Letter from the President
This is my favorite season of the year. The grey and dreary days are gone, replaced with sunshine, blue skies, and much warmer temperatures. Out for a walk, you especially notice it with the smiles from most everyone you meet. In Spring, the general mood is much more positive, cooperative and friendly, everywhere you go.
We've been busy as well. Your National Board now has a (virtual) office in the heart of the Republic, and it couldn't be better located, as follows:
AAGBCs e.V.
Unter den Linden 26-30
D11017 Berlin
Germany;
Telephone: 030-403631-040
www.agbc.org
E-Mail to: evp@agbc.org.
E-Mail to Inge Gerold who is our primary national coordinator: secretary@agbc.org.
Many thanks to Tom Leiser, Frankfurt, and Larry Schultz, Munich, for their efforts and hard work in making this happen.
As you can see, we are excited about the restructuring of the ways in which we do business. In addition to our new address in the heart of Berlin, we have developed a brand new AAGBCs national website, GDPR compliant. This will provide important information to our members nationwide and a terrific hyperlink to visit the websites of individual chapters. This should increase the amount of networking already available and provide a better cross-pollination of ideas between chapters.
The new website is under the final stages of development and will be released in the next unit of time.
Which brings us to our invitation for you our semi-annual membership meeting of the Association of American German Business Clubs e. V. which is coming up next month on Saturday, 11 May, at the beautiful Hotel Marriott in downtown Frankfurt. Registration will be at 10:30 am with the meeting commencing precisely at 11 and will run through approximately 4:30 PM. The Marriott will be providing a wonderful lunch for 30 Euro per person. If you are not a designated chapter representative, it is necessary for you to register for the event. You may do this by contacting our executive secretary Inge Gerold at the following address: secretary@agbc.org. In addition, our host chapter AGBC Frankfurt has organized a golf tournament on Friday afternoon 10 May followed by a dinner. Registration for either of these events is also required in advance.
There are a number of wonderful events happening within the individual chapters in the coming weeks.
Below please find a partial listing for a few of our chapters to review:
AGBC Munich e.V.
For the 29 May monthly event, Prof Dr Karin VanMeter, Iowa State University (retired) will address “Advancing through Life - Successful Aging.” With her extensive career in the bio-medical arena, Karin will discuss theories of aging, genetics and aging, reverse aging, health and aging, focusing especially on current research and advice on how ‘aging well’ can be accomplished.
2ndAnnual Bavarian-American Golf Tournament - Attention Golfers! AGBC Munich and AIMS International are co-sponsoring the 2ndannual Bavarian-American Golf Tournament, which is being held Friday, 31stMay at Golfclub Wörthsee in Wörthsee (near the Ammersee). This is on the bridging day after Ascension Day (Christihimmelfahrt). The golf tournament features 18 holes, and there will be a Schnupperkurs available for beginners. After our daytime activities, we will then host a BBQ dinner plus a tombola. Please plan to join us of a great day at the golf course.
And rounding out 2Q19 with our 26thJune monthly event,US Consul General Meghan Grigonis will provide us an update on activities at the US. Consulate Munich.
Sunday, 29 September (1100-1600) – AGBC Returns for Oktoberfest2019! Festhalle Schottenhamel. We again join with 10 other Munich networking groups for another round of great networking and catching up. Save the date!
AGBC Wiesbaden-Mainz e.V.
On 23rdMay, Professor Clemens Hoffmann, director of the Kassel Fraunhofer Institute for renewable energy, will speak about the city as an energy system.
On 27thJune, our City Partnership Committeewill present its objectives and results regarding a partnership between the cities of Wiesbaden and Sacramento.
AGBC Frankfurt e.V.
The Frankfurt Chapter has a new President, Dr. Mark C. Hilgard, a well-respected Lawyer, recently retired from the prestigious firm, Mayer-Brown and now running his own firm. He is a native German and a former AmCham executive.
On 18thMay 2019, our members and guests will enjoy our third Spargel Fest at Schloß Johannisbergbeginning at Noon. Subject to demand, we will schedule a bus from our office at Tech Quartier, Platz der Einheit 2, D-60327 Frankfurt am Main departing at 10:30 with an intermediate stop at Am Schwimbad, Kronberg im Taunus.
Our Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow Program, now in its 11thyear, enjoyed record attendance with 180 enrollments and about 141 completions. The Awards Ceremony to honor the competition winners will take place in the main auditorium of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management on 1 June 2019 beginning at 14:30. Our guest speaker will be Mr. David Elmo, Deputy Principal Officer, Consulate General of the United States Frankfurt. Consul Elmo will present the prizes to the five winners of the Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow Competition as well as Certificates of Completion to all who finished the program.
As you have noted, this newsletter is being posted on our old website.
It will be converted to the new site as soon as possible.
And finally, this upcoming Membership Meeting in Frankfurt is a good occasion for instituting the important innovations for our AAGBCs as it is also a commemoration of 55 continuous years of success for our AGBC.
Barry E. Swanson, CFP
President
