New recommendations on campaigning from the 41 International Board

  • From: The Board of 41 INTERNATIONAL a.s.b.l.
  • To: Povl Aalund, Robert Lerch, Harold Telebwe, Bob Standaert,
         41 Clubs Belgium A.S.B.L., Old Tablers Ísland, Club 41 Israel
  • Re: Recommendations on conducting your campaigns for election at the 2025 AGM
  • Date: 7 May 2024

The Board of 41 INTERNATIONAL a.s.b.l. is very grateful to all of you for being a candidate (for Vice President Elect, for Treasurer, to hold the 2025 AGM or the 2026 AGM) at the Annual General Meeting to be held in Marrakesh on 1st June 2024. Special thanks to both 41 Clubs Belgium A.S.B.L. and Old Tablers Ísland for their readiness to organize the 2025 AGM on shorter notice than usual.

The Board has been approached with requests to provide recommendations on how election campaigns may be conducted, in particular if and where campaign videos may be published and whether candidates may send out letters of presentation. It should be stressed that these requests have been made in a (perhaps excessively) cautionary way and not because any inappropriate campaign behaviour has been suspected.

The Board of 41 INTERNATIONAL notes that the Statutes (including the Rules) of 41 International a.s.b.l. do not address the issue at hand. The answers need therefore be sought in the principles of Friendship and Fellowship that inspire 41 INTERNATIONAL and each of its member associations. On this basis, the Board is ready to give the following recommendations.

Campaign videos have always been used by member associations to animate their applications to host AGMs or HYMs, often promoting their candidates for Vice President Elect as well. The Board sees no reason why you the current candidates should not use campaign videos if you so wish. In accordance with good past practice, campaign videos should not make any reference (derogatory or otherwise) to other candidates or competing applications.

There also is the question of where to show campaign videos. Normally they are played in multiple AGMs or HYMs before the vote. In this case there is no time left to do so (but they will of course be played at the AGM in Marrakesh). The Board has no objections to campaign videos being posted on WhatsApp, Facebook or indeed the website of 41 International. If you wish to post any on the website, please send your videos to webmaster Fabian Engler.

Likewise, the Board has no general objections to presentation letters. These, too, should not make any reference (derogatory or otherwise) to other candidates or competing applications. They may of course be published the same way as campaign videos, or be sent out individually. For the sake of completeness and for clarification, I would like to add that 41 International a.s.b.l., its Board and 41er World cannot make available mailing lists.

Barry Durman,
International President 2023/2024