Some of you may be wondering what CCAP has been up to recently - or what do we do at all?  Well, let me tell you, we have not been sitting around doing nothing!  Earlier this month we held a 2-day meeting in Hong Kong - and while we were at it, we attended Hong Kong's 30th anniversary celebratory dinner.  I must say, Hong Kong LN know how to put an event on!  They had a large number of sponsors, which allowed them to do an event in  style, while still meeting the IET's requirements in regards to spending of charitable funds.  I was especially impressed with the Young Professionals band - who knew the IET had its own band?  Or do other LNs also have them, and we're behind the times here in NZ?  It was also great to meet some of the Hong Kong volunteers - as with most LNs, there are some very dedicated people out there who make amazing things happen. 


But it wasn't all fun and games (actually, I don't think there were any games at all, but hey, that's how the saying goes).  The day after the anniversary dinner, CCAP met for a workshop day.  We completely revamped the CCAP strategy, taking on-board the feedback we've had from LN volunteers, as well as from the Communities Resourcing Committee (who we report to).  Siong (who is taking over from me as chair next session) took that strategy to a CRC meeting a week or so ago for their further input.  So I have no doubt that there will be further changes, but in the next few months, get prepared to see a new strategy!  On the same day, we also spent a lot of time talking about finances - how to review LN budget plans, what sort of questions to ask etc, etc.  We have slightly amended the way that we're reviewing the plans this year, and each CCAP member will now review a portion of them (rather than one person reviewing them all).  So if you're an LN treasurer or chairperson, you may hear from a new member of CCAP (rather than your normal contact person).  We're hoping to go into our September allocation meeting having all the facts, so if there's something your reviewer doesn't understand, they'll be in touch to get clarification.


Then on Saturday we had a normal CCAP meeting - talking about LN issues, where we should hold the Community Volunteer Conference next year, refining some of our documentation (watch this space), and talking about how things will work in coming years.   It was an extremely productive 2 days, and I'm really proud of how much work and effort everyone put in.  I only have one meeting left before my time as Chair of CCAP is over - in fact, only 2 months to go!  So I'm not saying my farewells quite yet, but it's getting close...


Dr Karla Smith

CCAP Chair