Extraordinary Council Meeting For Bonn Visitors

STUDENTS from Bonn, in Germany, who are currently on an exchange visit with Lord Williams’s school, took part in an ‘extraordinary’ council meeting today.
The meeting was chaired by the Mayor, Nigel Champken-Wood, who explained the procecdure and protocol of council meetings to the 24 young visitors and their hosts and teachers.
Just like in a real council meeting, the visitors stood when the Mayor entered the council chamber, and raised their hand when they wanted to ask a question.
He explained the origins of Parish and then town councils from the days when parishes were administered by the church, and related the history of the Mayor’s chain and insignia which includes a two-barred cross that was part of the so-called ‘Thame Hoard’ found in 1940 in the river Thame. Cllr Champken Woods explained the motto which is engraved on the medallion and its meaning: “She is old but lives.”
The visiting students are all from the Friedrich Ebert
Gymnasium in Bonn, and this is the 25th year of its relationship with Lord Williams’s school.
Frau Beate Rosendahl, who is leading the German visit, thanked all the people of Thame for welcoming her school over the 25 years and presented the Mayor with a bottle of wine, some special sweets from Bonn and a Calender made by younger students of Friedrich Ebert school.
One of the English host students told ThameNews.Net: “This is the first time my family has had someone from a different country to stay. At first it was a bit nerve-wracking but things soon became more relaxed. We have been playing on the Playstation and our guest seems to be enjoying English food – anyway, he eats everything we put in front of him.”
The Bonn students have already visited London, Tower bridge seeming to have made a particular impression. Tomorrow they will visit Oxford and take some time off to do a bit of Christmas shopping.
Six other German students are currently doing work experience with Thame businesses including an architect and an estate agent, and others are getting a taste of working in a Thame primary school.
A special party to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the relationship between Friedrich Ebert and Lord Williams’s schools will be held tonight at LWS.

Photo: Students from Friedrich Ebert Gymnasium take a closer look at the historic Thame Mayor’s chain and that which is worn by the Mayoress or Consort of the Mayor.