FICB International Congress ~ REPORT
Pat Pingitore ~ International Emissary
The annual FICB meeting was held in Paris February 2122nd and the following is a synopsis of salient points that may be of interest to fellow KOV members. Please note that many of the details will be published very soon on the FICB website at www.winebrotherhoods.org. GENERAL The Organization is healthy and still growing with a total of 56 Brotherhoods now actively participating. Among the latest additions, is a Brotherhood from Madeira Spain, which is eager to invite the world. Also new is the Renaud Society, another International Brotherhood based out of Arizona with many members in our own Chapter locales. I discussed synergies with their Grand Commander, Tedd Goldfinger, who was impressed with the many events being planned for the FICB and those of our own local Chapters. I will connect the KOV Chapter Commanders with Tedd to explore. Additional areas being targeted for recruitment in the coming year include Chablis, Alsace, Beaujolais, Macon (and Viet Nam with whom one of the Swiss delegation has been in contact)! LEADERSHIP Mark Lesk, the new Secretary General, was recruited and approved. He is now a member of the Board. Among his duties, Mark will take over the website management as well as the minutes and dissemination of information. Mark is a retired informatics and operational engineer with a love of wine, art and music. He writes a blog which is quite interesting and unique. Check it out at www.aubonclos.blog. Additional seats on the Executive committee have been created because of some retirements and are being filled with the many new leaders joining.
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WEBSITE The website is very active with an average of 50 visits per day. A new feature of the website is a calendar of events which can include any KOV event for which we would like to extend an international invitation. A good example would be an invitation to our National meeting in April for those Europeans traveling to California this year. Anyone with a suitable event, can send their information to Mark at the FICB to be posted. (marc.lesk@ wanadoo.fr.). An additional, soon to be live feature, will be an interactive multi-lexicon of wine terminology in five languages as developed by the University of Burgundy in Dijon. The plan is to have it also available for smart phones within the next year. It will be a great tool for our traveling wine lovers. Any articles of general interest from the US to the International Brotherhoods can also be posted on the FICB website by sending them to Mark. An online payment system is also being developed for the convenience of the Brotherhoods to pay their annual dues. DIPLOMA OF HONOR The FICB is always looking for suitable candidates to honor with this prestigious award. The candidate must have an important, prominent role in the world of wine on an International basis. Examples of past recipients as nominated and honored from the KOV include Supreme Knights Alan Shoup of the Washington Chapter, Jean Charles Boisset and Gina Gallo of the San Francisco/Bay Area Chapter. Anyone with knowledge of a suitable candidate should contact me for information on the process of nomination.
