NEC Training. A phrase that in the past has been a ridiculous concept. Brainwashing, victimisation, coercing, dividing, antagonising and the dawning of the realisation that if you weren’t ‘in’ you were definitely ‘out’ would all have in the past been a better description. The first year I was on the block of twelve, it was hard to see what it wasn’t about. It didn’t involve any training really, it was just going through procedures and the like on top of an NEC meeting to decide the priority campaigns, or rather go through a compositing-style stitch-up on them. Last year, things were markedly improved, with some actual proper training taking place. However it wasn’t until this year that it became ‘proper’ training in the NUS sense of the word, just without the ‘advanced networking’. It had not just become the sort we would expect officers to get, but it also became much more like that in terms of the social factor at night, with everyone getting on and having a laugh.

The training itself was very useful, if a wizened old hack like me could find out new stuff about NUS, I can only imagine how useful it would have been for the new officers. We were at a holiday camp style type of place which meant there was no escape, there was no-where to go as we were stuck halfway between Preston and Blackpool. So as a result in the evenings there was actually a bit of bonding. I even went and bought a football (which I haven’t seen since I left in Gemmas boot) so we could tap it round, behind the chalets and people went swimming and played crazy golf with a cordiality I have never seen the NEC display before.

This all might sound a bit vapid, but it’s not. The level of trust within the NEC is now so much greater than I have seen before. Partially down to the change in people on the NEC, but so much down to these two days, where people actually spent time together and learned that the people they were working with weren’t necessarily evil. Of course the ‘line’ that came out to support Mickose (don’t know or care if that’s spelled right) in Big Brother did disturb me greatly.

I was forced to watch BB that night, something I haven’t done since about episode 2 of the first series. I quickly realised why I hadn’t been bothered. I just can’t see what the fuss is about, it’s bollocks, I mean really, why does anyone care? But this Mickose, I’m sorry if I missed something, and I’m sorry if this offends, but I just don’t know how else to put it, but she’s just a complete git. Well that’s what I saw. I couldn’t quite get why a room full of intelligent people thought that being an arsehole to people who relied on you was a good idea. Ah but of course, I was in a room with the NEC, somethings might have to wait a bit longer before they change!

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