Wolfgang Rösel Past President 41 INTERNATIONAL 1993/94 1
The Author: Dr. Wolfgang Rösel was a member of Round Table 24 Darmstadt, Founder-President of Old Tablers 24 Darmstadt (1979/80), National President of OLD TABLERS DEUTSCHLAND (1982/83), President of 41 INTERNATIONAL (1993/94). For his services and unity with 41 INTERNATIONAL he received together with Louis Bannwart from Switzerland on 15. June 1996 from the hand of the French President from 41 INTERNATIONAL, Guy Mercier, at the AGM Triest in Castello di Miramare the “Award of Merit”. He is an Honouree Life-Member of Old Tablers Deutschland. In civilian life he worked as an Architect, and has also been teaching Project Management for 30 years as a University Professor
41 I N T E R N A T I O N A L and the A S S O C I A T I O N
The admission of Non-Ex Tabler’s into 41 Clubs or Old Tables was in the beginning of the 1990’s, or even nowadays a difficult and explosive subject for 41 International, the international organisation of Ex-Tablers.
Club 41 France (according to the “Annuaire” 1992/1993, page 608) had for themselves agreed and accepted the new “rule”, Article 2, Para. 1, second section, during their Annual General Meeting on June 9th, 1990 in Agde. That “rule” reads:
"Il offre aux anciens Membres des la Table Ronde Francaise, et à leurs Amis, âges de plus de 40 ans, les moyens de maintenir et de développer entre eux, d'une faon vivante, les liens d'amitié qui les unissent."
According to the rules of 41 International this change would have had to be announced to the management board of 41 International in writing by Club 41 France because it contradicted the rules. This was not done. Therefore the amendment of the statute of the French Club was not at first noticed internationally.As affiliated members became acquainted with the wording "et à leurs Amis" a storm of protest developed in Great Britain and from there through all affiliated clubs.
This had the consequence, that at the 41 International AGM in Triest on June 29th, 1991 the delegates that were present were surprised by the announcement of the then President of the Association, Jim McCollum, when he explained the leaving of the UK organisation from 41 International.
The ground to this decision was within the “change of rules” and general practice by the French which no longer required members of there association to be Ex-Round-Tabler’s. In addition, he referred to the founder of Round Table, Louis Marquesi, who’s portrait he imploringly displayed.
I was present at this trenchantly staged declaration and I had been surprised and shocked just as all other non-British members in the first moment, because the British hadn't suggested any syllable of their plan before. With big consternation we left Triest and had some farewell tears in our eyes. There was deep expression of the mourning attached to this termination of fellowship.
Louis Bannwart, the newly voted President in Triest therefore lost in one blow, half of all the membership of 41 International. In the course of the years 1991 and 1992 it was clearly seen that the British had put the fuse to a gunpowder keg, because other national organisations had already rejected the wording of the French Club 41 rules at the same time, too include "friends" of former Round-Tabler’s into Club 41.
After my perception of the testimony of the countries which strictly declined this wording headed at that time by Switzerland, Cyprus, Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, India, Norway, Holland, New Zealand, Sweden, Finland and South Africa, others countries waited and reacted only later.
In the beginning of 1992 it became known that the north European member organisations of 41 International founded their own association made up of the Nordic Old Tablers associations and wanted to leave 41 International as a protest against the French rules. I had experience of this matter on the occasion of the Swedish AGM on 12.-14 June 1992 in Gislaved, where I had taken part as the Vice-President of 41 International.
The 41 International President Louis Bannwart of Switzerland and I then flew on 18th September from Frankfurt over Copenhagen to Norrköping where we were picked up by car, we went together to Atvidaberg in the proximity of Linköping.
Under the chairmanship of Ulf Andersen, IRO Sweden, the representatives of
Denmark, Erik Jensen, Jesper Jesperson
Finland, Jan-Erik Lindgren
Norway, Trond Hersleth
Sweden, K.G. Wirenfelt, Per Frederik Törnquist
and Hanno V. Liechtenstein
decided on the foundation of the union of the “Nordic Old Tablers.”
Topic Number 8 of the agenda was the discussion and decision about the retirement of the "Nordic Old Tablers" from 41 International. There had already be an agreement with the Association under the leadership of the Danes.
It was obvious that the British tried to use the favour of the hour to win-over the associations who had declared themselves against the French rules, support The ASSOCIATION OF EX TABLERS – INTERNATIONAL (in accordance with the statement of the Association of February 2nd, 1992).
There then would have been two organisations side by side:
- 41 international, a relatively small organisation whose members would be made up of a small number of European countries consisting of Ex-Round Tablers and their "friends, and
- ASSOCIATION OF EX TABLERS´ INTERNATIONAL, the big and truthful global union of exclusively former members of Round Table.
The previous night until the early hours of the morning, Louis Bannwert and I had discussed extremely intensively with the northern countries to bring them to the understanding that they would severely damage the international union with their scheduled leaving and their step would have the consequence, that other National Associations of Ex-Tablers would follow their steps, a division into countries following the rules and others which do not follow the rules.
