Organiser: Round Table Switzerland
Event Dates: 1974
Geneva played host to the EMPM (European Mediterranean Presidents Meeting?) of 1974. During this period, Round Table Associations were directly affilliated with World Council of Service Clubs (WOCO). The following is an account of the event, as written by RTBI Vice President Rodney Huggins.
The venue for the 1974 Meeting was the attractive Swiss City of Geneva at the foot of Lake Leman. The participants were transported across the end of the lake by boat for the opening ceremony held in a delightful park adjacent to the waters edge. Various welcoming speeches were made in between marching displays by the local Police Band. Afterwards, local Tablers entertained us lavishly at house parties.
At 9 a.m. on Friday the business session was formally opened by the Swiss National Vice-President Roger Vugliano who was also Chairman of the Meeting. Last year’s meeting had been assured that he was bi-lingual but it soon became apparent that he only spoke French. However, the excellent simultaneous translation facilities made life easy. With the exception of Norway all the European Associations were represented by President and/or IRO. World Council President Bob Stumbles supported by Past President Jacques Wolf and Extension Officer Bernhard Langhammer addressed the gathering recommending that each Association, Area and Club should have International Travel Funds and World Council should stay together and grow in strength.
RT Belgium again undertook to publish the European Directory. Then ensued the debate on the Netherlands motion that a co-ordinator should be elected annually to act as Chairman, prepare the agenda and all business papers for the EMPM and liaise generally with the organising committee for the next meeting. Despite a futile attempt by the Latin Associations to adopt French as the official language it was ultimately agreed future meetings would be conducted in English!! Vive la difference! The RT Netherlands President Otto de Witt Wijner was appointed first co-ordinator.
After that well-known and much respected International bombshell and World Council Public Relations Officer Pierre Richterich had announced his late arrival by producing his excellent World Council booklet on Public Relations, a long discussion took place on the constitution of World Council. Eventually RTBI successfully proposed:—
“The EMPM request the Board of World Council to convene in Edinburgh a special meeting of the heads of the various member Associations to consider the future of World Council”.
On Friday evening we joined in the celebrations of the 20th Anniversary of Geneva Table Number 2 where the food and fellowship were of the highest quality.
The following morning a lecture was given by Mrs. Murphree on the work of the Chair of Race Relations. Apparently, the preliminary report on the project should be available by October next. The highlight of the social activities was, however, the Banner Luncheon on Saturday. A large Steamer transported some 250 Tablers and wives around part of Lake Leman. The atmosphere on board being most congenial and the wine flowing profusely. President Ray searched for his shoes whilst the remainder watched the panoramic Alpine views slip slowly by in glorious sunshine (‘News and Views’ understands the President’s search was successfully concluded prior to disembarkation).
The final functions were the AGM of Round Table Switzerland and the ‘Soiree de Gala’. The former was quite remarkable in that the said Roger Vugliano, through his insistence that only members of his own Table should constitute the National Executive, was not elected National President. He was in fact, the only candidate but did not obtain the requisite 50% vote. Therefore, the host Association do not have a National President for the time being. The evening’s Banquet and Ball was again an excellent function with no such procedural difficulties.
For me, there will remain three outstanding memories, the high standard of organisation, the opportunity of international fellowship and the prices which were as high as mountains.
Written by Rodney Huggins