Fact of Life in the 2020s

Christmas Blog Jules Lejeune: Fact of Life in the 2020s

The integration of Covid19 is on schedule. We are now at wave 5. The corona waves have been given an alphabetical name by analogy with the hurricanes. In the meantime we are ready for wave Omikron, although the namesake discretely skipped Xi (after all: Alpha came from China) and I cannot remember any other intermediate wave between Delta and Omikron.

What seemed like a short-term phenomenon turns out to be with us for a longer period of time and this demands the utmost of our adaptability and stamina. This is why tension is increasing in society too, helped by the social media where truth increasingly seems to be a choice. Sense is nonsense and vice versa. The truth, proverbially, lies in the middle, but (again by analogy with the alphabet) that is somewhere between Algorithm and Zuckerberg these days.

In the Netherlands, the term ‘Jab regret' was chosen this week as the word of the year and both sides of the truth spectrum agreed. A year ago, the first vaccines became available, but the supposed 'group immunity' still turns out to be a matter of 'group loyalty', even with a vaccination rate of 85%. Again, a truth that can go both ways: will groups split or will we try to connect groups?

In contrast to previous waves, the Dutch Government decided last week to take the lead internationally for once. Our country, to the despair of many entrepreneurs, was plunged into a new lockdown during the dark Christmas days. The Silent Night had already lasted for several weeks after the evening lockdown, but now it will also be a Christmas with Booze and Booster (and afterwards a wave of new Boomers).

Hopefully, the current measures will again have a dampening effect on the infection curve, the signs that the virus is degenerating with increasing mutations will prove correct, the vaccination programme will now be rolled out worldwide and we will be able to resume our normal lives in the years to come.

For the time being, we will have to live with the virus, but against this gloomy background, it is good to know that associations have proven to be a binding factor in society over the past 20 months. With association professionals in a key position to engage, serve and move members towards the common good.

The association is stronger than the individual, common challenges bring stakeholders together, and without a neutral and independent meeting platform we will never get to know and trust each other.

Where some had expected the Covid crisis to impact membership income, research has shown that membership numbers have actually increased, or at least stabilised, across the board. Our own experiences confirm this general trend.

Associations, alongside Covid, will continue to be an undeniable Fact of Life and an indispensable link for recovery in the 2020s. We are happy and proud to accompany them on this journey!

On behalf of the management and staff of Lejeune Association Management, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a healthy and successful 2022!

Jules Lejeune
Managing director