Here’s the extracted text from the 1994 EMA AGM Minutes
MINUTES OF THE E.M.A. REGIONAL MEETING
Held at the Elangeni Hotel, Durban
On Monday, 3rd October 1994
MINUTES OF THE E.M.A. REGIONAL MEETING
HELD AT THE ELANGENI HOTEL DURBAN
ON MONDAY 3RD OCTOBER 1994
1. Chairman Jean de Brauwer opened the meeting and welcomed the
delegates to Durban.
2. Ari-Veli Starcke then read the Aims and Objects of RTI.
3. The attendance book was circulated.
4. Mike Roberts, past National IRO of RTBI, was appointed
Secretary.
5. Introduction of Delegates
Present:
Chairman Jean de Brauwer
Secretary Mark Taylor
RT Austria President and IRO
RT Belgium President and IRO
RT Britain and Ireland President and IRO
RT Denmark IRO
RT Finland President, IRO and National Editor
RT France President and IRO
RT Hungary President and IRO
RT Germany Vice President (IRO Boris was still on
a pre-tour)
RT Iceland IRO
RT Israel National Secretary
RT Italy President and IRO
RT Netherlands Immediate Past President who was
attending in place of the IRO
RT Norway IRO
RT San Marino IRO
RT Switzerland President
RT Sweden President, Vice President and IRO
RT Tunisia President
Also present at some time during the meeting were Gerard O’Herlihy, VP of RTI, Cees Verweij, Immediate Past President of RTI, Waldo Thole, Past President of RTI, Mark Peters, current WOCO General Secretary, Filip Gille, Incoming WOCO General Secretary, Michael Lait, past ARTCA Chairman, Michael Toerien, past ARTSA President, John Reinerie, past RT Netherlands President.
6. National Reports
There were the following updates to the National Reports given
at the meeting in Tel Aviv;
Austria plan to have a pre-tour prior to their 40th Anniversary
AGM in Vienna in 1996.
Finland would be planning a mass tour in 1996 and would be
bidding to hold EMA in 1997.
Israel are holding a mass tour from June 11–15 1995.
Italy 2–4 June AGM.
30th Anniversary of RT Italy is being celebrated from 14–16
October 1994.
24–26 February 1995 would see a carnival celebration in Vienna.
Golf Championship at Brescia at the end of April.
Netherlands AGM 10–12 June in Rotterdam.
Norway are planning a mass tour in 1996.
Tunisia AGM 28–30 October 1994 with a pre-tour for two days
prior to the AGM.
7. Minutes of EMA Israel
The Minutes of the EMA meeting in Tel Aviv were circulated at the
meeting. Mark Taylor apologised for the delay.
8. Matters Arising
Paul Armstrong of RTBI raised the point made in Tel Aviv about
shortening the meeting.
Mark Taylor said it was difficult to be certain at the moment but if there were no burning issues it would not be stretched out to two days. If there were, then two days would be necessary.
National Reports at the June meeting could be condensed if they were circulated in advance.
RT Denmark asked if the Agenda could be circulated earlier.
WOCO General Secretary Mark Peters addressed the meeting for the
last time as he was stepping down after 5 years.
He gave the Past Chairman’s Jewel to Mark Taylor to present to Jean de Brauwer as Jean would not be present on Friday evening for the formal handover.
RT Denmark confirmed that there were 129 clubs and that the Greenland extension had failed.
RT France confirmed that they now had 336 clubs.
The Chairman asked for the Minutes to be approved and this was
carried unanimously.
9. EMA Israel Report
RT Israel gave a brief report on the June meeting and said that
it had gone well. There were 120 registrants.
10. EMA Directory
RT Malta were not present. Mark Taylor had spoken to them and
they were going to press two weeks ago.
RT France would like to ask RT Malta exactly what they required
as far as the information format was concerned.
At the RTI AGM the directory was circulated by RT Malta.
11. Financial Position
Mark Taylor commented on the financial position.
The accounting period had been changed to end after WOCO Durban.
There would be audited accounts for the Lausanne meeting in June 1995.
However, the expenses were less than the budget.
WOCO Chester are selling badges and banners on behalf of the Region for a commission and 1000 DM has already been received.
RTBI have contributed 1250 DM towards Mark’s expenses so the anticipated deficit was now 7700 DM.
There were no questions.
12. IRO’s Meeting Tallinn
There was a programme and registration form in the Agenda pack for this meeting in Durban.
Ari-Veli Starcke had made several contacts with the Tablers in Tallinn.
The deficit would have been 10500 DM, subject to audit.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE A VISA TO ENTER ESTONIA, should check the requirements with your travel agent, photograph will be required.
There are two main ways to travel – either direct to Tallinn or to Helsinki and swim as the ferries are not too reliable.
Mark said that some thought was needed about the business to be discussed. There would be two discussion forums:
1. Sub Regional meeting structures.
A letter was in the Agenda to this meeting from Friedrich about the cost of meetings. This was a possible topic unless other matters arose in the course of WOCO week.
Mark was open to discussion about any further topics.
