LCI PRESIDENT

STRONGER TOGETHER

I LOVE LADIES’ CIRCLE. The past nine years it has taken up most of my spare time, and if you don’t tell my bosses, I’ll admit that it has taken up quite a lot of my working hours as well. So, it is not just a hobby to me; it’s a way of life. Yet when an “outsider” asks me what it is about LC that makes me so hooked, I find it difficult to answer, at least in just a few words.

I am a third-generation Circler, which means my mother and grandmother were both Circlers and, as was natural for the times, their husbands were Tablers. I grew up knowing the strong friendships my parents found through our organizations. To this day, they still meet with the brothers and sisters they met when they were my age. I can only hope that the friendships I’m forming in my active years will stand as strong and loyal as I have witnessed my parents experience. Friendship is one of the words included in the motto of Ladies’ Circle – ‘Friendship and Service’. When I grew up, I struggled to find friends. The openness, acceptance and inclusiveness I have found in the Round Table Family are so precious and beautiful to me, and it makes me so proud.

My membership in Ladies’ Circle has given me opportunities that I could have never dreamed of, whether it’s visiting a company that 3D prints hip joints, going swimming in the Norwegian Sea in February, dressing up as a cowgirl in Denmark, going to a charity ball by the Windsor Castle or shooting Rhum in a bathroom. The list can be made much longer, but my point is that these are experiences my “civilian” friends don’t have easy access to. On the other hand, I have to decline invitations because there is simply not enough time to do everything I want. My life is so much richer, thanks to Ladies’ Circle.

During these explorations, I have met some of my best friends, which is what makes them so precious. We are from different parts of the world, with varying life situations and organizations, but we share a passion. Sharing what we can to enrich others’ lives. So, when Graham contacted me and said that one of his goals was to strengthen side-by-side work, I said, “Count me in!”. I’ve seen and lived a fraction of what we already do together, but imagine what we could do if we all had that same focus!

I look forward to seeing what we all come up with because we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER!

Yours, in friendship and service

Anna Elmqvist

president@ladiescircleinternational.org

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