AGORA CLUB INTERNATIONAL
PART OF THE ROUND TABLE FAMILY
What is Agora Club International
Each Agora Club is open to ladies as of the age of 42, unless these ladies have been Past Circlers. The Association is only open for Past Circlers as from the age of 45, or any other age limit as set by the constitutional rules of the Ladies’ Circle country. E.g. when the age of 40 is the maximum age for a Lady Member according to the constitutional rules of a Ladies’Circle country, the Past Circlers of such a Ladies’Circle country will be entitled to become a member of an Agora Club as of such age.
Agora Club International is a platform where all Past Circlers and other Non Past Circle friends from diverse horisons can meet.
Agora Club International is represented in 24 countries around the world. Agora Club International is working together in respect with Ladies’ Circle, Round Table and 41 Club International.
The spoken language at international meetings and in correspondence is English.
Aims and Objectives
To link together all National Associations of the ACI.
To promote, co-ordinate and develop the friendship which unites them around the motto “Donner et Tolérer”, which means Service and Tolerance in English.
To be non-political and non-sectarian.
To maintain good relations with the organizations in the Round Table Family.
History
In 1987 a group of former members of Ladies’ Circle created the first Agora club in Lille, France. In 1988 the French National Board was founded. In 1993 the first club in the Netherlands was founded, followed by a club in Belgium the year after. In June 1996, the first Annual International Council took place in Strasbourg, France.
In 2009 Agora Club opened up to Tangent Club, and welcomed Tangent Club Germany as an Agora member country in the same year. Today Agora Club International has clubs in Austria, Cyprus, Belgium, Botswana, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Madagascar, Malta, Morocco, Norway, Romania, South Africa, Switzerland, Nepal, UK, USA and Zambia and Zimbabwe. A new club in India will be chartered in August 2023 and new countries such as Namibia and Spain continue to show interest.
Service
Every Agora club individually decides how it will participate in “service”. The philosophy of service is not just helping in major service projects, but being ready to help people who are less fortunate, especially women and children. The aim is also to encourage communication between the different International Clubs.
As from 2015, for the first time, ACI has its own International Service Project named Eyes For The World.
Members
Members of Agora Club International are women who participate in several interesting social, cultural and international activities. They help each other exchange ideas and travel abroad with women from other countries. Agora members come from Ladies’ Circle, and other interested women from diverse horizons sharing the same values. Every individual club in each country chooses its own composition, with the sole commitment that the members subscribe to the aims of Agora Club International and make an effort in achieving these. Membership is only possible upon invitation.
Individual Membership
If Agora Club has no branch in a country, a person can apply to the board of Agora Club International for individual membership of Agora Club.
Meetings
Every local club meets monthly in a restaurant, or someone’s house or wherever is convenient. The activities differ per club and per country. Despite these differences all clubs have in common that the members learn from each other about all kind of subjects. This happens through lectures, discussions or exchanges abroad. There is of course plenty of time for recreation, sports and fun, with the possible participation of families and partners.
Organisation
Every year a new board is elected internationally, nationally and locally. These boards consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and the immediate Past-President.
Agora Local Club: the local Board organizes monthly meetings and is responsible to invite new members. Activities are being organized by Committees. A club can decide to be a service club, but this is not an obligation.
Agora National Club: unites all local clubs. The national board of each country organizes an annual general meeting, open to all members. This AGM is a forum for communication between the three levels in the organization (local, national, international). The National Board is responsible for chartering new clubs.
Agora Club International (ACI): unites all member countries. Every year in October, an ACI Annual General Meeting (AGM) is held during the Agora International Conference. Any Full Member Country can apply to organise this 3-day International Conference.
The main function of the International Board is to promote Agora Club worldwide, and to consequently charter new member countries.
To ensure good communication with all Agora clubs, a regular electronic international newsletter appears, in which members can share their experiences and publish their achievements of the year.
Costs
Every local club decides its own fee. A small contribution per club is to be paid for the administration of the national and international organization.
