I want to start with a thesis: The secret of the working Alma Mater Society (ams) at UBC is a big portion of stuffiness!
Every canadian I met until now was friendly, helpful, interested and open for a talk about everything. I know that a big part of that only lasts as long as you see each other and the talk won't be a memory for the infinty but I even like that: Being friendly talking about this and that, having a good time and then everyone goes his own way.
The problem with this is: A university like the UBC has mare than 60,000 students and especially for a working student society it is not possible to know everyone of them. Beside being friendly, it seems that the canadians developed a good solution for that problem: pragmatism. That gives everyone the possibility to work on a specific level of professionalism even between the students that is not existing like that at the Humboldt-Universität.
While a big part of the activities of the HU student society is only open for people that search for it, the ams achieved a level of professionalism between (grown-up) students. It's not necessary to like every single exec or vice president for being a part of the activities.
One example: The ams owns and operates the Student Union Building "the ams nest" at a central campus location. It offers a wide range of things from the biggest event hall and offices for the ams execs to offices of the student newspaper (I highly recommend it: the Ubyssey) and spaces for other student clubs. Even a night club (The PIT) and a rooftop bar are part of the nest. The cool thing about this: Both are run by the ams itself. There are not just students behind the bar, they are also CEO and bookkeeper. And the the best: the mood is still different from a student club. You don't just simply walk to the fridge, get your beer and pay based on trust and you don't have to clean the dish washer. You are not lost, when first entering "the gallery" beacuse it's just like going into any bar. The only difference: compared to other Canadian bars, the prices are low and the earnings are going into the ams and the different student clubs.
And these student clubs aren't looking for volunteers, they "hire executives". You don't get paid for being an executive (in most cases), but still: There is a difference between normal club members and the club execs. The Varsity Outdoor Club (VOC) for example has around 1000 members but on a normal trip are around 15 people. And it's not a crime to know that it's impossible to know every member. The difference between Germany and Canada is only that they are (not) aware of it. You're feeling a bit like a customer if you pay your membership. But that might be something that's going to change after some time. Time that I don't have here. :(
Why is this anonymity between students and student society good? Because you don't have to work for being a part of the student community. Every student can use the offers at the nest, the many clubs and so much more. You don't have to know the name of the ams president to take part of ams events. They are just service offers from students for students and for that you just need interest in each other.
A quick note at the end: Not just the ams is working at the nest: Even some UBC institutions are highly connected to the building. It looks like working together could be easier than in Berlin.