President Ulrich Suppan final words of recognition for 2018/19 to the International 41Club AGM attendees in Brussels

Dear presidents, delegates, guests and especially friends from Belgium!

First of all – Great Thanks to all of you for your warm and friendly hospitality during my presidency! It was a pleasure to serve as your president!

In the first part of my report I want to refer to the 41 business!

Eleven months ago I started my presidency under the slogan: 4 values- 1 idea – 41 our network!

Gentlemen, we are a club with strong values:

1.     Friendship between 41 clubs on regional, national and international level 

2.     Partnership to RT and to all side by side clubs!

3.     Family: our YAP Program with around 70 new young people every year going from and to Europe, India and SA and now also between short YAP program and Europe

4. Service: we initiated our new Service Award for Education! Some values shows good development, others less!

 

Let me start with the partnership to RT and the Side by side clubs:

After some limping discussions during the last couple of  years  we finally used the meeting in Marrakech as our perfect chance to renew and and restart:

We enjoyed a first joint meeting with all the presidents or boardmembers!

We set up a Whatsapp group and since then we are in close contact to share all important informations right away!

RTI VP Sebastian presented to us Tablers. World, the members directory of RTI. Sweden, Italy, Germany , Austria and some more countries will adopt soon!

RTI allowed to add each logo from the side by side clubs with „ Part of The Round Table Family „

Our Didier created a new joint logo and we made a compromise with RTI on it.

Furthermore we are in direct contact with all RT nations counting 41 clubs at the moment!

All in all -a  respectable result with a good foundation for the future!!

The second value, the friendship and development of our clubs didn´t make good progress:

We didnt establish a relationship with Israel! There are still only one club in Portugal (which is in a difficult situation), Poland , Hungary, Malta, Sri Lanka, Surinam and USA !

New Zealand had no new members from RT, because the gap of age between them are too big! All of them need our support and direct contacts to RT! A lot of work ahead of us.

My first visit to an AGM, after Pörtschach/Austria, was in Germany. At this AGM they also welcomed boardmembers of France and the whole assembly welcomed the French delegation with standing ovations!

Many 41 club nations took part on the HYM in France. Over the year many 41ers from Belgium, GB&I, Austria, Italy and Germany and some other nations are still in good contact with them!

And finally 6000 41er in France wants to come back to our family! After all these experiences it was my main duty to find a proper solution. I spent a lot of time and had numerous conversations with many members! Since 2003 our rules allow us to have also friends to become a member. Now we have a new proposal of France tabled. We only have to allow that one delegate is accepted as a Golden 41er!

One third of our members supports this proposal. One third is open for further discussions and another third  is not amused.

Since 2002 I am involved in this matter and I know all pros and cons. Some of us were personally offended by the behaviour of France!

Anyway, Gentlemen I still ask you for a open discussion during the HYM in Malta. Don’t forget – we are responsible for 41 International and over all we are friends! Lets have France, one of our founder nations, back in family.

The third value is to strengthen our service idea to Support Education! Following the guidelines of the last years, we had a wonderful presentation in Marrakech and also on our website!

What happened:  only two participants attended, although more than 10 members promised me during my AGM visits to take part ! We need another exclusive characteristic . In the mind of our friends and also in the community, the work and the support of education worldwide should be linked with 41 International!

Let’s discuss in Malta once again!

The forth value , our YAP program had a wonderful development! All the conveners with PP Christoph Haenssler in the leading position have done a great jop! Please continue supporting them in the future and lets convince our kids too!

 

In the second part of my report I will tell you about my visits:

It was a great year for me, full of new impressions! All in all: many meetings with old and new friends – this is tabling as its best!

Continuing my report in Marakesch, in October I visited the AGM in Appenzell/Switzerland together with Roswitha.

They have a close relationship with RT. We all were very impressed by a YAP report of a young lady from Switzerland. She conveyed her impressions and we could empathize with he that this was the most valuable journey of her young life!

In January we had a board meeting in Dublin with good results. 

Afterwards Roswitha and I visited the French HYM. I explained to the board and the regional presidents our position and listen also to them and their proposals. It was a valuable trip  – also to see Notre Dame the last time in full elegance!

Finland’s AGM in Helsinki counted only a small delegation of foreign members. But they have a strong set up themself having more than 2000 members and operating very closly with RT!

The last AGM in GB&I was also amazing!

GB&I lives a strong clublife with monthly sport events and service happenings in their regions.

They are blessed with more than 700 Clubs in 15 regions. RT currently counts 3500 members, therefore 41 GBI want to support them to grow. The main idea to support them is to work for the community and … still tabling!

I was not only impressed by the serious and also funny discussions during the AGM, but also from the fancy dress party — we get a new International President from GB&I and in addition an old friend as VP –  it will be IRO Peter Good GB&I!

And my last visit was in Arquata/Italy, at the Opening Ceremony of the Community House. Also the 20th Anniversary of 41 Ancona. Presidents from all over Italy attended.

Let me highlight that in near future Arquata will not only remind on a horrible earthquakes, but also for a huge service project with all side by side members!

All in all a wonderful year for me and a good year for 41 International.

Let’s work and discuss all day long for a better and a greater 41 International with the motto 4 values-1 idea – 41 our network!

Thank you all!

Ulrich Suppan

41 International President

2018/19

4 values 1 idea – 41 our network