An attempt at epic poetry
Come IROs - now don't be deaf, While I tell you the tale of the IIRF.
It all came official in the town of Versailles |
(The place where old Louis was destined to die) |
Where five years ago we saw the creation |
Of the International IR Federation. |
The foundations in the year '88 were laid |
For the official formation that later was made. |
The Brits and the Danish, the French and the Yanks |
Are the ones to whom we owe most of our thanks. |
It was their desire that set in motion - |
The spark of a wild and crazy notion |
To promote the practice of the field of IR |
Through numerous countries, near and far |
To help spread the word of IR to all |
And teach new practitioners to heed its call. |
It took just two years, no more and no less, |
To pull off a conference, a smashing success. |
That was in London in early September |
A year later, Versailles was one to remember. |
That deuxime conference caused real elation - |
For at it was formed the IR federation. |
The IIRF was now truly alive, |
As members cruised Paris in Peugeot 605's. |
At this second meeting, 200 attended, |
With the interests of some 16 countries defended. |
Austria, Finland, Denmark and France |
Germany, Italy, all seized the chance - |
Sweden, Spain, Holland, the US, the UK |
All signed up to join on that famous last day. |
Their final job? To establish a venue |
For the Third Annual Conference - then all bid adieu. |
In the year intervening two more joined the band: |
We welcomed first Belgium and then Switzerland |
Then the '92 conference, which promised so much, |
But who'd expect anything less from the Dutch? |
It turned out to be an excellent plan |
To hold that meeting in Amsterdam. |
Next to join, and we toasted their health, |
The Canadians came, from the commonwealth. |
Then the wheels were set in motion |
To meet in New York, o'er the Atlantic Ocean. |
For the Fourth Annual Conference in Manhattan we met, |
Welcomed from the chair by Ann Westergren Ekstedt. |
It was held at the Sheraton; over 300 turned up, |
All hungry to learn, they couldn't get enough. |
From eight in the morning 'till late in the night - |
They listened and networked, non-stop till first light. |
When it was all over the group were fifteen |
All due to JIRA now joining the scene. |
After adding Japan to the IRF roster, |
The Council elected as chair Gerry Foster. |
Determined the fifth should be the best yet |
We returned to London, where the site was all set. |
The year was by now 199 |
But before the British would open the door |
Some business was needed to further the cause: |
The agreeing of formal, official bye-laws. |
So on June the 16th the bye-laws were signed, |
To whose aims and ambitions the members did bind. |
Eh bien, enfin, on a pu introduire, |
La Fdration Internationale des Informateurs Financirs. |
(Don't let the sound of that scare you away - |
It's just the IIRF - but en franais). |
The bye-laws fixed the regs for memberships |
How the board should rule, and a few other tips. |
The Governing Council would help to run |
The business at hand, through rain, snow and sun. |
And the Board itself had total authority |
To form or dismantle any IRF committee |
On the Law, Membership, Development, Education, |
Finance, Ethics, PR or Communication. |
And if political matters are your real cares |
There's one for you: Professional and Regulatory Affairs. |
Come September '94 and IROs were invited |
To the conference near Windsor (though the Queen wasn't sighted!) |
The programme again did not disappoint |
We even saw Whitehall - wow! what a joint! |
Now it's this year and our hosts have been hard at their work |
The conference, in Frankfurt, is sponsored by DIRK. |
Festivities begin on September the 10th |
It's three days long so do save your strength. |
Global trends, stock markets, so much to address |
And eleven workshops - some like these the best. |
Practice and governance will both be discussed |
And for lovers of grapes, the wine tasting's a must. |
Whether member or not we are glad you're attending |
(But if not, we do hope your membership's pending). |
And on Tuesday the 12th, when the conference time ends |
We trust you'll have made some new IRO friends. |
It will surely be clear as we're ready to go |
That the IIRF is the one in the know. |
If this verse has bored you, I'd care not to know it - |
I'm an IR professional - but surely no poet! |