13. (a) Children’s Exchange
RT France would like a sheet of paper to go to all members interested in child exchange. This would give details of the child and which country they would like to visit. This list could then be sent to all IRO’s.
This may be a topic for discussion at Tallinn,
There should be a closure date for applicants at the end of February.
The French IRO would put forward what he wanted to propose at
Tallinn.
13. (b) Children’s Camp
RT Austria hosted 40 children during two weeks in August in Eastern Austria,
again in the future.
The Chairman asked if
…there were any takers to hold it next year.
Ari-Veli Starcke gave details of the Nordic camp which was
organised by Ladies Circle.
They would not be doing it in 1995 but may again in the future.
Mark asked for Tablers to consider what their views were of
children’s camps.
Jean would like a camp for all children but not to interfere with
the Nordic arrangements.
14. EMA Lausanne
This would be held from June 21–25, 1995.
The programme and brochures were now available.
It would be a cheaper EMA due to the number of sponsors.
15. Ski Meeting
RT Germany were hosting the ski week from 14–21 January 1995.
There were many registrations already and a package from
Wednesday to Saturday only was available.
Eurosail 1995 would be held near to Venice,
The date would be available at Tallinn.
Hungary would be interested in hosting in 1996.
16. Woco/RTI Matters
Details were given of the banner exchanges to be held the
following day.
The Chairman appealed for the delegates present to support the
WOCO forum on the following day which would discuss the future
of WOCO and RTI.
There would be a second forum after the WOCO AGM on Thursday
discussing membership.
It was commented that WOCO travel grants would only be made if
you attended the forum!
Details were given about the WOCO trophies.
Club to Club projects should include EMA projects.
There was discussion over the procedure for the transfer of
payments to the projects.
The new system would require that a club inform WOCO that it will
fund a project. The recipient club should then write to the
donor club with further information and a request for the money.
RT Austria and RT Germany commented that there had been problems
with transfers of money.
RT Italy would receive ÂŁ3500 from the WOCO Foundation for their
project with children with heart disease. They would have to
report to the 1995 WOCO AGM.
Capitation Fees
Associations who were present and had not paid their WOCO
capitation fees were prevailed upon to do so.
There was a brief discussion over the RT France resolution for
the RTI AGM concerning new associations. This would affect the
region in that it could only admit members of RTI if passed.
Extension
There were three Tables in Russia being supported by the
following Associations:
St Petersburg by Finland, Moscow by France and the Germans were
supporting a third Table.
17. Post WOCO Meeting
As in the previous two years it was agreed that there would be
no meeting.
18. Other Events
Denmark announced that they had an open meeting at the Old
English Pub at 5.00 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month at
Vesterbrogade, Copenhagen.
Dates:
RT Gibraltar AGM 11 March 1995.
RT USA AGM New York 5–7 May 1995.
RTBI Welcome Tour 14–27 April 1995.
Nordic Board Gdansk, Poland 24
JoBo Leuven Belgium 6–8 January 1995.
SEM Orleans France 10–12 February 1995.
Italy Venice Carnival 24–26 February 1995 (Programme at
…IRO’s Meeting).
Tunisia AGM Tunis 29 and 30 October 1994 (Pre Tour 27 and 28
October 1994).
19. Secretary’s Final Report
Secretary Mark Taylor had nothing more to update since Tel Aviv.
As a Lawyer he was trying to use one English word when normally he would use four Latin words. His theme would be contact, not claptrap.
20. Chairman’s Final Report
Chairman Jean de Brauwer said that little activity had taken
place in the past 2–3 months.
He thanked those present for the past 2 marvellous years on the
EMA Board, he thanked everyone for their hospitality and
friendship.
He also thanked RT Belgium for their support.
He wished Mark Taylor good luck for the future.
21. Exchange of Jewels
Jean handed over the Chair of Office to Mark.
Mark thanked Jean for all his hard work over the past two years. He then presented him with his Past Chairman’s Jewel.
The Chairman, Mark Taylor, then announced the new Regional Secretary to be Ari-Veli Starcke. He commented that no-one could be more enthusiastic.
22. Any Other Discussions
RT Israel expressed the hope that they could establish an Association in Jordan. They were looking for contacts in Amman.
RT Belgium thanked Jean for his work in the Region.
The Golden Fleece Award would be $8000 US this year. The winner would be announced at the RTI AGM.
RT France – They were expecting to charter a Table in Madagascar or Area 23 in November 1995. They were hoping that Papete Tahiti would follow in 1996.
RTI Vice President Gerard O’Herlihy congratulated Jean de Brauwer on his year of office.
He announced that the Apex Club of India’s AGM would be held on December 25.
There would be a tug of war competition in the afternoon.
Gerard asked the 6 Associations who were indirect members of WOCO to consult him over the way in which they wished him to vote.
WOCO Convenor Cliff Arderne confirmed that the Weather Convenor had been fired.
Ari-Veli thanked those present for putting their trust in him for the next two years.
Paul Armstrong (RTBI) announced that the Sales Convenor, Colin Blow had stacks of blankets and thermal underwear for sale.
The Chairman closed the meeting at 16:40.