The Thai-Danish Club held its usually very unique AGM on 2011 at The Royal Bangkok Sports Club on Wednesday 23 March 2011.
Khun Watinee ‘Dear’ Kharnwong and Parkh Tvesuk bid welcome and explained that although this was an AGM, it was also a party. We were served ‘biksemad’ and they hoped we would all enjoy.
The 45 participants had registered with Paranee ‘Grace’/’Gluay’ Jansawake and grouped themselves around the tables according to age or who they knew prior to the meeting.
An example was Chanon Chaiyaputh and Athikhun Kulkitkamchorn who both participated for the first time. They had both been AFS exchange students in Denmark, but while Chanon had been to Svendborg Gymnasium, Athikhun had been to Slangerup Gymnasium.
They were accompanied by a beautiful ‘gate crasher’ Siriluck Lertsirimongkolchai who seemed to be there mostly because of Athikhun.
Hmm… back to the AGM.
Biksemad: Check!
The biksemad was first item on the agenda. It passed with a 50/50 showing of hands.
Next was a mysterious game in which Jack came to the rescue of Dear in explaining the rules. Members were handed out images cut in four and they had to find their ‘image buddies’. That’s what I think it was.
I am not sure why Charlie, Moo, Jiew and Tu were winners but they looked good on the stage – Charlie with a painted Danish flag on the forehead. Another winning team was Athikun, Chanon, Khun Prakorb and Manus ‘Nu’ Chantrasorn.
Now it was time for a report of what the Club had done for the members during the past year. That one Ajarn Somsiri was left alone to present. Except the presentation of the charity project, a school in Rachaburi, which Dear helped present. This school is supported by Thai-Danish Club and Dear asked us to help donate more money to build a new science lab.
Finally, Ajarn Somsiri promised us a new traditional Thai-Danish Club outing – well, soon – so after some remarks from Sawaeng Kongpetsak was ignored his report was passed unanimously and with applause.
‘Sense of Denmark’?
Now it was time to award the dress-up winners. The theme of the evening was “Sense of Denmark” in which Dharmaporn ‘Eid’ Alexandersen had been invited to be one of the judges assisted by Benjaporn ‘Bo’ Jarurak. The challenge was how to dress like a “Sense”.
Most had found something red-white dynamite to wear. But of course not Khun Prakorb, who once again this year took the prize for most charming outfit. His white T-shirt was painted with green wind mills on the back and the slogan ‘Thai-Danish Club Helps Save the World” while on his front under the slogan ‘The Copenhagen Climate Summit’ a Thai kid was getting up on a bicycle.
Female winner Khun Jiew won for her beautiful red dress with a crochet white shawl.
Under ‘other business’, Sawaeng was finally allowed to hold a long speech – in Danish – about the meaning of the ‘A’ in AGM – Annual. So why was there no AGM last year? When asked to translate into Thai, he just said ‘Kob Khun Krab’.
Sawaeng was followed on the floor by a witty speech by ML Akanee who is originally educated in the Royal Danish Navy.
Also Leo Alexandersen and myself were invited to say something which – at least speaking for myself – was extremely interesting.
It was now time for the group photo. We were in a bit of a hurry to get on with the highlight of the evening, the Bingo! – so we didn’t have time for much jumping and making funny faces. But we did nevertheless manage to shoot some good old plain documentary shots of all the AGM participants there – except of course poor Kob who was busy taking our pictures. He is mentioned here as a proof that he was there!
BINGO!
As usual, the Bingo wouldn’t take an end. I was fascinated with the stunning speed in which Khun Virat translated the Thai numbers into Danish – it must have been part of the drill while he learned how to milk cows in Denmark!
When the game was over, new plates were distributed. When the committee ran out of plates, we found out that we could just use the same plates again, only this time we would mark the drawn numbers with circles, then with triangles, then with squares…
Finally, we ran out of geometrical shapes and the committee ran out of ducks and most reluctantly we had to stop the game.
To all you who could have been there, but for some reason couldn’t, I will say ‘you really missed a great night’.
But watch out! There is that promised outing coming up – make sure you join!
Enjoy larger photos here: Thai Danish Club AGM 2011
