My Bank Holiday weekend - where neither are present.

Actually this isn't just about my Bank Holiday, in fact it's much more about the Training I went on last week. From Tuesday through to Thursday afternoon I was in Winchester. My last visit there ended in rather unpleasant drunken exploits so I was slightly nervous, but the session was absolutely fantastic. The course was called 'Training the Trainer' and was run by NUS as part of its 'National Student Learning Programme' or NSLP. The concept is that students are taught generic training skills - like different learning styles and when it's appropriate to use certain games and so on. Even though I've a long history in running activities for Young People and students through my Youth Work background and so on, it was incredibly useful (you might be able to hear my enthusiasm!). Andrew Lewis, VP Education also took part and I'm trying to send another delegate to a later session.

After three intensive days I decided to return home to London for the last time ever *sniff sniff* as my parents are moving up to Chester in a few weeks (picture to the left is my front door at home...) While here on Friday I wrote a paper for Nightline and also one on the subject of the RUSU Forums. The Forums are taking up a lot of officer time at the moment and I think that I should be meeting with University staff and volunteers to work out ways of improving things for our development groups rather than spending an hour each day making sure no-one's breaking the rules. I really like the way the forums work and the service they provide, but it's too easy for people to nip on anonymously and badmouth people before disappearing again. The trick will be to allow Students their free speech without phantom posters making the forums unpleasant places for people - especially Freshers - to visit.

I'm back on Tuesday and have a meeting with Paul Roberts, head of Nightline. I also plan to get some definite arrangements for student Media training sorted using my newly found NUS network buddies and get a skeleton plan for next year's RU Ready? Scheme before NUS Campaign launch on Thursday. Then it's Reading Pride on Saturday followed by a party in Cardiff... I should sleep at some stage shouldn't I?

Stalls, Spark and The US Constitution

Hey RUSU-land. Since last Thursday I've been catching up with a lot of the Student Groups - trying to do some fun stuff with RAGs (more details to follow if I can pull it all off - but it'll be groovy :D), I've also been working more on governance issues with Nightline. After a very pleasant meeting with Francesca Bingley (Spark editor) yesterday we have some clear ideas and goals for training in particular and the development of Spark in general.

I'm co-ordinating the Executive stall at Freshers Fayre and chatting to Part Time Officers and others to see if they are happy to volunteer. It will be nice to have a clear focus for Freshers about what the Union is and who the Executive are. This also isn't easy to pull off - so I'm working hard on it!

I've also got the task of giving RUSU's constitution and Regulations a bit of an overhaul - which is slow work but will make it more accessible. On average I'm halving the word count for each section and will add 'quick reference guides' at the back as well. The reason for the Blog title is that the original (before amendments) US Constitution was 4,500 words long. The current RUSU constitution is over 6,000. A little perspective might be needed...

48 Hours in Hatfield

I spent Monday until Wednesday at 'Activities in Action', an NUS training programme in Hatfield. Some of the stuff I'd come across before, but some of the techniques on, for example, doing research was really useful. With the 'RU Ready...' scheme being set up this year its particularly important that I get as much information as possible from students, so I've all kinds of ideas for Training Needs Analysis schemes and the like.

The networking was also really useful - I ended up chatting with a guy from York RAGs who is a sabbatical officer about the organisation, and he was really helpful and supportive. I also got to chat to National Nightline's general secretary about the way that organisation is moving which was quite exciting. I also got invited up to Edinburgh for Hogmanay by one of the NUS Scotland officers - though I'm not entirely sure he realised what he was saying at that late a stage of the evening. Overall I found the session useful - though hard work and I was very tired by the time I got back!

I also got some new glasses on Wednesday but no-one's noticed until I told them. I think they're really nice though...

I spent most of today fondling a slinky in the shape of a fish, though all for the good of Union volunteers.

I attended a Stadia* event called 'Planning a training programme' which is going to be dead useful for all the 'RU Ready...' stuff that's going on. I'm looking forward to coming back and getting out some flipchart paper and chatting to the programme stakeholders (edited from Stockholders... I was tired when I posted) about making Training Need Analysis forms and the like.

While there I chatted informally about M.AS.I.V. - and again people were amazed at the scheme. Reading's certainly leading the accreditation sector with this project - all the other Union's want to nick it for their students! Even the NUS guy said he'd pop down to chat about it - cool as chips.

I was supposed to be networking with a Sabb from Kington Union but he cancelled so I had a very nice drink with my friend Emma, who also happens to be VP Education at Kings College London - the world of NUS is actually far too incestuous!

*Stadia are a group that do lots of support for student activities.

Totally addicted to html.

I've spent all of today working on a new gateway for the Volunteer section of the website - and I'm pretty happy with it too! I've been educated in the basics of html and decided to make things complicated for myself by stretching what I knew. No broken links or images though... all good. Once it's finished (along with the rest of the website clean-up) you'll be able to see it.

In the last couple of weeks I've also been doing lots of stuff on the 'RU Ready... to advertise' handbook for all those Publicity Officers and communication secretaries in student groups. This will be available in the autumn term.

On which note, though we're still sorting out training for the Autumn term it looks like we'll be covering Publicity, budgets and Event Planning. Spring will be more committee centred as its the main handover period for groups.

I'm off on Training from Thursday to next Thursday in London (with a weekend at home I'll admit).

This week RUSU has stopped me from... reading 'Flights of the Mind'