TRAVELLING TABLER

”ALTHOUGH A RELATIVELY SMALL YET STRONG COMMUNITY, ROUND TABLE HAS AN INTERNATIONAL REACH AND PRESENCE IN OVER 65 COUNTRIES.“

Words by Mr RANIL SAMARAWICKREMA, RT 8, Sri Lanka

MY LOCAL CLUB in Sri Lanka has 12 members. Each member brings a plethora of unique & different experiences, talents, exposure, and skills to the table professionally and personally. This is multiplied when one looks at our Association of Tablers in Sri Lanka with over 100 members and increases exponentially when looking at our global movement. The experiences, stories, and the opportunity to cultivate long-standing relationships provide someone with an instant worldwide resource pool where one could easily reach and build on.

Round Table events are well organized events while offering you exclusive opportunities. They are a brilliant way to travel the world while meeting new people. Everything is arranged for you by the local clubs whose only intention is to maximize your value.

When travelling with family, Round Table is, in my opinion, one of the great ways to travel. Members have fellow Tablers who will make sure that everything is perfectly organized. If any unforeseen predicaments happen, they are always there to help you out, not as an obligation but because they wholeheartedly and genuinely want to.

WHY LIMIT YOUR EXPERIENCE to leisure time? Round Table resembles both values of working hard and playing harder. Why not use Round Table when on Business trips? You can add significant value to a business trip, all while having a cold beer and getting to know a fellow member who shares the same passion as you. There is no better way to spend time on a foreign trip than meeting local people or residing in that town. You would not only have met a Tabler possibly for the first time, but it would be the start of an incredible bond, where you would have a friend within that country or city. Of course, one of the highly recommended Do's in Round Table Travel is to be home-hosted. Home hosting is a unique experience available for the Tablers and one of the fastest ways to make a friend for life. If you are getting home-hosted, always make sure to take a gift for the host/family as a token of appreciation. The value of this gift is not measured by the amount you spend on it. Try to attend meetings hosted by the local Tablers or an event. When attending a meeting, be an observer where you would have the opportunity to learn how different parts of the world tackle issues, help their communities while focusing on personal development.

Most of all, they are followed by a great socializing event where everyone has a great time. Through this fantastic time, we make borderless relationships in a world where borders seem to be predominant. Through these unique relationships that are cultivated, we build trust and goodwill. We can call on each other and leverage our global network to help make the world a little bit better each day.

IF YOU ARE TRAVELLING with local Tablers, try and agree to spend more time with Tablers from your host country. In this way, you will be able to return home with new friends, ideas, and experiences. We all love to meet and catch up with the familiar Tablers we already know at any given opportunity. However, it's always better to add new brothers to this pool. Therefore, make a conscious effort to introduce yourself and get to know a few new Tablers by the end of the trip while catching up with your existing friends.

Remember that although the excitement around us surrounds us, we are all members of Round Table. We should be mindful and respectful to the association we represent, thus making sure to act and behave in a form befitting the Round Table movements core values.