Group-Analytic Contexts, Issue 80, June 2018

Newsletter – Summer 2018 45
Finances
With Sarah it was always a very good and trustful discussion. Having
her thinking about finances helped me a lot to feel supported. I found
her questions always very clear and helpful and felt appreciated when
she gave me feedback that these questions were answered. In her
period. I already felt very secure with my task which already had
proceeded for quite a while. Indeed, I believed now we would “sail
home safe” even if we had to keep on controlling and watching out.
About controlling: there were two others allowed as signatories but
in the end, I had full control over the account all the time and I signed
for each money transfer. It was important for me to know that there
were no financial transfers I did not know of. The symposium kept a
size that this was really possible.
For me one of the main points for the financial success was
the engagement of the D3G and her institutes, the Germans outside of
Berlin. In the end there were more than 200 German participants at the
symposium and many of them became GASi member. This was
mainly the result of Pieter's and Marita's work.
Bursaries
The start of the campaign was also much helped by the bursary
process which initiated a lot of international involvement and interest,
also contributions from bursary applicants. So apart from seed money
bursary money and the bursary process in my opinion do a lot to create
the necessary “wave” of involvement ending up in registration
numbers. Still I agree that also bursary work sometimes was sort of
silent or not much mentioned even though I think it is very important
to have something like that and more of it. Also, the support for
candidates in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis and candidates in
group analytic institutes is very important but could also be in a
coordinated responsibility also by the group analytic institutes.
Congress organisation and spreadsheets
I wonder if it is possible to have a spreadsheet with all finances. Mrs.
Geber had something like that in EXCEL sheets. These was not very
well worked out and presented. There could be some improvement in
accounting and presenting figures even though I doubt whether it is
worth much additional effort. (Of course, there is computer software
for this but none of us had the knowledge to deal with it). I felt
comfortable enough with what I got from them but was not able and
willing to do the work to present it more easily as long as I trusted I
knew about the situation. For future symposia I hope and advise that