Brief report from the volunteer conference:

On the weekend before last, from May 9 to 11, 2025, around 30 VDT volunteers met in Haltern am See for their annual volunteer conference. The Executive Board had invited all regional group and department heads, as well as the staff from the office and the education department. Over the course of two days, the attendees first drew up a list of the VDT's most important current topics, which were then discussed in greater depth in three working groups.

One of the working groups brainstorming

There was a long list of results that were developed in multi-layered and constructive discussions. These included further improvements to regional group and unit work, which was already extremely extensive this year. The proposals include improving communication tools in order to get in touch with members better, faster and in a more appealing way. Naming the regional groups after cities was also identified as an area for improvement, as was intensifying contacts with the relevant universities and vocational schools.

The VDT is 75 years old this year. Various events and activities at tmt33 and on the website will draw attention to the anniversary and the long history of the VDT. Stay tuned!

Other ongoing topics are the Golden Bobby and the guarantor system. Working groups will endeavour to modernize both and adapt them to today's framework conditions.

The VDT wants to continue on the path to rejuvenation and diversification. This topic must be pursued continuously, as otherwise the membership would slowly age. One building block will be the development of a concept for external presentation, which will then be disseminated outside the VDT membership via social media channels, among other things.

Some of the goals require massive support from Christoph Thelen, our IT expert at the office. His time quota is more than exhausted, especially in a tmt year, so the new projects from Haltern that have now been added are more likely to be implemented in the medium to long term. However, we will certainly have achieved many goals by the next
volunteer conference in 2026!

The entire team of volunteers went home again highly motivated and will continue their work - in the regional group, the department and throughout the world - as “VDT ambassadors”.

The breaks and socializing were not neglected either!

The Original Invitation:

This weekend, VDT volunteers will meet with the board of the Bildungswerk and some guests for a face-to-face meeting in Haltern am See. This is an internal event for invited volunteers.