Euromeeting 8-11 May 1997 - RT2 Leeuwarden

Minutes of the Annual Presidents Meeting

held on 10th May 1997

at the Averotower

        97.01  Preliminaries

        The Meeting started at 17.00hrs and was chaired by Willem Terlouw

        the President of the hosting Table RT2 Leeuwarden.

        Present for the meeting were a maximum of two voting delegates

        from: Austria, RTBI, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary,

        Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland.

        The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed the Euro2 delegates

        who were then asked to introduce themselves and state their

        position within Round Table.

        97.02  Leeuwarden Program

        Comments on the Euro2 Program prepared by Leeuwarden were

        requested.  It was felt that an excellent job and a lot of work

        had been done. The Program, as promised at the previous Euro2

        Meeting in Budapest, represented good value for money and was

        full of fun, friendship and true Round Table fellowship.

        97.03  Euro2 Attendance

        Poland asked why other Table 2 members from Europe (such as

        Germany, France and Belgium) were not present in Leeuwarden. He

        also mentioned that his Table had been trying for four or five

        years to find out if meetings for Table 2 in Europe were held! 

        A discussion followed during which it was explained that similar

        comments to the above were made nearly every year and that with

        all the goodwill in the world, sometimes, there is a breakdown in

        communications or things simply go wrong.  It was also pointed

        out the Euro2 Meeting normally clashes with the 'Ports' Meeting. 

        It was generally felt that every effort should be made to resolve

        this problem so that all European RT2 Presidents can attend.

        97.04  Euro2 Secretary

        Malta proposed that the time had arrived for the Euro2 Meeting to

        elect a Secretary whose functions would include the recording of

        the Minutes during the Presidents Meeting, ensure that European

        RT2 Presidents receive the Minutes of the Meeting and generally

        being the focal point for the distribution of information.

        The Meeting appointed Tony Zahra (Malta) as the Euro2 Secretary

        until the next Euro2 Meeting and on a proposal by RTBI took up

        the post of Secretary with immediate effect.

        97.05  Euro2 1998

        Austria (RT2 Linz) as the indicated organizers of the 1998 Euro2

        Meeting, gave an outline of their program.  The Meeting will be

        between May 21 and May 24 1998 which will also coincide with

        their 40th Anniversary. A detailed Program (also made available

        on computer diskette) had already been distributed to everyone

        the previous day. The theme of the Linz Euro2 Meeting will be

        'Linz the Modern City'. It was also indicated that the price

        would not exceed 220 Euro per person and that they are planning

        to have a special (reduced) rate for couples.  Home hosting will

        also be made available to make the event more attractive.

        Following the presentation Linz was confirmed as the venue of the

        Euro2 meeting for 1998.

        97.06  Euro2 in 1999

        Denmark indicated they will not be seeking to hold the 1999 Euro2

        Meeting but would seek to hold a Meeting soon afterwards.

        Iceland then presented the Program they are preparing for 1999.

        Iceland reminded the delegates that 1999 would be the 25th

        anniversary of RT2 Iceland.  Comments were made to the effect

        that cost should be kept as low as possible (without sacrificing

        quality) to encourage more participation. The Meeting was

        informed that in the Portsmouth & Southsea Presidents Meeting

        (1995) a decision was taken that the overall cost should not

        exceed STG250 per person. Iceland said it is their intention to

        abide by this and that costs will not be higher than in the past.

        Some felt that the Euro2 Meeting should be held on the Ascension

        Weekend in May since this would make traveling more practical. 

        However, it was pointed out that there could be other 'long

        weekends' in May which could also prove as good and that a

        discussion to this effect had taken place during the Euro2

        meeting in Geneva.  It was then agreed that the hosting Table

        should take these factors into consideration when fixing the date

        of the meeting to ensure a successful and well attended Meeting.

        Iceland was then voted  as the official venue for the 1999 Euro2

        Meeting. As usual, final confirmation will be made at the 1998

        Euro2 Presidents Meeting.

        97.07  Euro2 in 2000

        Cyprus has confirmed that it will be seeking to hold the Euro2

        Meeting in 2000 and publicity material was again distributed.

        97.08  Other

        Portsmouth & Southsea said that 1998 would be the 70th

        anniversary of their Table and festivities have been planned for

        the 13th and 14th February 1998.  More details will be

        distributed in due course.

        Estonia informed the delegates that they have set up a 'Travel

        Fund' to assist those from Estonia RT2 wishing to Travel to the

        Euro2 Meeting and it is therefore now expected that at least one

        person from Estonia will be present at future Euro2 Meetings. 

        The delegates were then presented with a bottle of Estonian

        liqueur (which was immediately consumed) and given copies of the

        RT2 Estonia Magazine (which raised a request for 'compensation'

        from Cyprus who claimed a particularly 'revealing' photo had been

        copied from their brochure! The Cypriots were happy to learn that

        Estonia was only giving free publicity to Cypriot girls).

        Harris Antoniades (Cyprus) thanked Leeuwarden for their help

        after his passport incident in Amsterdam. (It appears this

        happened whilst he was having coffee!).

        There being no other business the meeting was closed.

        _______________________       ________________________

        Euro2 Secretary                                Euro2 Chairman     

        PS. At the Gala Dinner that followed the Presidents Meeting,

        Budapest as the immediate past organizers of the Euro2 Meeting,

        presented Leeuwarden with the official Euro2 Trophy and Photo

        Album.  Leeuwarden will next year present these to the next Euro2

        President (Linz).