In 2017, Round Table 30 Salzburg celebrated its 35th anniversary.
This was celebrated at the Schlosswirt in Anif together with RT45.
Speech by the President Christoph Jurikovszky on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of Round Table 30
Dear friends, Dear 30s, Dear 45s
Dear ladies, Dear guests of honor,
As early as 1798, the honorable poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe wrote to his friend and colleague Schiller: “You cannot change your century, but you can stand against it and prepare for happy effects.”
This quote speaks to us from the heart, especially as this insight from Goethe can still be written on our banners today. Because we at Round Table try to create a happy effect in the world and change the world a little in the process.
Round Table 30 was founded on October 16, 1982 in Salzburg. That is why we are celebrating an anniversary today at this wonderful 2017 Christmas party. That’s certainly not an incredibly long time, but the first Round Table was founded in England in 1927 and the first table in Austria in 1955. So we can look back on a 35th anniversary with some pride.Especially as the table is now older than many of our members. (not than me – in case anyone is wondering)
After an incredible economic miracle followed by years of social rebellion, the 1980s were a relatively safe time – if you ignore the Cold War – in which, unlike today, people were positive about the future and everything seemed possible. Nevertheless, there was a lot to help.
In line with our motto adopt – adapt – improve, Round Table 30 has been involved in a large number of social projects over the years, giving something back to society and helping disadvantaged people.
In our geographical area, we have achieved a relatively high level of prosperity. However, this prosperity has also meant that charity is no longer lived to its full extent, and that self-centeredness and cocooning have a firm grip on large areas of society.
The motto “Yes no na ned I would help” prevails from time to time, but the subjunctive and lip service and actual action are worlds apart.
This makes it all the more important for Round Table and our related service clubs to step in and provide unbureaucratic help where families, friends or even the state are unable to do so, or are unable to do so sufficiently.
We do this with our long-standing support for Lebenshilfe, EB-Haus and DEBRA by donating to children and people who are economically “uninteresting”.
In cooperation with Rotary, we have been supporting projects that directly combat poverty in Salzburg for a number of years.
With our fund for children’s smiles, we support children in Salzburg’s schools who are socially disadvantaged or even excluded due to their parents’ financial situation.
We try to alleviate a great deal of suffering by supporting small families with mostly sick children.
As a major new project, we are launching our new event “PopUP Kitchen for a good cause” in 2018 to once again fill our fund for children’s smiles.
You’d think that a club that thinks highly of itself would also celebrate in an appropriate setting. That’s what we do today, but as we live by the motto adopt-adapt-improve, we 30s have decided to move our handover meetings from top restaurants to our homes, where the president invites us to eat and drink and the money that would otherwise have been spent in the restaurant also goes into our fund. We have been doing this for 3 years now and always raise between 1000 and 2000 euros.
Dear friends, dear Tablers,
But it’s also important and right that Round Table 30 also fulfills another function.
When I joined or was allowed to join the club six years ago, I was anything but a club bully. I couldn’t really imagine how my membership would develop and I couldn’t imagine in the slightest that it would change aspects of my life.
Because in addition to helping disadvantaged people, which is simply nice and does you good, you also make friends here! And friends for life.
And even if not everyone at the table can be or is your “best” friend, what you have in common always takes precedence over what divides you. And here I ask you: Where is that really still the case today?
That’s why one of the best things in the world is to be a member of Round Table 30;
to know that there are people you can always rely on;
to watch your children having fun together;
to experience joint activities as a men’s group or in whole family groups and
to go on exciting trips with real friends at the same time as working for a good cause.
With this in mind, I would like to conclude my 35th anniversary speech with another quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:
“How fruitful is the smallest circle, if one knows how to cultivate it”.
Many thanks to all 30
Yours in Table!
Your President
Christoph Jurikovszky
President Club year 2017/2018