Hinge_7_apr_2009.pdf - Current events in 41 International

Issue Nr.7 April 2009:Layout 1 26.02.2009 09:49 Seite 5BELGIUM NATIONAL AGMOn Thursday, 09 October 2008 I went on myway to Belgium to spend the night in Surseein Switzerland, where next year the Int’l.H.Y.M.will be held. The next day I drove theremaining 700 km to Tienen in Belgium,where the Belgium AGM took place. Tienen isa town which lies more or less 40 km eastfrom Bruxelles and is a Flanders town with anice central market place, here are locatedthe City Hall, the Cathedral and also thesugar museum, because once Tienen was thecenter of the Belgien sugar indusrtry.The first meeting with all the local and foreignguests and also the registration tookplace in the sugar museum. After this therewas the official welcome of the Lady Vice-Mayor of Tienen in the City Hall.Once finished the official part of the eveningall the guests were divided in different groupsand welcomed in private houses from local41ers of Club 41 Tienen to start to the socalled home party. Good food was servedand also good and many drinks, so that thefun arrived automatically. I had the pleasureto be together in the group with the hostingNational President of Club 41 Belgium,Bruno Van Lindt, the National President ofClub 41 Netherlands, Jan Ooms with Marjanand the National Secretary from Club 41Netherlands Peter Ornée with Anneke, theItalian I.R.O.’s Bruce Morgan and Duccio Arrighiwith Virginia, the National Vice Presidentfrom Club 41 Switzerland Werner Blessingwith Soraya and local 41ers from Club 41Tienen and members from Club 41 Belgium.After much fun, remembering nice pastevents and lot of talks also this Home Partyfinished in the later night.The next morning a very good organizedshuttle bus service brought us to the St. RochasChapel in Hoegaarden, where we wherewelcomed with typical warm croissants andcoffee. Later started the Belgium nationalAGM where all the foreign guests where welcomedand I invited to have my speech to informthe different present Club 41 Presidentof Club 41 Belgium about what is going on inthe 41 Int’l. Finished this all the foreign guestsand the ladies were invited to visit a nearbybotanical garden and together we could makea wonderful after-midsummer walk throughthe nature with all its beauties. At midday theguests could walk or where transported bybus to the “Kouterhof” in the brewery ofHoegaarden here we were offered a largebuffet of regional “musette” atmosphere….During the afternoon some took the chanceto visit the sugar museum, or went shoppingin Tienen or spent the time with other activities.At 7.30 pm started the Presidents Meetingin the fabulous illuminated country house– the “Posthof”. All the delegates exchangedtheir banners and presents with the retiringNational President of Club 41 Bruno VanLindt and also with Philippe Deraedt, thepresident of Club 41 Tienen, who togetherwith the other members of this Club organizeda wonderful weekend for all guests whoinvested time and money to visit this wonderfulpart of our world. At 8 pm the GalaDinner began where we could assist to thechange of Jewels between the old and newNational Members of Club 41 guided by thenew National President Marc Dieu. Wonderfulfood and drinks where served and afterall the different official parts of the evening avery good playing orchestra with their wonderfulsingers, brought also the most tired41ers on thedance Floor to spend this evening with a lotof different dancing music.Also this night was very long so that most ofthe guests arrived much later to the nextmorning Jazzy Scouting Breakfast which wasorganized in the “Paterskerk ruines”, a churchwho burned down in the past and which gaveus a nice welcome in the open, because theroof was missing, but we had a wonderful andwarm shining sun, who made our stayingagreeable.After some hours more and more guests hadto leave with the promise to meet very soonon an other event in the near future, maybeduring the following national AGM ofSwitzerland in Biel.Half-Yearly Meeting, Sursee Central Switzerland 23 - 25th October 20095