Dear Veteran and Rookie Lions,
As we are celebrating these important days of
Holy Week with our families, we cannot but think that in just under six weeks’
time we will be meeting again at Barcelona Airport to start another of the very
enjoyable “Lions Pyrenees Expeditions”.
Time really flies by. When I was meeting a
friend the other day and I told him that we have been doing this Expedition for
eighteen years he could not believe we had managed to keep it going for such a
long time; and he encouraged me to continue doing it. That is clearly our
intention, and it was nice to see that last year at the Expedition Johnny
Dauncey and Ovidiu Radu, sons of two veteran Lions joined us, and now they are
themselves part of this group of adventurers.
I appreciate that our encounters with most of
the Lions are limited to once or twice a year, one during the Expedition itself
when we go around the Pyrenees and the other at the Lions Annual Dinner in the
Oriental Club in London, which due to the help of its Secretary-General,
Matthew Rivett (a Veteran Lion himself), has become the London headquarters of
this adventurous group. As we are spread around the world, it is not possible
to meet many other times but with some regularity during the year I receive
either a telephone call or an email from one of the Lions and this way we keep
in touch despite the distance.
As the years go by, many people have heard of
the existence of the “Lions of the Pyrenees”, and this year as I travelled to
different locations some contacts, relatives, clients, were impressed when they
learnt that I belonged to this distinguished group, with such an imposing name.
To make them aware of my belonging to the team I regularly wear the Lions
Polos. I appreciate I cannot use it when I go to work in the City of London,
but when I am on holidays or on weekend I do so that I remind others who we
are.
This year like every year there will be some
new faces of people joining us for their first expedition, but as it is always
the case, they will be welcome by the others, and when those intense days come
to an end after four intense days in the Pyrenees, they will experience like
the rest the impression that they have known the group for a long time.
We all know that we go to the Expedition to
have a good time, but the main purpose is to make the others have a good time,
this way we all enjoy it much more, when we see the others enjoying it and the
camaraderie of the group makes people help each other without expecting
anything back. It is not difficult to give thanks to God during those days for
the many benefits received during the rest of the year; either at home, at
work, or due to health, or other matters. Also as our base camp is near the
Shrine of Our Lady of Torreciudad we have established the tradition of going up
to see her with the uniform of the Lions (the Polo of the Lions) and as we
approach the shrine at the end of those marvelous days one cannot but be
grateful to God and to Our Lady for the fact that we have been able to enjoy
these fantastic days, despite the difficulties that we all have experienced
during the year; and we leave at Her feet our personal intentions and our
gratitude as we were able to go another year, and ask that we will be able to
go back the following year.
Well men, I finish by wishing you and your families
a Happy Easter. Forward Men!
Ave Cesar, Morituri Te Salutant!¡
A Lion of the Pyrenees
Antonio Irastorza