PZS 2017 Assembly Unanimous in Ajdovščina

Today, April 22, 2017, Ajdovščina hosted the regular annual general assembly of the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS), one of the most mass-based and content-richest non-governmental organizations in Slovenia. Delegates from mountaineering societies elected the permanent electoral commission and unanimously supported the decision to replace the PZS business premises, and three new societies were ceremonially admitted into the mountaineering family.



The Slovenian mountaineering organization (Alpine Association of Slovenia and its member societies) has developed since 1893 on the basis of volunteering into one of the most mass-based and content-richest non-governmental organizations in Slovenia and has retained its basic mission to this day – organizing various activities in the mountains, professional training of mountaineering cadres, care for mountaineering trails and huts, protection of mountain nature, safety in the mountains, mountaineering culture, and membership. The Alpine Association of Slovenia admitted three new societies into its membership in 2016: Plezalni klub Idrija, Planinsko društvo Pijava Gorica, and Češko-slovensko planinsko društvo iz Prage, so currently 287 societies with more than 55 thousand members of various age groups operate under the umbrella of PZS. "I am happy and proud that we have managed to revive Slovenian-Czech mountaineering cooperation, which has 120-year roots when the Czech branch of the Slovenian Alpine Society was established in Prague, and with joining the Alpine Association of Slovenia, the historical connection has gained new meaning," emphasized the president of the Alpine Association of Czechia Jan Bloudek.



At the regular annual general assembly of PZS in Ajdovščina, 127 delegates gathered, with 44% quorum. In addition to the PZS bodies' report for 2016 and the framework content and financial work program of PZS for 2018, the delegates of mountaineering societies also approved the sale of PZS business premises on Dvorakova in Ljubljana and the transfer of real estate on Golteh from PZS to the Mountain Rescue Service station Celje. In addition, they elected the PZS electoral commission for the 2017–2021 term, consisting of members Antonija Valenčič (PD Postojna), Ivan Resnik (PD Kamnik), and Drago Horjak (RPD Dolga pot Dravograd), and deputy members Franc Kocbek (PD Miklavž), Andrej Schwarzmann (PD Srednja vas v Bohinju), and Vinko Poličnik (PD Bajtar). "Today's assembly of the Alpine Association of Slovenia has unanimously adopted all proposed resolutions with high quorum of representatives from all over Slovenia, which for me as president is confirmation that with the entire team, i.e., the presidency, management board, and professional service, we are working in the right direction, and I believe we will continue to do so. In addition, an important decision was made to start relocating the PZS headquarters to a new location, which will be a major change for the entire organization," summarized the thoughts of PZS president Bojan Rotovnik, who thanked PD Ajdovščina for assistance in organizing the assembly.



The hosts, Planinsko društvo Ajdovščina, provided a mountaineering-flavored cultural introduction to the assembly and refreshments. With music, the renowned solo singer Marko Kete accompanied by pianist Meta Črv and the accordion duo Jan and Žan performed, and with a theatrical excerpt from the play Dobra stara šola, the Housewives' Association with the Planina dramatic group near Ajdovščina. The mayor of the Municipality of Ajdovščina, Tadej Beočanin, wished welcome to mountaineers from all over Slovenia, placing education for life on a pedestal as the mission of mountaineering. Under Čavnom, which for Primorska people is like a reflection of Triglav, they were addressed by the president of the local mountaineering society Cvetko Ušaj, and they were also greeted by guests: vice-president of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia - Association of Sports Federations Janez Sodržnik, honorary consul general of Nepal in Slovenia Aswin Shrestha, and Major Denis Štemberger from the Slovenian Army.



Before the assembly, the workshop on implementation activities of the Mountaineering Trails Act aroused great interest among society workers, and at the end, PZS vice-president Tone Jesenko presented the starting points for discussion on membership fees in the next three-year period and invited those gathered to the Day of Slovenian Mountaineering Experiences 2017, which with a diverse program for mountaineers of all generations, touring cyclists, and other nature lovers invites on June 17 to Dom pod Storžičem. Mountaineers also viewed with interest the exhibitions of MDO PD Posočja and MDO PD Ljubljane.