Hello everybody and a warm welcome! I’m Thibault Prat, the president of the Gerbert Euro Club.
Sixty one years ago, on the 9th of May 1950, Robert Schuman presented a new organization for Europe; this became known as the “Schuman declaration”. Robert Schuman had been French Prime Minister and Minister of foreign affairs. He is a founding father of what became the European Union. Thanks to him and others like him, Europe has become a peaceful, prosperous and democratic continent in which most people are equal and free… But we have to work together to maintain this peace and fight the rise of nationalisms and fundamentalisms which feed on fear and hate… We commemorate the Schuman declaration and celebrate European unity every 9th May. The 9th of May then is Europe Day, so happy Europe Day!
For the GerbertEuroClub, today is of course the most important day of the calendar. This year, to mark Europe Day, we have organized a photo competition on the theme of generosity, in reference to the 2011 European year of volunteering; there is a public prize (generously offered by the Apel Saint-Joseph) and I invite you to watch the slide show and cast your vote from 12:30 on (put the number of the photo you consider the best on the piece of paper provided and put it in the box held by Angélique). The public prize and jury prize winners will be announced at 13:30. The most interesting photos will be printed and put on show this summer at the notary offices of Cabinet NCIS - B&B NOTAIRES (33 avenue des Volontaires in Aurillac); we thank them for their generosity!
This is the third year of the GEC’s existence and I would like to take this opportunity, on behalf of everyone here, to thank Lidwine and her team for setting up our association (applause); we are “euro d’être” thanks to them! We wish them all the best in their chosen careers and hope they will keep in touch and come back often to see how we are using their club to change the world!
I also wish to thank Mme Vidal and the Ensemble Scolaire Gerbert, and Mme Péchuzal of Relais Europe Direct, for their unfailing support of the GEC.
The GerbertEuroClub enables us not only to talk about Europe, but also to act for Europe. And the proof is our big project for October 2011: a trip to Prague to set up a twinning with Nove Porg high school. Thirty people can take part; please take a copy of this letter written by Mme Vidal to your parents (hand out letter). Your parents must give their permission by the end of May! We must organize a fund-raising event so that everybody who wants to go to Prague can go to Prague; please see Marie Serre and Camille Martinez if you can help organize a fund-raising event.
Thank you for listening, bon appétit and, once again: Happy Europe Day!
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