Laurence Destruel: “There is a torch recovery at the Amicale des Aveyronnais de Toulouse”
President of the structure since 2017, this lawyer, born in Rodez and installed in the Pink City, is particularly delighted with “the intergenerational character” of an association which blew out, a few days ago, the candles of its half-century. With more than 400 member families, it has no shortage of projects, including the return of the local market in March 2023. Perhaps not on the Place du Capitole…
How is the Amicale des Aveyronnais of Toulouse and Haute-Garonne doing?
It is in the process of being rebuilt! We are emerging, at the stage of the entire associative fabric, from two difficult years. But we never gave up. For thirty years, the Amicale has been playing the intergenerational card and that creates links. So, if some activities had to be postponed, others did take place during this long period.
What exactly do you offer your members?
We have 400 member families in Toulouse and throughout the department. On the menu, each year, we try to give pride of place to the festive and the sporty: banquets, cultural outings, one hike per month (between thirty and forty participants each time), eight-pin bowling, Christmas tree for the children ( the Aveyronnais Christmas took place on January 31, editor’s note), a three-day tourist stay…
What are the major projects?
The next event is set for Sunday June 26 with a day in Moissac and Auvillar. like what is happening in Paris with La Nuit du Rouergue, we would like to propose an event of this nature. We are also going to get closer to Aveyron WorldWide, a network which recently organized a meal for the Aveyronnais of Toulouse, which brought together nearly a hundred guests and wanted to set the table again soon. We absolutely must take advantage of this dynamic and help each other.
To organise, for example, the Place du Capitole market?
After three blank years (one in 2019 because of the yellow vests, the next two because of the pandemic), this event must indeed return in March 2023. Indeed, we need arms, volunteers, because it is a very heavy organization, over two days, with an evening on Friday, sixty exhibitors. On the other hand, nothing has yet been decided definitively but it may not take place on the emblematic Place du Capitole.
You have just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Amicale in Saint-Orens. are you satisfied with the day?
This meeting was really appreciated, thus confirming that friendship is a beautiful story of transmission, that there is a passing of the torch by the new generation and that traditions endure. There were four former presidents: Laure Arcier, Alain Gaubert, Roland Malgouyres and Jean-Claude Bruel.
Paris is lucky to have L’Oustal, where you also lived. Can we imagine such a reception building for students and young workers from Aveyron in Toulouse?
Why not ! But there are two important levers that must be combined: strong political will and financial potential. It is a huge file. Initially, on the occasion of the redesign of the website, the new version of which should be online soon, we will be offering a system of classified ads.