Meetings usually take a lot to organise the bigger the meeting, the bigger the effort.Imagine, then, a meeting of 2,000 high school students, many of them flying-or driving- in to New York from places often hundreds of miles away.It requires nothing less than a feat of managerial power to pull such a meeting together, both from the participants and the coordinators.Ten students and two teachers from Somersfield Academy experienced this effort first hand, when we travelled to New York on May 11 to participate in the 12th annual United Nations Association USA International Model UN Conference.The conference, spanning three days and attended by students from 30 countries, mimicked the proceedings of the real United Nations impressively.Divided into committees which ranged in size from 50 to 250, students representing different United Nations member states sat through four meetings at the Grand Hyatt hotel, learning about debate procedure and discussing topics ranging from maternal health to weapons disbarment.The conference also included opening and closing ceremonies in the General Assembly Hall, at which we were treated with speeches from Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General, and US Ambassador Susan Rice.The convention, not only a fun experience, was also educational, providing a fascinating insight into the workings of the United Nations.