The Bordeaux European Forum, the highlight of the YEC (Youth Exchange Camp) program
by Alain Gernolle, délegué national YEC
Although titled European, this forum will also welcome YEC delegates from the Americas, Asia, Japan and Australia. There will be around a hundred Lions involved in this program for young people, who will meet to take stock of the 2024 campaign and to prepare for that of 2025. For a majority of delegates, it will be a joyful meeting marked by friendship, in hugs and laughter. For the newbies, after the astonishment, they will be happy to join the big YEC family. We are members of Lions International, and it is this dimension that too often escapes us.
Our YEC program will allow this year, in 105 camps, 2,500 young people from 40 countries to meet different cultures and languages, and to enrich themselves from this experience by creating friends for life.
Without the YEC delegates from each district, nothing would be possible and the cement of this fraternity makes it possible to work miracles and almost always find a solution so that the young person can leave. Above all, let us not forget the host families without whom the principle of reciprocity could not exist.
In Bordeaux, far from the libations, the delegates, during two studious days, will exchange, propose and decide, in order to improve the YEC program, by adapting to societal changes and the aspirations of youth while respecting our values.
Some of these young people will become Leos and parents will join us in discovering what Lionism is.
And Bordeaux will resonate with this onomatopoeia: YEC, YEC, YEC, HOURRA!!!
