Kanti Chhapi Elected President LRSA

May 2008:

On 15th May 2008 at the AGM, our Director Kanti Chhapi  was elected President of the Leicestershire and Rutland Society of Architects, taking over from John Tiernan.

This is Kanti's inaugural speech given to the members at the AGM:

Thank you John for all your effort and commitment over the last 2 years.

I must admit, I did drag my heels a little before saying yes to the post…..mainly because of worries and uncertainties about timing – with the other things we all have to fit in.

I then thought – right at this moment I will have the advantage of the support and help of two fine Past Presidents – one who is the current Regional Chairman! Thank you also to Tony Parr.

This together with my hope to encourage a few more colleagues to be more involved, or involved again with the Society, means that I am honoured to become President of the LRSA over the next 2 years.

I will say a few words about mission over these next 2 years:

Besides the usual duties and obligations of the President… which I will get to grips with -…

I would like to promote the idea that we, as a Society, can be a collective force in promoting many positive things… relating to:

Our links with the public – via the media

Our links with the school of architecture and education – I would like to encourage more discussion and debate through lectures and talks

Our links with ourselves – It would be good to have more fun together as well.

One idea that I do have – and it is inspired when I look out at all of you is to promote the architect as the source of great ideas and visions. I know … it is not a new idea is it?!

I would like to encourage you all to come forward with your genius thoughts/manifestos/brainwaves/crazy ideas relating to architecture, the built environment  and the future built environment, that we may gather and promote through the LRSA as a collective force – perhaps in the shape of visionary ideas.  

As your President I offer to be the glue between us all to enable this. I will try to be a Super Glue.

Thank you