I.C.E. Club – Madagascar

More than three years ago, we were sitting in a couch at Ambodivona chosing between YES or ICE and brainstorming on a master plan to set up and English Club. I remember well the excitment that gained all of us enumerating all the different steps we’d be going through and all the things we wanted to do with the club. Ideas, we had plenty of but more over we had a lot of love and passion for the English language.

It was with the same passion and love that we’ve run the club for more than three years now. Three years of sharing through ups and downs. At this point, we’re happy with all the things we’ve done with club and most importantly we’re proud of our members. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU GUYS! Last Saturday, on our way to a APC-FOKO-ICE party, I had a talk with Hary, an active member who hosted the last MS of this year, and he said that the first meeting for a new member is important because he/she will draw an image of the club upon this one. I do agree, I said, though we can’t always have a perfect meeting for each individual each Saturday, that’s just impossible. It is hard to fulfil people’s excpectations if you don’t know them. If we counted our members from the day we started they would be around 400 but only few of them has remained faithful dispite work, studies and other duties.

When I come across former members in the streets they always ask “How is the club doing?” and then “How are the members?/Are there new members?”. My usual answer is “Some come and others go”. On one side, I don’t blame those who could not make it anymore on Saturdays. We all have our priorities. Some of them requested another meeting on a different day but it was hard to plan. But on the other side, I’m grateful to the ones who made efforts to stay, those who helped better the club by getting involved, giving time and energy. Getting involved doesn’t always mean doing huge things for the club. It could be a piece of advice, a home-made cake during a MS, a place to meet during times of crisis and so on. You know these little details that can make the difference.

Andry and I often have this discussion on how to see how involved a member is. He is used to saying that “Now, we can see who is motivated and who’s not.” when he feels that the activity is not likely to attract members. I most of the time disagree with him saying “We don’t have the same time and priorities man”. I must admit that somewhere along the line he’s right though. An activity like the ES we had in Ivato tends to prove that.

The question “What makes a club what it is?” has been in my head since we started. Is it its leaders or its members. I don’t know if we’ve been efficient as leaders. What I’m sure of is we have the best members in town. And that says to me “The members make a club what it is”. A “club” is not the leaders and what they do but rather the ambiance and mood the members create within it. They way they interact and treat one another. The bonds that are built between them. That is a what club is and I would be lying if I say that this is less important than the “English practice” itself.