The 2016 JETAA Canada National Conference was hosted by JETAA British Columbia and Yukon this past June 10th-12th in Vancouver. Two executive members from each chapter across the country were invited to attend the event, as well as members of CLAIR New York, the JETAA Canada Representative, as well as the three JETAA Country Representatives from the US.
The conference, sometimes shortened to “CanCon”, serves as a great opportunity for the Canadian chapters to learn from each other, communicate important information directly with CLAIR, and also learn what chapters are doing in other countries.
This year I was honoured to be one of the two JETAA Toronto executive members sent to the conference, along with Carl Sachs, one of our Co-Chairs. It was my first experience at a JETAA Canada Conference, and a wonderful experience altogether.
I arrived the afternoon of the Friday, where I was greeted at the airport by one of the JETAA BC volunteers and given instructions on how to get to the hotel. We were to gather in the lobby for 5pm and then head out together to the residence Consul-General of Japan in Vancouver for a welcome reception. Consul-General Asako Okai warmly greeted us, and her welcome speech conveyed her enthusiasm for the JET Programme and her excitement for her coming term in Vancouver.
We opened Saturday with a somewhat untraditional event: team-building through dragon boat! As Co-Captain of JETAA Toronto’s dragon boat team, the Fighting Carps, I was super stoked to have this event and get a chance to paddle on the other side of the country. It also served as an ice-breaker and allowed us to get a little competitive with each other (you may rest assured that your Toronto chapter’s team was the clear winner in all races).
After a delicious lunch, we returned to the more conventional conference setting: business attire workshops and information sessions. We learned about how to prepare about funding and preparing a chapter budget, how to host a great Pre-Departure Orientation for departing JETs, and got chapter updates from all the Canadian chapters about all the cool events they do! It was really motivating to see how much work we do across the country. The day’s work was followed by a lovely dinner hosted by CLAIR NY, followed by the requisite (optional) karaoke nijikai.
On Sunday we had a few more sessions, including information about what JETAA (JETAA International) is and what it’s up to, updates on some events from neighbouring chapters in the United States, a lively discussion on the guidelines and by-laws concerning Canada Representative elections, and a great panel on how to host Canada Conference. After some closing remarks, we wrapped up after lunch and we all set out our own ways, newly inspired to do our best to keep JETAA great and give back to our members.
A very heartfelt thanks to Greg Joughin and all of the amazing JETAA BC members who put together such an amazing conference! All of your hard work really paid off and was really appreciated by all of us. You guys did a wonderful job and should be very proud.