Creating a new JEF section JEF training days June 2008

starting off… To create a new section of JEF in your town, your university or your school is not difficult. All you need is some commitment, some time and many ideas!

step 1: Find people! 1. Tell some friends about JEF or ask people in school or university, that seem to be interested in Europe… 2. Highlight the benefits of joining JEF: interesting debates about Europe and politics with nice people, meeting people from all over Europe travelling to JEF- seminars in different European countries! 3. BE NICE!!!!

step 2: Build a “team” 1.Name a coordinator In charge of the first steps 2. Choose the “Team”-members At least three people responsible of the finances, day-to-day work & PR 3. Introduce the membership form and the membership fee This will help them feel member of a big organisation, rather than being part of a friendship circle.

step 3: Have regular meetings! - „Stammtisch” - Café Europe - Working-Groups - Team-meetings

step 4: Events Panel Discussions A good opportunity to discuss controversial issues with some experts and many other young people interested in politics Talk-Shows It is more like a confrontation, find speakers that fundamentally disagree on a topic! Campaigns Share your ideas with citizens in your city and convince the politicians, other youth organizations and the press of your demands Calendar Very useful!

step 5: inaugural meeting *Statutes lay down the rules-of-procedures and the rules of the game for your section. In the statutes you decide which political body your section will get and how these bodies will work together. *Elections In order to be accepted as organisation, you also have to elect your board. The board should include the following positions: President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary-General, Treasurer and other board members

step 6: Keep contacts! Make sure that you stay in contact with the JEF-Secretariat in all phases of founding a section!!

step 7: Creating local sections If you are the first and only section in your country, you might want to set up sections in other regions. A good starting point is a JEF-member of your section that moved to another city or a friend in another city that is interested in JEF-work. Another possibility to form a new section is to contact a group or organisation that is already dealing with similar topics as JEF.

Step 8: Annual meetings Yearly Congress elect a new board and set new political and organisational priorities for the work of the next years Federal Committee If your JEF-section exists out of several regional or local sections you it might be useful to organise a Federal Committee. In the Federal Committee representatives of all sections meet regularly (for example four times the year) and discuss political and organisational questions.

step 9: Office A place from where: you can take calls, people can call you, you can receive faxes, and the Secretary General and the board members can work on their projects

step 10: Watch the turn-over! It’s very important to motivate new members to take over positions with more responsibility and lead the section in the future.

that’s it thanks for your attention : QUESTIONS?