2003 HAS BEEN A VERY CHALLENGING AND TRYING YEAR FOR OUR SOCIETY.
AFTER THE ANNUAL MEETING, LAST JANUARY, THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE EXPRESSED THE STRONG DESIRE TO CONTINUE THE LITIGATION STARTED IN 2002.
CONSEQUENTLY, I HAVE APPOINTED A LITIGATION COMMETTE, FORMED BY CRISTIAN CALUGARITA, MARIUS BADEA AND VICTOR KLOES TO TRANSACT ALL BUSINENSS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE DIRECTLY WITH OUR ATTORNEY, ROGER ADAMS.
CRISTIAN CALUGARITA WILL PRESENT HIS REPORT DURING OUR MEETING TODAY.
IN MARCH 2003, VIITORUL ROMAN SOCIETY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE AND PRESENT TO OUR MEMBERS TEATRUL NATIONAL FROM BUCHAREST. AS A RESULT, UNDER THE AUSPICES OF VIITORUL ROMAN, IT WAS PRESENTED AS A WORLD PREMIERE, THE PLAY “SARUTUL” WITH VERY TALENTED AND VETERANS ARTISTS, OLGA TUDORACHE, GEORGE MOTOI AND CARMEN TANASE
CLOSE TO 100 PEOPLE ATTENDEND THE PERFORMANCE.
DURING SPRING OF 2003 VIITORUL ROMAN TRIED TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH REPRESENTATIVE OF WESTERN UNION WITH THE INTENT OF HAVING WESTERN UNION SPONSOR SOME OF OUR EVENTS. THAT RESULTED IN A SMALL SPONSORSHIP OF ONE OF OUR EVENTS IN JULY 2003.
AS YOU KNOW, IN LOS ANGELES, A NEW CONSULAR GROUP HAS BEEN APPOINTED AND LAST JUNE MR. CLAUDIU LUCACI WAS NAMED GENERAL CONSUL.
IN JULY 19TH, 2003 VIITORUL ROMAN ORGANIZED AN EVEING AND INVITED THE ROMANIAN COMMUNITY FROM LOS ANGELES TO MEET THE NEW CONSUL. THE EVENT TOOK PLACE AT THE KLOES RESIDENCE AND AGAIN OVER 70 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED. BY ALL ACCOUNTS, THE EVENING WAS A SUCCESS AND PRODUCED AN OPEN CONVERSATION BETWEEN THE GENERAL CONSUL AND INVITED GUESTS.
THIS YEAR, OUR TRADITIONAL ANNUAL AUTUM BALL TOOK PLACE THAT THE SHERATON HOTEL IN SANTA MONICA, WHERE AGAIN CLOSE TO 100 GUESTS WERE PRESENT AND THE GUEST OF HONOR WAS MR. CLAUDIU LUCACI, GENERAL COUNSUL IN LOS ANGELES.
DURING THE WEEK OF THANKSAGIVING HOLIDAY, I HAD THE PLEASURE TO PERSONALLY MEET WITH MR. LILIAN ZAMFIROIU, DIRECTOR GENERAL WITHIN FOREIGN STATE DEPARTMENT. HE IS RESPONSIBLE WITH PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AS IT RELATES TO ROMANIAN DIASPORA. MY REASONS FOR HAVING A PRIVATE MEETING WAS TO CONVEY TO HIM THE ISSUES WE ARE FACING HERE IN LOS ANGELES REALTED TO OUR LITIGATION AND PERHAPS HELP IN NEGOTIATE AN ACCCEPTABLE SOLUTION.
DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, MR. TITUS CORLATEAN VISITED LOS ANGELES. MR. CORLATEAN IS THE HEAD OF THE NEWLY FORMED DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT FOR ROMANIANS ABROAD, DIRECTLY REPROTING TO PRIME MINSITER, ADRIAN NASTASE.
AGAIN, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET PRIVATELY WITH MR. CORLATEAN FOR THE SAME REASON OUTLINED ABOVE.
MANY OF THESE ACTIVITES WERE INTENDED TO OPEN A REASONABLE DAILOGUE WITH UNION AND LEAGUE IN AN EVENTUALITY OF SETTLELING THE LAW SUIT. IT SEEMS THAT SO FAR, ALL OUR ATTEMPTS HAVE NOT RESULTED IN ANY SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUNECE.
ALSO DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER, VIITORUL ROMAN PARTICIPATED AT THE ANNUAL BALL OF DOINA SOCIETY, FROM LAS VEGAS.
CONTINUING OUR ACTIVITY DURING 2003, THE NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION MARKED THE END OF THE YEAR. THE CELEBRATION TOOK PLACE AT THE HILTON GLENDALE HOTEL, WHERE AGAIN WE HAD A VERY GOOD ATTENDANCE AND BY ALL ACCOUNTS WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
IMMEDIATLEY PRECEEDING THE NEW YEAR’S THE SOCIETY GEARED UP FOR THE JANUARY 24TH EVENT. FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE HAVE COLLABORATED WITH ANOTHER ROMANIAN ORGANIZATION FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THE ROMANIAN AMERICAN COUNCIL.
THE EVENT CULMINATED WITH HAVING AS GUEST OF HONOR, MR. SORIN DUCARU, THE ROMANIAN AMBASSDOR TO UNITED STATES. HIS EFFORT TO BE PRESENT WAS SIGNIFICANT IN A SENSE THAT HE HAS SHOWN THE COMMUNITY HIS SUPPORT FOR VIITORUL ROMAN SOCIETY.
HE PERSONALLY SENT US A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT, CONGRATULATING US ON OUR EFFORTS TO CONSOLIDATE THE ROMANIAN COMMUNITY, HERE IN LOS ANGELES.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP IN MAKING ALL THESE EVENTS HAPPEN.
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED
IONELA KLOES
PRESIDENT