RT42

Round Table Netherlands is a subsidiary of Round Table International. It's a club of friends, only males, between about 25 and 40 years of age. The objective is to exchange experiences, knowledge and to have fun.

We organise community service projects that we see as a means to enhance the friendship between our active members. That friendship is the heart of the Round Table. Both national and international.

We have our meetings twice a month. Members give a presentation, guest speakers are invited or we work on our service projects. The knowledge, but also the typical problems of someone with a different kind of profession, divergent insights, personal experiences and opin ions are making every tabler a unique individual.

A lot of Table clubs have contacts with their equal numbered tables in other countries; Number meetings. All these activities contribute to a broader horizon, a network of friends and understanding, of all the individually different club members.

A summary is shown below about some of our activities and fundraising projects over the past few years:

 

Children have always been an important subject in our charity. Most projects we do are for the benefit of children somehow. This year we supported a Kenyan orphanage just an hour north of Nairobi. With the raised money they bought cows to create a durable situation for extra food and income. www.macheo.org

 

 

Not only raising money, but also being part of a team that actually did something to raise money was that one of our members, together with a group of local medicals climbed the Stelvio Pass in Italy for the Muscles for Muscles Foundation. www.spierenvoorspieren.nl, www.passostelvio.nl/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the same context, two tablers ran the Rotterdam Marathon for medical equipment, oxygen generators for premature born children, the neopuff, in Pretoria, South Africa. This project we did together with a former Winterswijk tabler, who settled in Pretoria as a doctor for children and ARTSA. A fantastic example of international cooperation, compassion, build on friendship in the “The Rainbow Twinning Project”. www.roundtable.nl

Last year we raised money for the Foundation Children’s Wish Mobile. This is a fancy ambulance, specially decorated for children, to take them, who are dependent on continuous medical help, out on a trip. Just to enjoy a day as any other child. www.kinderthuiszorg.nl

 

Money is one thing to bring to the foundations, giving a pig is something else. For our local Children’s farm we bought a Bonte Bentheimer. We called her Vicky.

Several other fundraisings have passed. In short we supported “Make a wish foundation”, Foundation “De opkikker” and the fastest in Winterswijk history: €4000,- in half an hour for new chairs for a local kids summercamp.

 

During the year we have regularly returning social activities for the important part of male bonding. It helps us to bring us together on having fun, sharing insights and bringing our knowledge to a higher level. All in comfort with a jolly good pint of beer. A few are mentioned below:

Skiing weekend

It will be our fourth weekend of skiing. A young tradition in our table. The first two years we went to Wendingen in Sauerland Germany. The last two years Ehrwald in Austria was the place to fulfil our needs.

 

 

 

 

 

One of the best moments every year is the “camping at the farm with kids; no mothers” weekend. This is together with past forty members. We arrive Saturday in the beginning of the afternoon and start of by putting our tents to a place, building a fort, which will be burned later on and preparing a BBQ. We drink a few beers and then a rough and unfair game of soccer is played. Last year we had only 3 injuries. This concerned only the children, so don’t worry about us tablers. Sunday, after a night without sleep, the mums will pick up the children, finding out they don’t like to go home and that the daddies are still their heroes.....

 

 

Internationally seen RT42 has developed itself enormously since we first visited the INM in Bridlington in 2002. Many past 40 members did the same before us. A good heritage I would say. Many contacts have been established and maintained. This is one of our main goals this year. A party of recognition, celebration and ordinary fun will be your share.

 

 

 

 


 

A new phenomenon entered in 2009 is IINM, Intermediate International Number Meeting. A great event first organised by Table 42 Ancona. A weekend not to forget in sunny Italy after a cold and dark winter in Holland. Here again, new friendships were born.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another top social event is the yearly Running Meal. This is without kids but with our spouses. A good opportunity to socialise with the female side of our tablers and getting to know the driving force and spiritual power behind our tablers. After a fine glass of champagne together we have to puzzle our way to the starterscourse. Having finished the starter, we have to solve another riddle to find out where our main course is, cycle through our pittoresque village and join the table with different people. The same for dessert. At the end of the evening we all enjoy a get together with the same champagne.

Activities enough, too much to handle here. We also have unformal evenings like a new years eve drink, a wishing well in the new year drink, a midsummer BBQ and an after-holiday get together.

As you can see we are quite busy socially seen as well. An important part of your life as a tabler. We hope we can share the weekend in May 2010 with you.