France/ A delegation from Vimoutiers goes to Belgium for the 30th anniversary of the twinning with Châtelet
The Pearl Wedding between Châtelet (Belgium) and Vimoutiers (Orne) will take place from July 5 to 7.
Vimoutiers (Orne) is twinned with three towns: Sontra (Germany), Fordingbridge (England) and Châtelet (Belgium).
A minute's silence for the dead
At the twinning committee's general meeting in the Salle Saint-Exupéry on Friday February 23, president Daniel Laurent held a minute's silence in memory of the deceased. Georg Sandl in May 2023 (Sontra), Pierre Chauvière in September 2023 (Vimoutiers), Gaby Eckhardt in December 2023 (Sontra) and Benoît Sainthuile in February (Châtelet).
A visit from fifteen Sontra schoolchildren
After a review of last year's activities, the meeting turned to projects.
2024 will be fuller. The principal of Collège Hée-Fergant recently came to our board meeting to talk about the visit of fifteen German schoolchildren from Sontra and their three chaperones, from May 13 to 17.
Daniel Laurent
"Some of the students will be staying with pen pals. We're awaiting their return to see if host families are needed. They'll have a full schedule of visits during their stay," comments Daniel Laurent.
Around twenty participants in the trip
2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of the twinning with Châtelet, where the Pearl Wedding will be celebrated from Friday July 5 to Sunday July 7. The Vimonastère delegation is expected to number around twenty participants.
In association with the Amicale des sapeurs-pompiers, the Comité de jumelage co will be organizing the brocante and garage sale on Saturday August 10 and Sunday August 11.
Last year, the operation enabled the twinning committee to raise a profit of "€2,437", reports treasurer Gisèle Gaudin. Gisèle Gaudemer, as she presented the accounts, showing a surplus of €1,738.
A festive weekend
The president relayed an invitation from the mayor of Sontra, Thomas Eckhardt. "He would like to organize a festive weekend with the towns twinned with his own, outside the Sontra festival. He proposes two periods, either at the end of August, or from September 6 to 8".
The twinning committee prefers the latter date.
A weekend to coincide with the twinning hike
Michel Geslin, Honorary President of the Twinning Committee and co-organizer of this friendly, convivial and sporting event, said he had "proposed to the Germans that the weekend should coincide with the annual twinning tour.Geslin explains that he "suggested to the Germans that we coincide the hike the week before the weekend, as the 2024 event will be held in Germany, and we wouldn't be far from Sontra for the weekend".
He is awaiting a reply.
The Normandy weekend at Châtelet will take place from November 8 to 11.
Towards links with Sicily
At the suggestion of Rosanna Rubino and a Sicilian couple with a second home in Vimoutiers, there are plans to establish links between the twinning committee and the SiciliAntica cultural association.
Sicily was under Norman rule in the Middle Ages. "Mr. and Mrs. Palermo would like to establish cultural and friendly links with Normandy, and therefore with Vimoutiers. "
This could be the occasion for a trip to Sicily. It's not a question of twinning, but of exchanges. It would be enriching, but it needs to be explored further.
Daniel Laurent
In the elections, the outgoing third of the Board, comprising Gérard Jay, Nathalie Olivier, Isabelle Routier and Catherine Lelong, was re-elected. Rose Rodriguez was elected.
Source: actu.fr/
