ÖAV Jahreshauptversammlung
(Annual General Meeting), October 2023
by Diana Rayner, Chairman AAC(UK)
The 2023 Jahreshauptversammlung (JHV) – the AGM of the main Austrian Alpine Association – was organised by Sektion Vorarlberg in the village of Rankweil.
The Vorarlberg region borders Germany, Switzerland and Liechtenstein and its capital, Bregenz, is on the south-eastern shore of Lake Constance. The small town of Rankweil is in a broad valley with light industry and businesses, and excellent road and rail links. The AAC(UK) delegates were Diana Rayner, (Chairman), Tim Morley (Vice-Chairman), Nigel Phipps (Treasurer) and Michael Prowse (Director). We travelled by shared e-car and by rail. With a spare day before official meetings began, we walked and scrambled from the 1761m Furkapass between Laterns and Damüls.
The meeting was held on the Saturday, but many officials were busy beforehand. Thursday saw the Huts and Paths Committee meeting, attended by Janet Britnell on Zoom this time. On Friday, the Bundessauschuss (the federal committee) met. We, as one of the two “Ausland” sections, are currently represented by Bart Vercruyssen from Sektion Flanders. With Alpenverein officials arriving to prepare for the JHV, Friday was a useful time to make contact with them, and with colleagues from other sections. Tim met with Andi Bstieler from S4, the Austria-based IT company working with the Alpenverein and helping AAC(UK) with IT development. Tim, Michael and Nigel also met Wolfgang Schnabl, a member of the Präsidium and a long-time friend of Sektion Britannia. Michael introduced himself to the Huts and Ways team from the office in Innsbruck. Nigel met with Sabine Kinigardner, ÖAV’s Head of Finance, and Thomas Prince who runs the WELTbewegend training organisation, as well as the Alpenvereinaktiv team. He also spoke to Herman De Kegel, secretary of the Flanders section. Herman was interested in developing joint activities, and they discussed the Flanders section’s official role in setting climbing standards.
Various workshops were also offered on the Friday. Any JHV attendee can book a workshop, though numbers are limited. This year the workshops focussed on using digital resources to access mountain tours by public transport; online tools in the area of huts and paths; and child protection. Participation requires good German and this year’s UK delegation preferred to network informally. Friday night is traditionally a sociable meal for the UK delegation with colleagues from Sektion Flanders. The Flanders group comprised Bart Vercruyssen, Herman de Kegel and Annelore Orije from the Flanders office. We also invited Eva Schnabl and her husband Wolfgang (a member of the ÖAV’s top-level Präsidium) from Sektion Stockerau for the evening, because UK and Flanders have close links with them. Bart, Herman and Annelore were keen to find out how Sektion Britannia had emerged from the pandemic with membership intact, as they knew we had been unable to take advantage of the Austrian government’s financial incentive for sports clubs. They also wanted to talk about English-language training courses, both in Austria and in the UK.
The JHV meeting was held on Saturday, starting at 08.30. It lasted all day and was attended by 500-600 section representatives from all over Austria, which is why it needs a very large hall with a stage and big video screens. We registered and collected our voting card (53 votes for Britannia to use this year – calculated on the size of our membership). The day began with introductions and speeches from local dignitaries welcoming us all to their region. Between the speeches there was musical entertainment, this year given by a rather good saxophone quartet from the Rankweil Academy of Music. The meeting was chaired by the President of the Alpenverein, for the last 12 years Andreas Ermacora, a wise and pleasant person for whom it was a very long day.
The Britannia group maintained a presence in the meeting from start to finish. The whole thing was a marvellous spectacle, but we also wished to make sure we took part in all the voting, though this year there wasn’t anything controversial. We also took turns to go in and out of the hall for short spells, to speak to Alpenverein contacts. This year we particularly wanted to catch up with Austrian officers in the WELTbewegend, IT, and Huts & Paths departments, as well as people from a number of different sections, especially in relation to our Hut Fund contributions towards their building and renovation work.
