The Dutch town of Maastricht played host to the Round Table Internation (RTI) World Meeting in September. Scott Love from Ilfracombe RT 327 attended along with 50 other Tablers from RTBI. Scott sent us the following report:
"For those that are reading this report and are in a similar position to myself, still finding their feet in Round Table and have no idea what International Table is about. I hope this report helps you to make that jump as well!
So, I stepped onto a plane heading for the beautiful country of the Netherlands to experience my first taste of international tabling. From our arrival on Thursday to our goodbyes on Sunday the Dutch Round Table laid out the red carpet for all their guests. We were treated to tours around ancient forts, explored the countryside on bikes (even venturing over the border into Belgium for the important job of comparing the Dutch and Belgian beers) and a much-needed relaxing breather on a river cruise serving the very best Dutch pancakes. For me, some of the best moments were just strolling around the city and bumping into random Tablers from around the world. It truly felt that Round Table had taken over the city! Just from chatting with them, I was able to learn so much of what Table meant to other countries and how each one operates slightly differently. From the many things I learned, I hope to bring this back to Ilfracombe and make a positive impact going forward with our events.
The main highlights for me were the evening events. Being World Meeting novices, we decided to hold back on the Carnaval night and save ourselves for the Nations night and Gala night. However, we did see the parade heading off to Carnaval and I’ve never seen such a blend of different cultures mixed together!
The Nations Night can only be described as one of the best open-air food and drink markets, even then I am underselling it. Each Country sets out their most famous and unique national dishes to be washed down with their national spirits/firewater. From my hazy recollection, I tried fermented shark, biltong, Sri Lankan curries, Bratwurst and far too many French desserts. It is truly a memorable event and for me was the highlight of the week. I must commend the work of our IRO and his team for showcasing the best whiskey our country has to offer and seeing many people lining up to get a taste!
The Gala night was our chance to dress up in our finest tuxedos. We were hosted in a fabulous country chateau that made me feel like I was at a Dutch Downtown Abbey. The many photos that we all took do not do it justice to all its splendour. The local TV crews were on the scene recording us as we tried the numerous dishes served to us and watched the awards being given out. There was a big cheer from the Ilfracombe contingent as our hometown and Birdman was shown on the big screen as part of the new international advert for Round Table. Just from watching the awards, we were able to see all the great work other Tables do around the world and gained valuable knowledge to take home.
I’m sure I’ve missed out many things from the weekend, but it truly went by so fast with all the fun we had, and I look forward to getting stuck into the next event. Roll on India 2025! Until then, I look forward to meeting all the other national members I now call friends at the next coming events in the UK.
Scott Love
Ilfracombe Round Table 327"
Thanks to Scott for sending in the report. Scott received funding as part of the RTBI Travel Fund. Tablers can find out more about the funding available and how to apply for funding by speaking to the International Relations Officer James Edwards ( RTBI IRO ) or reading this article here: https://www.roundtable.co.uk/post/travel-funds-for-tablers
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