Yesterday the Elected Officers (David Fricker, Andreas Kellerhals, Henri Zuber) joined the staff of the Secretariat (David Leitch, Nathalie Florent) in order to express their gratitude to Annick Carteret for her long and conscientious service to ICA.
David Fricker, Henri Zuber, David Leitch
Also present were Charles Kecskeméti (former Secretary General) and Odile Welfelé (representing the Archives of France).
Annick Carteret, Charles Kecskeméti
David Fricker, Henri Zuber, David Leitch, Odile Welfelé, Annick Carteret
David Fricker presented Annick with a specially designed ‘golden book’, including photographs of Annick at various stages of her career and tributes to her from many ICA members throughout the world. The group then went to a nearby restaurant to have a celebratory lunch in Annick’s honour.
David Fricker, Annick Carteret
Nathalie Florent, Annick Carteret, Charles Kecskeméti, Andreas Kellerhals
David Fricker, Annick Carteret, Charles Kecskeméti, Andreas Kellerhals
David Leitch, David Fricker, Annick Carteret, Charles Kecskeméti, Andreas Kellerhals
Here is the introduction to the ‘golden book’ written by George Mackenzie, who worked closely with Annick for many years, especially in the organization of the Beijing Congress in 1996.
ICA is a wonderful organisation with a worldwide network. At the centre of the network is the small Secretariat office in Paris. At the centre of that office, keeping it running, is Annick. Looking after the accounts, managing the contracts, organising the meetings, she is also a living encyclopaedia of ICA past and present. Her knowledge was of huge value when I worked in the Secretariat in 1995-96 and we were modernising the organisation. She was able to explain the background to the current organisation and why some aspects which seemed bureaucratic or bizarre to me, had developed to meet particular needs. She also pointed out different structures that had been used in the past and when they had and had not worked. All this helped us avoid the pitfalls of the past and build a stronger and better ICA.
In between times in the office, we taught each other colloquial phrases in our own languages. On one occasion she advised me not to use one I had found on a sign in the lift in my apartment block. It explained that if the lift stopped between floors you should press the red button and help would be on its way “dans les meilleurs delais”. Assuming this meant with all possible speed, I used the phrase in a report on emergency response to the war in Bosnia. Until, that is, Annick pointed out it translates roughly as “in due course”.
The ICA we know today, which is respected round the world, owes a huge debt to the behind the scenes work of Annick and her team. As she now takes well deserved retirement, she also deserves our resounding thanks and very best wishes for the future.
George MacKenzie, ICA Deputy Secretary General, 1996-1998, United Kingdom
Odile Welfelé, Henri Zuber, Annick Carteret, Charles Kecskeméti