Bonn General Anzeiger July 3 1999
The exciting adventures of the engineer
By Christina Martinstetter
Caption: There are many opportunities in which the exchange ring can
help you.
Picture caption: John Turmel who had said he wants to battle with the
banks and the state is now, together with his wife Pauline, on a
European Tour. Photo Max Malsch.
Say hello to an illustrious guest from Canada: John C. Turmel is the
founder of many exchange rings in his homeland. And he told us about
his multi-faceted and changing life.
BONN-BEUEL SCHWARZRHEINDORF - Guerrilla lawyer" "Blackjack king"
or "the World's richest pauper" are some of the nicknames which John
C. The Engineer Turmel has gotten from the different media. The
Canadian was responsible in his homeland for many headlines and
newspaper and TV stations keep showing the same picture: Turmel with
the white hard-hat on which is written in big letters "The Engineer"
with a Bible in one hand and the picket sign in the other which
demands the abolition of interest. On Wednesday evening, this shining
person was the guest in Beuel.
As a young engineer, he had declared war against the banks and
the state because those institutions drive people into debt through
interest and taxes. In this effort, he is the persevering supporter
and founder of many local employment trading systems (LETS) which are
known in Germany under the name "Tauschringe". These are based on the
principle of exchange, work for work, and not for cash payment.
Meanwhile throughout the whole federal republic of Germany, there now
exist 229 with new ones sprouting.
Turmel and his wife Pauline are now on an European tour. This
tour now takes the singular couple to the sunny side of Bonn to visit
the newly-founded in February 99 LETS "Schdl-Sick-Tauschring
Bonn/Rhein-Sieg e.V.". Though the visit was very short, it was
informative and interesting. For nearly 3 hours, nearly 20 LETS
members who had assembled in the "Hotel Mertens" at the Rheindorfer
Strasse listened to the words of their illustrious guest.
He enthralled his listeners with his ardent and insistent life
story because the Canadian's story would come under the title "The
incredible life story of John C. Turmel" at the top of the best-
selling list of popular literature. Turmel also is aware of this. To
underline his credibility and the truth of the reports of his singular
steps in life, he documented everything with newspaper articles.
The Canadian had collected hundreds of articles in newspapers from
many different countries in a single publication which had the
colorful title "The Adventures of John "The Engineer" Turmel."
And they were really captivated. John C. Turmel saw the light of
day on the 22nd of February in 1951 in Rouyn Quebec. After a very
successful school career, he enrolled at Carleton University in Ottawa
Ontario in electrical engineering in 1974. Also there, this
young man dedicated himself in a course given by Professor Walter
Schneider called "The Mathematics of Gambling" where he was as a
"star" student with extraordinary interest and engagement. This was
the first and only course of its kind in the whole of Canada, said
Turmel. I finished it with an "A+," the best possible result of all.
His passion was awakened and it changed his life. "From 1975
until 1978, I was a professional gambler. Meanwhile, I was Professor
Schneider's Teaching Assistant," said Turmel. During these years, he
went on more than 50 4-day junkets to several casinos in Las Vegas but
for those casinos, the Canadian was more successful than normal
Blackjack players and for that, was quite an unwanted guest. Turmel
was barred.
It is very difficult to come to a conclusion on his ongoing
changeful life so far. In any case the following: 1976 he ends his
studies but he gambles further. In 1979, the Canadian believed he
could fight better for his big aim to legalize gambling by running as
a candidate for Parliament on this platform. His attempts to be
elected as a Member of Municipal and National Parliaments brought
Turmel two entries in the Guinness Book of Records: he has taken part
in 47 elections to date. Record #2: just as often, Turmel is the
world-wide record holder for losing too. The Canadian opened two
casinos in his life. Several times, Turmel had to go into prison for
his gambling passion.
Until today, the couple lives from the winnings which the sly-
headed Turmel gains from the Blackjack game. On that basis, the two
Canadians travel around the world and visit exchange rings and LETS of
all countries. To the Beuel LETS exchange, the engineer said on their
way "Take care of your LETS ring. There are so many ways it can help
you."
The Schaal-Sick-Tauschring has changed its meeting place. The
following meetings are on Wednesday July 21, August 18, and September
8 at 7:00p.m. at "Mertens Hotel", 134 Rheindorfer Str. 53225 Bonn-
Beuel.
Further information available from Brigitte Guenther-Sun on
Tel./Fax:0049-228 47 97-345 or e-mail: SUN.services@t-online.de
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