Dear I.B.A. Member, 
Herewith you will find a complete reproduction of all I.B.A. Meetings Minutes from the very Foundation on the 24th of February in 1951 in Torquay in Great Britain - till those of the Meeting in Singapore 2000.

The Minutes of an Association is the medium par excellence to give a complete and relevant survey about the gradually development throughout a range of years. However, what in reality are Minutes? 
In fact nothing else than the -put down in writing- of a gathering, a record about what is done, and mainly- about what is said during a Meeting.
But one should realise, that these reports mostly are the very personal view-, reminisce and last but not least the ‘interpretation’ of the Secretary of that Meeting.
Generally, this task is not easy at all- but it is a rather precarious job if, as it always have been the case in the I.B.A., that the Secretary did have to note; discussions-, statements-, interruptions- and other remarks in a for him/ her foreign language. Comments made by persons not being master themselves of, -in our affaire-, the English language.
Understandable therefore, that the records made afterwards, depending on quickly made notes and memories, not always are the exact reproduction of what was said, or meant to say.
Also the ‘English’ used in the diverse Minutes, is sometimes, to say it nicely, very difficult to understand.
                    
The Minutes, recorded on this CD-Rom are the full and complete representation of the originals, however, here and there, when absolutely necessary, I have made some clarifications and/ or explanations.
Consider, that I personally attended all I.B.A. Meetings from 1967 on so, often I could reminiscence my own experiences and memory.
So now end then I also shortened unnecessarily repetitions, like for instance the repeatedly mention, in one and the same paragraph, of:  -“Mr. Michel Bigot the President of the I.B.A., said: etc.
I have changed that into: - Mr. President-; or Mr. Bigot-, or: President Bigot, etc. 
The same I’ve done in identical situations with the other Presidents and / or persons.
At the end of the minutes you will find the -up-to-date- I.B.A. Rules & Regulations as well as the I.C.C.  and Flairing Rules.

I really hope that these Complete I.B.A. Minutes will be of common good and useful for all interested persons.
Be sure, that these Minutes – up till now – are very rare- if not impossible to find at all!
You now are in the possession of a reference book wherein you can find hów during the past 5 decades the I.B.A. Executives and Council- members, proposed, -discussed- and decided about the structure and progress of the….   
                          
“INTERNATIONAL BARTENDERS ASSOCIATION”

See it as my personal present on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the I.B.A.

Jan G. van Hagen,  Honorary President I.B.A.
R.I.P.