ABS News July 2022

July 2022

Editorial
Presidential Message - A new campaign launched
UEFA Women's Euro 2022
ABS Events June 2022
ABS Event Outlook
Lately it happened at the ABS
Reminder: New ABS bank account
The Last Page

EDITORIAL

Dear Members and Friends of the ABS!

I promise to keep it brief this time, as the content of this edition of ABS News is very valuable again, and I do not want to hold you up. But just a few motivational words:

What is the most important in the times we live in? My view on that is clear: mental hygiene! More than ever, we experience how important it is to come together and enjoy a social life with valuable people with whom we share the same anglophile passion - to have fun to reduce our mental stress, which is given to us by headlines like "Russia to attack Ukraine's capital", "Gas shortages ahead", "Fuel prices to increase further", "Energy companies raising their prices by 50%", "New inflation hight", "Stock market instability harms financial industry", "Prime Minister resigns", "Politician accused of corruption" etc. etc. Mental stress relieve from all those news is what we provide in the Austro-British Society.

The ABS is at your service as one of your mental hygienic instruments. Push all that aside when visiting us at our valuable ABS Events - relax, laugh, be happy and forget all the burdening aspects of our world for a few hours - we all need this to recover and hold up our strength mentally! Use us - this is what we are here for! And it is our sheer pleasure!

Yours Jochen Ressel,

ABS Secretary-General & ABS News Editor-in-Chief

PRESIDENTIAL MESSAGE

A new campaign has been launched today!

We still have over 400 members and over 40 corporate members who reliably pay their membership fees and participate in our events in large numbers. That's good, but not good enough for our needs. Therefore, we have set up three working groups, which take care of the acquisition of new members and have already developed appropriate proposals.

One of the frequently asked questions and suggestions is why we are not succeeding in encouraging our members to recruit new members. The fact is that every month we lose members, but we also gain new ones. Many of our board members and about 10% of our members keep bringing us new prospects and members. Why not the remaining 90% of our members!?

Maybe we need to communicate more clearly that we want this. That's why today we're launching the

"MEMBERS RECRUIT MEMBERS" CAMPAIGN.

Many have suggested offering financial incentives for both recruiters and recruited. We certainly don't do that - for bureaucratic and ethical reasons. We all work voluntarily, especially our 15 board members, who often provide services for ABS daily. We spend the income from membership fees exclusively for our events - and thus for our members and not for bureaucracy. But we could only do a small part. Of the 90% of our members who are currently not helping to encourage them to promote ABS to their friends and acquaintances, this should have a lasting impact on our membership. Accompaniments can be registered and brought with you at most events. If not, it will be clearly noted in the invitations.

So once again, clearly and unambiguously, from now on: MEMBERS RECRUIT MEMBERS!

What's in it for you? The appreciation, respect and gratitude of the President and the entire Board of Directors - and that is worth far more than any petty financial advantage - may the exercise succeed!

Your Prof KR Dr Kurt Tiroch

ABS President

UEFA WOMEN'S EURO 2022

An Austro-English confrontation made a start.

It's incredible what a development the women's football scene has taken through the last years! Almost every big and well-known club previously famous for its achievements in men's football has big ladies' teams in place and puts reasonable effort behind them to equal their male counterparts. The audience is constantly growing, and the media can report attendance record after record.

Currently, the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 takes place, and the first match was already something for Austro-British fans when England played vs the Austrian team - and the Austrian ladies lost 0-1 after a tough fight. If you are thrilled about what this championship holds for us and want to get closer to the women's side of this formerly solely men's driven sport, click the logo below to find out all details of the matches and the actual results.

ABS EVENTS JUNE 2022

The incredible series of outstanding events continued.

June is over, and looking back, we only can state: What a month again! Exclusivity, fun, top locations, top information - all provided and enjoyed by numerous ABS members. So sorry if you haven't had the chance to participate. No matter if you were there or not, here is the opportunity to look back on the outstanding June events:

The legendary "ABS Heuriger" Edition No. 12

July 1st, 2022
numerous members at Weingut Wolff, Neustift
Event report and photos: CLICK HERE

ABS-British Car Excursion: Salzburg

June 24th & 25th, 2022
Red Bull HQ, Hangar7 and much more
Event report and photos: CLICK HERE

The exclusive ABS Polo Picnic

June 12th, 2022
Schlosspark - Poloclub Schloss Ebreichsdorf
Event report and photos: CLICK HERE

Lecture: Ukraine review

June 1st, 2022
with Alfred F. Praus (President of the Ukrainian Austrian Association)
Event report and photos: CLICK HERE

ABS-EVENT OUTLOOK

Full throttle to guarantee smiling faces!

The things we most enjoy at our events are the happy and smiling faces of the participants! And not many words are needed to explain that the future will provide many opportunities to experience this constantly - the list you can find below gives an outlook of the various events planned in the weeks and months to come. We are all doing this for you as a distinguished member of our honourable society. We will keep you posted and submit the invitations early enough that you can adequately plan your participation.

We are looking forward to seeing your smiling faces very soon again!

July 22nd, 2022: Prince George's Birthday Party (invitation is out already - please check your email inbox to register!)
Sept. 9th, 2022: Lecture with Univ. Prof. Felbermayr at the Diplomatic Academy Vienna
Sept. 14th, 2022: The 11th ABS Birthday - a party at the Residence of HM Ambassador to the Republic of Austria.
Sept. 20th, 2022: Lecture with Univ. Prof. Huber, which will take place at the Cafe Ministerium
Oct. 7th, 2022: Cultural event with composer and pianist Eric McElroy, at the Residence of HM Ambassador to the Republic of Austria (tbc)
Oct. 15th, 2022: British Car Excursion to the British Classic Car Collection of Mr Alber because of the 25th anniversary of his collection.
Oct. 17th, 2022: Lecture with Prof. Selmayr at the Diplomatic Academy Vienna
Oct. 25th, 2022: Lecture at the IV-Industriellenvereinigung with Dr. Helmenstein.

We are sure we haven't promised too much in the introduction. And there is even more to come! This proves that the outstanding series of events and services the ABS provides is more than worth being part of!

Be sure: Year after year, we strive to provide you with an ever-improving ratio of value for money. No other bilateral society provides this quality compared to the membership fee. Therefore, we look forward to seeing you on the next occasion and: LET US ENTERTAIN YOU!

LATELY IT HAPPENED AT THE ABS

When a question is not really a question

It's a vast field - four times bigger than a football pitch - but the Polo game's speed matches its field size, as you are hunting the ball and your opponents on nicely shaped Polo ponies with up and more than 50 km/h. The ball is made of massive hard plastic with a weight of approx. 4.5 ounces (130g) and a diameter of 8.5 cm, once fully hit, accelerates to 180 km/h. So far, so good...

At the ABS Polo Picnic, the guests settled in the spacious area reserved for the ABS to the right of the goal posts. A small group gathered directly behind the goal posts, striving to have the best view of all - and indeed, it would have been so, but maybe only for a once-in-a-lifetime experience if the ball should hit you. One of our distinguished members as a part of this group approached me ambitiously asking "Is it ok if we settle... there... but... probably... not... no, a bad idea. Thank you so much indeed!", turned around, moved back to his group, collecting their items and looking for a better location to settle in. Left behind, I just said to myself, "My very pleasure - always glad to assist you!" I thought: This is what we all experience from time to time when we give ourselves answers to questions we raised ourselves.

by Jochen Ressel