Dear JCI UK Members and Friends,

I can't believe that January has been and gone already, but wow what a great start to the year, there is a really good buzz around JCI UK, and I know how busy you have all been, which is fantastic!

What have I been up to?

• Kick started the year with 14 hours of National Board meeting
• I learnt how to blog, (and look I'm doing it again!!)
• I attended the Senate Drumming Out weekend, in Belfast, and spoke as possibly the first ever non Senator National President at the Senate Breakfast that weekend!!
• Then I was totally blown away when I was awarded a Senatorship at JCI Barnsley's Annual Dinner
• I spoke in the House of Lords at JCI London's Annual Dinner, and presented a Senatorship to Marco Van der Heuvel.
• I was one of 60 attendees at a fantastic Inspiration Day hosted by JCI Reading
• I revealed the new JCI UK Members Pins, and we 'pinned' everyone who attended Inspiration Day, (you will all be getting yours shortly.)
• I attended JCI Presenter (for the first time) with 18 other members, and a non member
• We have received maximum points for the JCI 100% efficiency programme, as we have met all of the deadlines set so far
• In total I have travelled 1,465 miles for JCI UK this month, and visited three chambers which form part of my Back to Basics Tour, JCI Barnsley, JCI London and JCI Reading.......... Where will my next stop be?

What have I learnt this month?

The Senate Drumming Out weekend was a brilliant experience, and there was a key message that I took away from it, and that was that the Senate want to see JCI UK succeed. They have a whole host of knowledge, contacts and they really know how to have fun. They are willing to share all of this with us, all we have to do it ask.

Graham Jones, an Internet Psychologist, and the key note speaker at Inspiration Day, talked about The Social Web, and in a really enthusiastic presentation, he explained how blogging, and tweeting are key to increasing your business and attracting people to your website. He used the analogy of when you have a house party, everyone always gathers in the kitchen and talks for hours, well Facebook is the new venue for socialising. We need to make sure we keep posting interesting and fresh blogs onto our websites, as this could be a key element to growing our organisation

JCI Presenter, is a course that I wish I had attended years ago. Giving a presentation is like flying a plane, there needs to be a gentle lift off, a steady flight, and a smooth landing. Just think how you feel when you are watching someone present to you, well that's how people feel when they are watching you. Sometimes you just have to go for it.

Thank you!

I want to thank the British Senate so very much for their co-funding of our new JCI UK Member Pins. So many members spoke to me last year, asking why we don't have a pin, and so I spoke to the Senate, who were so supportive of the idea, that they co-funded the design and purchase of 1,000 JCI UK Pins. The design was based on a BJC Pin (British Junior Chamber, as we were once called), and the reaction by members, at Inspiration Day, was fantastic. I also want to thank Joe Worthington from JCI Barnsley for all of his help, as without him this would be just a great idea. Thank you! We shall be co-ordinating with local presidents shortly to make sure that every member of JCI UK receives a pin as soon as possible.

I would like to thank Ismail Haznedar, our International Vice President, who came to the UK from Thursday 27th to Sunday 30th January. Ismail gave a great speech at JCI London's Annual Dinner, was a fantastic active member at Inspiration Day, and again offered some very inspiring words to JCI UK members. He even promoted Inspiration Day to two of his friends who managed to come along, which is fantastic!

YOU - I really want to thank you for all of your hard work, which means that we have really kicked started the year well, we have new local websites going live, launch events, new members, articles in local newspapers, money raised for Nothing But Nets, record bookings for JCI Presenter, and JCI Trainer courses, and there has just been a great feeling of activity.

I hope you have had as much fun this month as I have, and are looking forward to another great month ahead.

Warm Regards

Alli

JCI UK National President

Senator # 70323
Email: allison.cowell@jciuk.org.uk