Abstract
By the time this article reaches you, Christmas 2021 will be almost forgotten. Still, I vividly remember writing to you a year ago to introduce the new FELASA Executive Committee (EC) and share with you my expectations for my new position as FELASA President. The year 2022 brings its own changes, but with a positivity for the future. On January 1st, Ana Isabel Santos, our FELASA President 2019–2020, left the EC. She is deeply missed. Somehow, we expect to keep her connected to share her experiences and deep knowledge of how FELASA works. However, we look forward to a promising future that brings new actors to the stage. Martina Perse started her first term as Treasurer, and Klas Abelson has moved to the President Elect position after taking care of FELASA finances for the past five years.
The new FELASA company
These are not the only changes we have in FELASA for 2022. In 2021, we moved the official FELASA address from the UK to Belgium, and this has brought some changes to FELASA’s way of working. After more than 40 years, we have brand new Statutes and internal regulations, our Bylaws, and we need to get used to the required new terminology. The Board of Management meetings will be replaced by Member Delegates meetings. We will not hold General Meetings, but now General Assemblies – and we shall celebrate FELASA’s official transition this spring with our first General Assembly. FELASA has been reborn in 2022, but with the wisdom, valuable experiences and good performance from its previous 44 years of life, there is a great future for FELASA.
The changes to the new company will also affect our Executive Secretariat that was undertaken for 12 years by Penny Alborough and who will not accompany us to our new home in Belgium, but she will take care of FELASA in the UK until the moment we finally close the UK company. We shall miss her detailed and exact minutes, her efficient ways of reminding and guiding us, especially me, on the tasks that have to be performed and planned in advance, and her ability to keep oiled the internal FELASA machinery without apparent effort. In this transition exercise, introducing her replacement will probably be the most difficult part of the whole process. Over the years, Penny has been investing more and more time in FELASA affairs, and she has become much more than mere administrative support.
The year 2021 was not solely focused on administrative work for FELASA. Although it is true that the EC was extremely busy preparing the administrative transition, the FELASA working groups kept going for which we are grateful to the volunteer working group members. We had one report published, and the outcome of at least four working groups is scheduled for 2022. The Education and Training Accreditation Board also continued its work, and we have a constant increase in FELASA accredited courses and issued certificates. It makes us in FELASA proud that FELASA accreditation is regarded so highly, and thanks must go in this regard to the work of the volunteer board members.
And so 2022 brings us to another important turning point. We have the chance to meet in person after three years of the coronavirus challenge. The traditional three-year timescale between FELASA Congresses has a special significance this time. In 2019, nobody expected that the world would turn upside down only seven months later. The year 2020 brought mixed perceptions, at least for me. Sometimes, it seems as if it did not happen; other times, it seemed to last forever. This also affected the perception we have of the time that has passed since Prague 2019. That Congress, held in pre-COVID times, seems so far away, but it means we are awaiting the Marseille 2022 Congress with even more expectations! We are longing to meet in person. Virtual meetings do work, but they are not the same. We humans are a social species, and personal interaction has a special quality we rely on and miss a lot. However, we have to be cautious, and for those who may not be able to travel, a safeguard has been organized. For the first time, it will be possible to attend part of the Congress virtually. Let us hope this will not be necessary in the future.
The FELASA 2022 Congress in Marseille will give you the chance to have a detailed update on FELASA’s activities, amongst the many other attractions that you will be able to enjoy there. The venue is superb, and the timing, 13–16 June, is perfect. This is the event that will give you access to the largest European commercial exhibition coupled with a cutting-edge scientific programme dedicated to all aspects of laboratory animal science. This time, our Congress is focused on communication – the leading message for FELASA 2022.
Don’t miss this opportunity and help us to make this congress unforgettable.
We look forward to seeing you there.