Rome (Italy). Saturday and Sunday, April 21-22,2018 the XXXIII National Assembly of the Association TGS – Youth and Social Tourism – took place. Present were local TGS groups coming from Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Lazio, Campania, Puglia, and Sicily.
This year, the occasion of the National Assembly was particularly meaningful since it coincided with the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the TGS Association. In addition, it was elective assembly and the national councilors were elected who will guide the association for the four year term 2018-2022.
On Saturday morning, after the greetings of Fr. Claudio Belfiore and Sr. Anna Razionale in the name of the promoting entities of CNOS and CIOFSA, the outgoing President, Massimiliano Spezzano illustrated the Report on the State of the Association 2017. After the approval of the final balance for 2017 and the budget for 2018, the candidates of the new Executive Council of National TGS were presented and the voting took place.
The new National TGS Executive Council 2018-2022 is composed of:
- Lorenzo Napoli, President TGS National
- Igino Zanandrea, Vice President
- Cosima Convertini, Secretary
- Fabio Setaro, Treasurer
- Cosimina D’Errico, Councilor
- Giancarlo Gargano, Councilor
- Rosario Papale, Councilor
Also part of the National TGS Executive Council are the Salesian delegates, members designated by the promoting entities: Sr. Cristina Camia (CIOFS) and Fr. Giovanni D’Andrea (CNOS).
The second part of the day on Saturday saw the subdivision of members present at the National Assembly into working groups that discussed the current status of the TGS association, identifying its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats: precious points for reflection to outline the work program of the new national executive council for the next four years.
On Sunday morning, at the National TGS office at Sacred Heart Salesian Institute, the last working sessions regarded a focus on Third Sector reform and an overview of the new European regulation on personal data protection.
In the final part of the morning, was the time of celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the association with the viewing of videos and photographs of yesterday and today, with testimonies and reflections on the history and the future of TGS. At the end, the Holy Mass of thanksgiving, presided over by Fr. Giovanni D’Andrea and concelebrated by Don Claudio Belfiore took place.
At the end of the closing session of the assembly, the TGS Presidents of yesterday and today cut the birthday cake together for the 50 years of the association: a synthesis between past, present, and future, to symbolically deliver the future of the association to a new generation of directors and volunteers who work with passion like Don Bosco with the young and for the young. The TGS National Executive Board.
The message released by the new President of the National TGS, Lorenzo Napoli.
Dear TGSers, dear young people,
These were two very special days and there are many emotions that I still feel today.
First of all I want to thank Massimiliano, the outgoing president: thank you for the great work you have done in these years, thanks for the friendship you gave us, thanks for the great support you have and (I’m sure) you will continue to give me and give us . My thanks also goes to Matteo and Alessia who in these two years, even though they were no longer councilors, gave their strong contribution to the council.
I also want to thank ‘my’ TGS and ‘my’ Salesian oratory of belonging. Without them I would not be here to talk to you. The animation in the various modalities (pre-animation, band animation, association animation) helped me also and above all in everyday life. And it will continue to do so given that today I am called with another role, to always be a Salesian animator.
On this journey, I will need your advice, your admonitions. I will need to listen to you in order to grow.
Fortunately there will be many people on this journey. There will be the experience, in some cases of twenty years in the association, of Fabio, Igino, and Giancarlo. There will be the professionalism of Cosimina and Mina and the breath of freshness of Rosario. There will also be Fr. Giovanni and Sister Cristina who will always remind us, if we forget, of our origins and the main path to follow: the good of young people.
And then there will be you. We will need each one of you. Together we will do it.
Long live Don Bosco!
Lorenzo
