MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT Julian Berstein
Dear Skålleagues
It is a great honour for me to become your National President. I have been in Skål for more than 30 years and the Jersey President twice so today is a giant step for me and for Jersey as I am the first National President from my adopted Island. I will do my utmost to represent Skål UK both nationally and internationally. Please invite me to your clubs and I will come over to support you.
I see the major job for me this year is to keep our heads above water, hang on to the members we have and by personal invitation find as many new members as possible, this is easy to say and less easy to do but if we are to stay viable we need to try our hardest.
My vision for Skål is that based on our leadership, professionalism and friendship we use our expertise to work together to become a trusted voice for the Travel and Tourism Industry nationally – and internationally.
This means that our mission will be to develop a strong Skål brand that supports and communicates this vision to all our members and the industry in order to work together to maximise the networking opportunities and to help each other.
We are much more than a lunch club for likeminded hospitality professionals and we need to emphasis this to old and new members. We must move forward. My feeling is that we need to focus on what we can do for each other in an open and friendly way. Newsletters and keeping in contact with each other is very important please keep the flow of information coming.
When I was the Jersey President I was responsible for getting the National Congress here in Jersey this April so I hope that as many of you as possible will be able to come over - it will be a fun packed weekend.
I am delighted to welcome my new team who are Senior Vice President David Lord, Junior Vice President Alison Partridge, Hon. Treasurer John Watts, Hon Secretary Sally Grey, Past President and Young Skål Ian Hawkes, PPA and PR Diana Hall, Newsletter Lyn Snelgrove, Transport Tony Milhofer, 200 Club John Bright, Webmaster Peter Steen and Internal Examiners Mike Scott and David Goddard.
Our International Councillor is Paul Follows who is also the Secretary of the ISC.
I want to thank David Goddard, Ian McCubbin and Maurice Steer, who all retired at this AGM, for all their hard work and dedication over the years.
President’s Joke:
“All the president is a glorified public relations man who spends all his time flattering, kissing and kicking people to do what they are supposed to do anyway.” Harry Truman – I wish it were so!! Skål - Julian
