On Friday afternoon, the majority of the international guests arrived at the Hotel Schloss Lebenberg and rejoiced over the great location. We had visitors of 19 different countries this year - Germany, Luxembourg, India, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Malta, Mauritius, Kenya, South Africa, Belgium, Switzerland, Scotland, .... - and we all were as surprised as the guests themselves over this great presence.
The Austrian Ladies particularly were delighted about our special guests from Germany - Nicole Judge NP-LCD, Tanja Kracht VP-LCD, Verena Bossert NS-LCD, Beatrice and Christine from Weiden/Germany, Nina, Steffi and Sabine from Peine - and from Luxembourg - Martine Schramer IPP -LCL, Christiane Loos and Carmies Kleestadt and of course the most furthest travelled Ladies from India, who invited us warmly once again to FIESTE @ 50 in Bangalore.
On Friday evening at a classic Tyrolean buffet we were able to refresh old contacts and forge new ones. An unusual event was the visit of the Tablers of RTD-42 Bielefeld Sennestadt/Germany in the context of their Opportunity-Tour, in the sense of side-by-side to satisfy a bet and wanted to contribute this idea even further to Austria. RTD 42 and LCD 42 Ostwestfalen betted that the Tablers of RT 42 are able to visit in 2009 all Round Tables in Germany, which are ready to receive them, to collect money for the LCD 42 Service Project ( "Opportunity International" - www.oid.org .) And it succeeded!
On Saturday, we started almost in time with our meeting and we were pleased about a lot of Greetings from the international LC world. LC 5 Spittal proposed a new national service project – it is the organisation „Tagesstätte 4-seasons" in Seeboden/Lieserhof in Carinthia (www.net4you.co.at/4jahreszeiten )and it was chosen!!! This private organized club supports youth and young adults with disabilities and offers several mentally handicapped a care in small group atmosphere. We are looking forward for many interesting reports!
... And of course we have chosen a new board - Congratulations to all Ladies!
We were pleased to end the meeting on time and set up immediately to the departure of the gondolas on to the Hahnenkamm, where our snow in combination with a magnificent panorama and, of course, a typical Austrian lunch awaited. At the International Banner Exchange of RTA, LCA was the only national organization which could exchange the Banner with President Gerald and I was pleased with a bottle of „Presi-Schnaps“.
We began our gala evening Side By Side with the President's Cocktail-Party for the first time jointly designed by RTA and LCA to which our national and international honor guests were invited.
It was a very swining evening and it went on with the handover of the Presidential Office to the new President Doris Graf and her new Boardmembers. Another highlight was the check presentation to the representative of LC1 Vienna - Anita Schulz-Wulkow - for the joint project between LCA and RTA, the "Autistenzentrum Arche Noah" (www.autismus.at ).

We were very proud about our first common Side-by-Side project to the 50th anniversary of LC-International, to which we were able to collect and donate a total of € 6.500,--, thanks to a donation of RT-Sweden over € 500, -! Thank you to all those who have contributed to this great success!
Again this year we could sell all of our remaining LCI pins to the Tablers - thank you very much for this!
The next morning all the stolen flags, pins and chains still had to be triggered and returned, and then the weekend was already over.
Again I would like to take this opportunity to thank RT 39 Kitzbühel for the perfect organization of this weekend and to thank especially Gerald Stubenberger - RTA President 2008/09 - for the good cooperation during the club year and the AGM!!
See you next year in Vienna –
Yours in Friendship Gaby Janovsky-Schartner IPP-LCA 2009/10