Heidelberg, August 2001. Wearing an enormous flowery hat and in bright pink, she delivers her first speech to the 650-something Circlers gathered at the Stadthalle in Heidelberg. She has just been elected President of Ladies' Circle International. She speaks of the world being a garden, and we it's ladybirds that make the difference!
Going back to 1992. She's initiator of LC 40 Voorne. Nine years ago she decided to write all Round Table partners and invited them to form a Circle. Nine of them responded and within exactly 2 years, LC Voorne was chartered. Veronique was its first chairman. "Are you all ok with it if I apply for the National Presidency?" she asked during a Circle meeting in 1997. "Why, sure!" we all replied. There were two candidates that year and we were delighted that Veronique was elected. Her motto was "DARE TO BE A CIRCLER". We then set to the task of organising the National AGM in 1998. And got back at her by putting her yet again in the service committee of our club where she has stayed put since.
Veronique has been one of the most outgoing Circlers in our club. Infecting us with her enthusiasm, she took many Dutch Circlers along to AGM's and charters in Belgium, France, Romania United Kingdom, India and Cyprus.
We all watched how she amazingly combined her full time job at the City Council Hellevoetsluis as policy official with her Ladies Circle commitments and still found time to do her waterpainting, restore her holiday home in France (she has a degree in French language and literature), play golf and spend time with her friends.
Through all her travelling for Ladies Circle, Veronique has made many friends abroad. So it was not at all a surprise when she announced that she had applied for the post of LCI vice-president. Which she became in August 2000 during the AGM of Ladies' Circle International in Sun City. The rest is future.
