Balloo under the coconuts

Published on February 12 2011 by Winnie

Remember last Saturday ? Remember Maître Teitgen announcing that he was going to meet Maître Legrand last Thursday to discuss the payment of our fees ? And then in the middle of the week we learned that the meeting was put back until next Monday, February 14^th because the GLNF wanted its lawyer to be present at the meeting, that he was unavailable Thursday because he wouldn’t be in Paris.

For sure he couldn’t be in Paris because he, the lawyer, Maître B….p, was in a plane at the time (Air France we are told), flying 1^st class apparently, accompanied by our spiritual guide, Honorary Consul for Djibouti in Marseilles, Air Bongo frequent flyer (but not on this flight), recipient of unsolicited correspondence from the Elysée Palace and EX-Grand Master of the GLNF plus 3 others (perhaps Big Moustache and CC were part of the party), fleeing the European Winter for a weekend on Reunion Island.

You know, coconut palms swaying gently in the breeze, white sandy beaches, turquoise coloured water, ice blocks clinking in the cocktail glasses. Life’s tough at the top !!

And why is the Stifanatic so far away, accompanied by his favourite legal eagle and 3 others ? To inaugurate a brand new temple for our Brothers on the tropical paradise, consecrate it and consecrate a new Lodge. They won’t have much time for the swaying palms and the cocktails, after all. A new temple costing in excess of 1 million euros paid for by our fees.

And who paid for the air tickets ? You got it in one !! We did !! How much per ticket ? LML in English isn’t sure so we went onto the website of Air France. A return flight leaving France on a Thursday and returning on a Sunday, 1^st class, costs 4336 euros. For 5 that makes a neat 21680 euros. At 300 euros of fees per Brother that means 72 of us have banded together to let the Famous Five have a weekend in the sun.

I’m sure Maître Teitgen will be eager to learn from Maître Legrand on Monday how she can justify such expenditure, particularly when there are Brothers who have resigned because they could no longer afford the exorbitant sums necessary to maintain the lifestyle of those at the top.

But all is not totally gloom & doom for us Brethren. LML in English also checked the weather forecast. On Reunion Island today it’s full on tropical fury, howling wind, driving rain, monstrous seas, coconut palms being uprooted by the cyclone, etc.

Balloo should have stayed home !!