ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc: Miscellaneous Reports (June 2001), page 3

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ME/CFS AUSTRALIA (SA) INC

Registered Charity 698

Mailing address:
GPO Box 383,
Adelaide,
South Australia 5001

Office:
266 Port Road,
Hindmarsh,
South Australia 5007
Ph: (08) 8346 3237
('834 MECFS')

Office Hours:
Wednesdays, 10am-3pm

Support Line:
(Mondays and Thursdays,
10am-3pm)
Ph: (08) 8346 3237

SA country callers:
Ph: 1300 128 339
(local call)

FIBROMYALGIA HELP:
Contact
Fibromyalgia SA
at the
Arthritis Foundation of SA
118 Richmond Road,
Marleston 5033
Ph: (08) 8379 5711

ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc supports the needs of sufferers of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and related illnesses. We do this by providing services and information to members.

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Information and Support 2004 is an online appeal that aims to improve our Information and Support Line.

ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc aims to keep members informed of the various research projects, diets, medications, therapies etc. All communication, both verbal and written, is merely to disseminate information and not to make recommendations or directives.

Unless otherwise stated, the views expressed on this Web site are not necessarily the official views of the Society or its Committee and are not simply an endorsement of products or services.

President’s Report – September 9 to November 25, 2000

By Harry Hup

Thank you all for making yourselves available for this AGM meeting November 25, 2000.

As President of the Society since September 9, 2000. I have observed in brief the following:

The Society

The Constitution in its present form is outdated and should be re-looked at.

Membership is down to 276 paid members to date and declining since 1998 when it was reported 124 previous members did not renew and now this figure has reached 201.

Working in an unstable style management and structure.

There is no manual/handbook that every new committee can refer to on how to access the requirements necessary to perform any duties, tasks and adherence to law requirements.

The Committee

Inappropriate behaviour at meetings not befitting the Society, position and responsibilities.

The committee overextending itself in its services it wants to provide while the basic running of the organisation has extreme flaws, ineffective in many areas in particular its daily operations.
e.g. 1) The income and expenditure statement for the year ending 30th June 2000, of which you have a copy, showing the year 1999 surplus of $59898 & the year 2000 a surplus of $30878 a fall of $29,020.00 – this means the amount was spent by July 99 committee and up to the June 2000 Committee. This is serious money and a large expenditure.
2) In the September Talking Point on page 3 it has been reported to you “We are getting there” and on page 4 it is reported under membership ‘coming along nicely’ suggesting we might get up to 500 members but membership is down and our financial status does not look healthy and the bulk of the money is earmarked for Research which leaves an amount of some $12,000 for the Society to function on, at this rate I predict the Society becoming insolvent within a period of twelve months if no assistance is sought.

Policies

Lapsed members playing an effective, influencing and advising roles within the Society e.g. The Support Line Team is made up of six people which only has two paid-up members, but all six have been given the members database list which gives out all our personal information?

At the November committee meeting the whole committee voted that to have access to this type of information you must be a paid up members and reimbursed reasonable out of pocket expenses.

The Committee members must abide by the rules as per the Constitution and yet a sub-section of the Society can as it were please themselves and all providing very convincing arguments which is not extended to the committee members. Why rules for some and rules for others?

Members

Members must also take neutral stance where possible to rumours and the like and not react to them instantly without going to the source or request for more information to gain proper outcome.

It is also the member/s responsibility to assist the Society in getting it right e.g. dare to ask questions, understanding the difficulties running a Society, become involved and not sit in judgement will all help towards the cause or whatever you think is necessary because your investing, by way of a yearly fee, in your own illness and health, which stands today at a maximum of $0.67 cents per week which is not even a pasty a week but some members wants service and/or consideration for a pasty with sauce and, if at all possible, a small carton of iced coffee, but one thing do not leave it up to the Committee members only to get it right because we are all in it together.

This ends my report for this period of September 9 till today, November 25, 2000. Thank you.

Harry Hup
President, ME/CFS Australia (SA) Inc

Miscellaneous Reports (continued)

President’s Report – September 9 to November 25, 2000

The Society

The Committee

Policies

Members