be disagreements. With the ability to listen and reason these can be sorted out amicably. The Servas Britain AGM was a good example. A point was raised which generated differences of opinion. Everyone listened to the different viewpoints. Some people seeing some of the problems tried to put them in a different aspect to explain them. All was agreed on in a friendly way of people with flexible minds.
And another story which is relevant though not related to Servas:
Some teachers had been invited for a weekend interview for a responsible post. They were obviously being watched all weekend. One of the 'watchers' was an industrial psychologist. In the evening there was a discussion game where each person had to give a short presentation on an unknown topic and then defend it. The situation was set up to trap people. One teacher fell into the trap and dug his hole deeper and deeper. The psychologist's eyes lit up with glee. He imagined that the rest of the group would pounce on the struggling person and do him in. The expression in the psychologist's eyes turned to utter confusion when the rest of the group were ready to sacrifice themselves in the game to help the struggling person out. He did not comprehend that teachers work together as a team, even if they do not know each other. They are ready to rescue someone else even if they might have to lose their own position in a game and in this case in the job they were seeking.
As members of Servas we are also working in a team with people we do not know. Let us be ready to help and not pounce.