Louis Bannwert and I had success with our nightly conviction work and on the next morning it was decided to neglect Topic Number 8, the separation from 41 International. We were dismissed in friendship and were glad to have prevented the separation of the northern countries. We won good friends at this meeting under the "Nordic Old Tablers" with whom we still often meet together
Under the older British opinion creators a considerable bitterness had developed about the French rules to a point where this subject could not be discussed with them any more. It was Bob Oulsnam from Birmingham who used every opportunity to talk in conscience, not to break off completely the international conversation and to maintain the last bridges to the 41 International Association.
A small ray of hope was seen when the Vice-President of the British Association, Alan Reynolds attended the Half Year Meeting of 41 International with his secretary Geoff King in Cyprus on September 4th, 1993. We had for the first time a meeting with younger former Round-Tabler’s of the British Isles. The meeting proceeded in a very friendly manner. We got on well together and the two younger representatives of the British Association also openly refused the wording of the French rules. Perhaps one could imagine, to rejoin 41 International if the rules of the French would be formulated back again on the old stand. This of course wasn't a particularly overwhelming result of our conversations but showed that one hadn't yet terminated the conversation on the British Islands. This had to be registered with relief.
During my Presidency of 41 International I had in Einhart Melzer a "Special Ambassador" as an Honorary Member the Association and with close connections to "Old Tabler’s in London" who kept the personal and partly informal connections to the British Isles alive. Through this we could therefore maintain good dialogue and an excellent line of communication within the traditional Association with Ex-Tablers all over the world.
Through Einhart Melzer we had developed good contact with the South Africans and in particular with Erik Stroud, the former Ex-Tabler was then IRO for the South African Association. I travelled as 41 International President to the South African AGM on October 2nd, 1993 in Warmbad and tried with the support of Erik Stroud to convince the South African Association of the advantages of remaining within 41International, because they had already adopted the British predominant opinion to refuse the wording of the French rules. In discussions lasting several hours I succeeded in convincing the South Africans to maintain membership of the 41 International Association. They only asked to have a little time for reflection before they would decide on such a momentous step. Thanks to the work of the then President of South Africa Wolfgang von Ey and the IRO Eric Stroud, the decision remained undecided.
A complete and very tense discussion then continued crossways with many personal conversations and telephone calls taking place around the globe. A high tension "Summit Meeting" between the then President of the UK Association, David Woodworth and myself as the 41 International President, together with Einhart Melzer took place in Berlin on 27th November 1993 and came to the conclusion that the British Association could come back again into membership of 41 International, but it was clearly stated to be under the condition, that in the future no more Non-Ex-Tablers would be accepted by local clubs within 41 International. David Woodworth promised to discuss the subject in this sense with his Management Board.
As 41 International President I travelled to Great Yarmouth for the AGM of the Association which took place on 9. April 1994. There I received the opportunity to make a short five minute address to the delegates of the Association in which I also passionately invited them to value the originally founded Round Table fellowship higher than the French escapade. At first nothing was decided, because many were of the opinion that the matter needed more discussion.
In the meantime Alan Reynolds was the new president of the Association. He reached the decision on April 12th, 1994, that the British Board should intend to rejoin 41 International.
The official application for membership of the Association then had to be processed at the AGM of 41 International during the next International meeting in Hamburg on May 28th, 1994. Before, there were some arguments about the amount of membership fees which seemed to be to high for the Englishmen themselves. An agreement was reached, which was primarily the fate of the negotiation capabilities of Freddy Kachelhofer.
The application of the UK Association for rejoining 41 International was finally on the agenda at the AGM of 41 International on May 28th, 1994. It was accepted as unanimously expected. With jubilation one celebrated the re-union and put the Union Jack flag to the flags of the member countries again, with which the meeting hall was adorned. By this the 41 International union was again re-united.
The resolution formulated in Triest in 1991 is still valid:
- As of June 1991 nobody will be eligible for membership of a Member Association who was not previously a member of a Round Table (except for honouree members).
2.All countries which become members of 41 International after June 1991 must explain that their complete membership consists of Ex-members of Round Table.
The historical side of these events and a short resume of the untiring efforts during more than three years, which I had carried out mainly as President of 41 International at that time being in office together with Louis Bannwert.
From today's viewpoint it must be regarded as decisive, that Louis Bannwert and myself, supported by numerous other friends who cannot all be listed, by personal meetings and discussions, conversations, and conviction work, prevented the splitting-up of the 41 International Association. All of us have put much effort into this, used up time and spent money around the aim to reach the preservation of the 41 International union. It has thanks goodness turned out well at that time.
Now the discussion seems to open up again in this direction. Again at this time, I will support this position forcefully, that Non Ex-Tablers are not included into the clubs of the 41 International Association and the unity of the organisation remains preserved. Should the rules of 41 International be changed in future, to make it possible for Non Ex-Tablers to join, this would have one undoubted affect, as during the years 1991 - 1994 that a break-up of the Association would follow.
Those who have fought for the cohesion of Non Ex-Tablers and many others which inactively pursued the same aim quiet a few would declare their leaving of 41 clubs. According to the intention to establish a new organisation already formulated in 1992 by the Association a very short term conclusion would be possible.
Many Ex-Tablers all over the world would be ready as founder members for a real union of former Round-Tablers together with Ex-Tablers from member countries of 41 International, especially as 1991 in Denmark, Great Britain, Israel, India, Norway, Holland, New Zealand, Sweden, Finland and South-Africa and all the other countries, who have their roots according to the present 41 International, to form
The ASSOCIATION OF Ex-TABLERS International.
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