President's Corner

Wow! I survey the years of my association with the Lethbridge Twinning Society and am perplexed as to where the time has gone? I can not believe that since 1991 when I first heard of the “Lethbridge Twinning Society” twenty years later here I am looking to the future! What is next for our Society? How can we improve on what we do? What do the members want and expect from the Society? These are the questions that I along with your dedicated Executive members constantly discuss. One factor stands out, membership in the Society will challenge you, and there are opportunities galore to become involved in projects and events. We have purposely kept annual membership dues low ($15.00 individual and $25.00 family) to allow for all to be members without huge financial responsibility. We have never insisted on memberships dues from those who have aligned themselves with the Society, and as such we allow for “Associate” memberships. The only restriction on the Associate members is that they can not hold an executive position in the Society. Do we encourage “Active” – dues paying members? Absolutely, we rely on membership dues to maintain our modest budget for administration of the Society... but we realize that without our network of Associate Members we would not exist!

The past three years we have had major events/projects with all of our three official twin cities (Culver City, California, USA, Towada City, Japan, and Timashevsk, Russia) and our friendship city Great Falls, Montana, USA. Which event has been the most significant? Has it been the visit and entertainment tour of Towada City, Japan recording artist Makoto Sakurado? His concert at Lethbridge’s Yates Theatre and his engagements in Airdrie, Banff and Calgary? Or was it the 25 member Lethbridge delegation that traveled to Culver City on a twelve day bus excursion tour? Was it participation in the Ice Breaker Road Race in Great Falls, Montana? Perhaps jetting down the Athabasca River in a high power jet boat at the Alberta/Japan Twinned Municipalities Association in Whitecourt, Alberta? Maybe it was participation in the United Nations Plenary Sessions in Seville, Spain, where I had the opportunity of presenting information on the Lethbridge Twinning Society? Was it attending the Sister Cities International Convention in Belfast, Northern Ireland? Maybe it was the casual dinner hosted by Betty and Dick Reimer in their home when we hosted the five Russian Students from Timashevsk, Russia? My conclusion is, “Yes!” all of the above!

2010 is promising to be a challenging year, we have a full slate before us…

April – Ice Breaker Road Race – Great Falls, Montana.

May – Bar B Que Fund Raiser – Save on Foods.

June – A delegation of five from ZunYi City of GuiZhou Province in Southwest of China will be arriving in Lethbridge. ZunYi City is a Twin City with Culver City, Japan and the delegation will be visiting Culver City and wish to take the opportunity of visiting Lethbridge in conjunction with their visit to North America!

July – A delegation of twelve will be arriving in Lethbridge from Culver City, California.
         – Alberta/Japan Twinned Municipalities Association Conference – Stony Plain, Alberta.
         – Sister Cities International Conference, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

August – Whoop-up Days parade.

More possibilities exist, and we are in the planning of fund raising events before long we know that September, October and rest of the year will be filled with engagements and events….that is just the way it is!

The Lethbridge Twinning Society has become recognized in the community as being a stellar organization committed to extending the hand of friendship not only across the international borders, but within our community. The support from our Mayor, Bob Tarleck and the City Administration, and our Corporate Sponsors, (In particular, Save on Foods) have assisted us in achieving many of our goals, a heartfelt “Thank you” to them!

The Executive and I stand here proud of our members, members who have truly left an indelible mark in this Society and in the community in general.

We thank you all for your membership in the Society, because of you we have achieved so much in the past few years, and because of you we will continue to be a positive and respected organization in our wonderful community.

Thank you!
Harold Pereverseff
President

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." [Margaret Mead (1901-1978)]