After listing ex-Alpenverein officials who have died in the last year, the Green Cross awards were announced for exceptional rescues in the mountains. These individuals join a very selective roll of honour. The General Secretary, Clemens Matt, gave his annual report, and then Georg Unterberger of the Huts and Paths department presented an update on their work. €3.3 million in grants was paid in 2022 from the Alpenverein to sections for remedial work and improvements to the huts owned by them. Two projects were also helped by EU “LE” funding. Much of this work has an environmentally-friendly theme, in line with the Alpenverein’s goal to reduce each hut’s carbon footprint to a minimum. Three sections were called to the front to receive an Umweltgütesiegel (environmental seal of quality for a particular hut). These sections: Graz for Arthur-von-Schmidt Haus, Vorarlberg for Freschen Haus, and S Innsbruck for Franz-Senn Hütte, presented their completed projects and each showed a film.
Nicole Slupetsky, one of the VicePresidents, gave an impassioned presentation on the newly-agreed Kinderschutzkonzept (Child Protection Policy). This is of especial interest to the AAC(UK) in view of our own policy written two years ago. I will be reading the Alpenverein’s policy to make sure our own is appropriately in line with it.
The navigation app alpenvereinaktiv.com, a joint development by the Austrian, German and South Tirol Alpenvereine, was briefly reported on. The latest project is to train champions in each section to promote use of the app and help other members learn about using it. [Zoom training sessions for AAC(UK) have been organised; the next one is on 13 March.]
Other items during the meeting were the 2022 financial statements, budget for 2024 and the increase in membership fees which AAC(UK) was obliged to adopt at our own AGM a fortnight before. The Alpenvereinsjugend (young peoples’ activities) report focussed on freeride skiing and mountain biking this year. Lastly, Vice-Presidents Doris Hallama and Nicole Slupetsky were re-elected, and Ingrid Hayek and Walter Wegscheider retired, after giving short and positive speeches of thanks to the Alpenverein for the opportunity to undertake these important voluntary roles. Three new V-Ps were elected: Elke Bernhard (Graz, nominated by the youth wing), Andre Blaser (Innsbruck; focus on finance), and Markus Welzl (Imst-Oberland, interested in environmental matters).
Outside the meeting, Michael and Diana met representatives from the Franz-Senn Hütte, including Thomas Frankenhauser (S Innsbruck). Sektion Britannia’s Hut Fund might be able to help the Franz-Senn with the installation of a wood pellet generator, but it is not yet clear how much they need.
The agenda was complete, and we were about to leave when it became clear that the celebrations for Andreas Ermacora’s retirement had only just begun. This 2hr session was moving and emotional. Earlier in the day, Dr Ermacora gave his final annual report and was visibly overcome. He obviously cares very deeply about the Alpenverein and all its members and volunteers, and it took a massive effort for him give his report. At the end of the meeting the Austrian Minister of Health, Social Care and Consumer Affairs took the stage. Johannes Rauch of the Green party, and born in Rankweil, thanked Dr Ermacora for his dedication to the Alpenverein, and – slightly tongue in cheek – the health of the whole of Austria. Completely unexpectedly to Andreas Ermacora, the Minister presented him with the Goldenes Ehrenzeichen der Republik (Golden Medal of Honour), for services to the people of Austria. This is the highest award an Austrian civilian can receive. Ermacora was again utterly overcome.
Finally a local entertainer, who had performed 10 years earlier at Ermacora’s first JHV as President, invited Ermacora to sit down for an interview about his life, interspersed with pre-filmed tributes from friends and club officials in various parts of the country. The messages were all from the heart and many were filmed out of doors with beautiful mountain views. It was all completely over the top, very Austrian, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Saturday evening is always a big party for all delegates, with a meal, music and dancing. We sat with our friends from Sektion Flanders, and met up with more colleagues from the sections we have helped with Hut Fund contributions over the years. The 2024 JHV will be held in Steyr, a small town close to Linz in Upper Austria, a couple of weeks before our own autumn gathering and AGM at Plas y Brenin.
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