Dear Readers,

In keeping with tradition, I will start my message by thanking all those who trusted me, and helped me to become President of 2011. It is a privilege for me to serve you as President this year, and I sincerely hope to uphold with the legacy left to me by my successors.

My vision of JCI Curepipe has always been one of equality. Let’s all work hard to make JCI a place where no barriers exist between members, and where no one is afraid to speak their mind and put forward their ideas. In this year of 2011, along with working on viable and interesting quality projects, the emphasis will also be on recruitment, and it is my wish that our newest recruits walk into JCI, fearless and eager to participate despite their recent joining.

When I joined JCI Curepipe three years ago in 2008, I was aware of the responsibility on our shoulders to continue to bring the name forward, as had been done for so many years by those before us. I find myself today addressing you as President, and I cannot help but feel awed by so many developments in such a short time. As I look upon our new recruits, I can only hope that JCI will be as rich and fulfilling an experience for them as it has been for me.

In the past years, JCI has become well known for embarking on new, interesting projects every year, while at the same time keeping alive their most successful endeavours. It is in this spirit that we will continue, to keep the flag high. This year, a lot of interesting projects have been planned, out of which a few have already been conducted. Since the beginning of this year, a Team Bonding Activity was organised in February and had received a very warm welcome from all members, as they had a chance to meet, discuss and enjoy a relaxing evening together.  After that was a Tea Party at the Icery Shelter for Woman and Children in distress. An afternoon in the company of those who live at the shelter was an enriching experience for all, and allowed us to count our blessings, while we spent the day with children, allowing ourselves to become children once again and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. After fun, comes hard work, and so, followed the third project of the year, a training on The Art of Negotiation, in March which saw all members come together to learn the delicate balance between compromise and assertion.  Once again the interest was very pronounced, and everyone walked out having learnt something.

During the course of the year, we will be seeing more projects, of varying size, but I hope to see the same involvement from our members. Two of our main projects will be the Health Campaign which will occur in July, and the Handisport project which will take place in August. Both of these projects are very close to the hearts of the members, and have year after year received an overwhelming response. These are projects where JCI is creating positive change, year after year, and the results are clear to all, when we as a team manage to bring a smile and extend a helping hand to those who need it. Several other projects are also being planned, and I can only hope that they all come to completion during the year.

This year as all other years, emphasis has been laid on recruiting new members, and a recruitment presentation has already been conducted in February. Another one is planned for May, and hopefully we will soon be seeing our new recruits swearing in. I will take this opportunity to address the members of JCI Curepipe, and remind them on the opportunities that being a JCI member represents. All of us together should make the most of this chance, and encourage others to do so as well.

As this year goes by, I will be looking forward to working closely with you all. It is my wish that all members participate equally, and work together to achieve the goals as a team. Feedback is greatly appreciated, and will be taken into consideration. As a team, let us all work towards the betterment of our organisation and of ourselves, and work towards a better life for all as JCI has done, and will continue doing.

Warm regards,

Arvind Neergheen
2011 JCI Curepipe President