The 5th Annual General Meeting of the Australian Military Medicine Association was held at the Hyatt Hotel, Canberra, at 1630 on Saturday the 7th of September 1996. The meeting was attended by 43 members.
Reports
The 1995-96 Annual Report (included in the last issue of AMM) was presented to the meeting.
The following verbal Reports were presented:
- President – Nader Abou-Seif
- Secretary – Russ Schedlich (in the absence of Marcus Skinner)
- Financial – Bob Stacy
Council
The following members were elected unopposed to Council:
- President – Nader Abou-Seif
- Vice-President – Russ Schedlich
- Secretary – Marcus Skinner
- Treasurer – Bob Stacy
- Member – Geoff Robinson
- Member – Andy Robertson
- Member – Lydia Stevens
In the absence of any nominations, either postal or from the floor of the meeting, for the position of Journal Editor, Russ Schedlich resumed that role.
Council has reappointed Janet Scott as a member of Council in accordance with its powers to achieve a membership of eight.
Fees
Following detailed advice from the Treasurer, Bob Stacy, and on the recommendation of Council, the meeting determined that fees for 1997-98 would be set at $40 joining, and $60 annual. The significant rise (the first since the Association was formed in 1991), is based on the need for continued and sustained health of the Association, based on the principles that:
- Annual membership should fully cover the operating costs of the Association, including the production of the Journal.
- Surpluses from the Scientific Conferences should be directed to the provision of funding for research, either directly, or through the growth of an investment fund.
*Joining fees should only be required to cover the additional costs of processing new memberships.
An analysis of the Association’s income and expenditure over the three financial years immediately preceding the AGM, has confirmed that operating costs were running at approximately $55 per member per annum. The Association’s financial health has been sustained during that period by income from joining fees (averaging over 50 new members per year, a growth that cannot be expected to be sustained in the long term), and surpluses from Scientific Conferences.
The provision of long term investment in research will be achieved by the channelling of all surpluses from Conferences into investment funds sufficient to cover funding from interest payments. Current research funding is limited to the $2,000 per annum Research Grants, however the potential for this to grow is significant given the financial results from recent Conferences.
At the 1994 AGM, it was determined that membership fees should be based on the financial year rather than the calender year. To give effect to this decision, and to minimise any potentially adverse impact on the financial health of the Association, it has been determined that this change should be introduced gradually. To this end, membership fees paid at the commencement of 1996 will fall due and payable on 31 March 1997. Those fees will cover membership to 30 June 1998.
Amendment to Constitution
The foreshadowed amendment to the Association’s Statement of Purpose and Rules relating to the method of electing Council was withdrawn after on a point of order was raised objecting to it proceeding. (A full review of the Association’s Constitution will be undertaken, with a series of amendments being put at or before next year’s AGM).
