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President’s Letter June 2011

It is with trepidation that I assume the responsibilities of our club for the coming year.
It is a daunting task to steer the ‘ship’ which is WICM, made up as it is, of such a variety of ladies from diverse backgrounds and nationalities.

I offer my thanks to the new committee for their willingness to join me in carrying out the many tasks which ensure the smooth running of our club.

Our members have raised families, followed many professions, lived in interesting countries, and had unique life experiences. Consequently, our group possesses tremendous talents and I would like to see more of you offering to help with activity groups. You must let the committee know what it is you require from your club, but also be prepared to help in whatever capacity you feel able.

I would love to see our club making a more formal commitment to helping members experiencing difficulties or when misfortune strikes. This could be a simple task like doing the shopping, making a meal, helping with some housework etc. It is often the small things in everyday life which people most appreciate when under stress due to illness or bereavement.

At the moment many of you do provide this help in an informal way. I merely suggest that it would be more advantageous to have a system whereby no member fell through the ‘net’. Such that, each and every one of us, would feel confident that if help is required, it is going to be provided in a reliable and confidential manner. Sometimes just providing a “listening ear” is all that is required.

We are not all strong in the same way, but each one of us has our own type of strength. This is a very valuable commodity. Always remember the old Native American proverb: “Never judge another until you have walked a mile in their shoes”

If, at the end of my year as President, we can succeed in being a more tolerant and caring person towards out fellow members, then my wish will have been granted.

My life as The President of WICM .2007- 2011.

If you consult the Oxford English Dictionary, a president is said to be “the elected head of a state, the head of a society or council and the person in charge of a meeting or council etc.” The word preside (taken from the Latin via Old French) shows that person to be in a position of authority, especially as the chair person of a meeting, or to be able to exercise control or authority.

Yes, these are all true, but to be President of WICM means something else. During my time as President I have been in charge of so many monthly gatherings and committee meetings – I have lost count, but I have realized that my job has been different. I have worked as part of a team, who have been determined to make WICM very special. To be a President for me has been to listen to people and try to be of help and guide the Club in the right direction. So many of our members have experienced difficulties in their lives – maybe with health problems or personal family stresses. Others have had joyful times which we have wanted to share, but above all I have found that the rules and regulations laid down in the Constitution and guidelines are merely there to be a guide. I have realized they are not written in “tablets of stone”! We are just human beings after all, and part of that world-wide family of like minded women.

I wish the new president and her committee all the luck in the world.

When I came to France to spend the first year of retirement, I had already been a member of an international women's organisation for over 30 years and had met many wonderful people around the world.

I joined the International Women's Club Languedoc Rousillon in St Chinian in 2004 and soon realised what a wonderful organisation it was. However, many local friends thought it was too far to travel for regular club events and meetings.

In December 2005 I called a meeting of around 24 women who came to my house to hear Deliann Grimm outline the philosophy of WIC and to gauge whether there would be enough support to propose a club in our area . An interim committee was formed and I was elected as President. The inaugural meeting was scheduled for Thursday 6th January 2006.

We chose a simple motto: Faire les Ponts - Building Bridges; to reflect the WIC aims and objectives.

Our first meeting was truly memorable. We anticipated that 25 women would come but, in fact, over 50 turned up with ages ranging from an infant to over 80! On that day we welcomed 15 nationalities. The Women's International Club Mediterranee was born!

I was very proud to look out across the room and see so many women meeting, chatting in several languages and making new friends. I knew then that the Women's International Club Mediterranee was going to be all that I had dreamed - a vibrant, active club where women and their families could enjoy their internationality and form a network of friends and people with similar interests. This, I believe, makes the world such a wonderful place and builds bridges between nations.