Last month, IIMS President, Capt Bertrand Apperry, met representatives from Les Sauvateurs en Mer at Ouistreham, Caen in France. The purpose of this ceremony was to present a cheque for £600 to the charity. This money was raised by IIMS members at the 2015 London Conference. Les Sauvateurs en Mer is Bertrand’s chosen charity. They are a volunteer force who do amazing work aiding and protecting seafarers and members of the public who hit trouble around the French coastline.
Here is an extract from Bertrand’s speech:
“Ladies and gentlemen.
The International Institute of Marine Surveying (IIMS) of which I am President has a tradition every year during our gala dinner at the end of our conference where guests are invited to show their generosity for charity.
I proposed as the “President’s Charity donation”, the SNSM (Les Sauvateurs en Mer) and specifically the section of Calvados. A short message on the menu reminded the audience of your great work.
The result of their charitable impulse by our English friends (there were quite a few Scots and Welsh in the audience too) gave £600. As you know the sterling with the portrait of the Queen on all notes is not about to disappear! In this regard too it is also tradition for the President to toast the Queen on the occasion. I did it with respect and I admit that it’s pretty impressive when one hundred guests stand up and repeat after me together “to the Queen!
Before you present the cheque to a French bank, I should remind very quickly of the IIMS history. Founded in 1991 by a group of marine surveyors, including The Europeans Afexmar (French Association of Maritime experts), because they wanted their own professional body, the IIMS had from the start intended to bring together competent surveyors with a goal to be recognized and above all to ensure continuous training, necessary given the incredible evolution of the shipping industry including offshore oil and gas.
Today we are one of the largest expert associations of our kind and we are the premier trainer of maritime experts in the world. We work in English, but obviously we have branches all over India, Pakistan, UAE, Australia and New Zealand.
Good to be able to speak with you all. I wish long life to the SNSM and all that they do.”
