The AGM of the Australian Board of the Vellore, CMCH Ltd
Saturday 17th October 2020
The AGM of the Australian Board of the Vellore Christian Medical College & Hospital took place via Zoom meeting on Saturday 17th October 2020.
The meeting commenced at 2 PM (AEDT). Stephen Aseervatham, the president of the Board chaired the session. The special guest was Dr. J.V. Peter, the Director of CMC.
In Attendance:
Board of Directors:
Stephen Aseervatham President
David Runia Vice President
Richard Caitens Treasurer
Jenny Olver Acting Secretary
Chellam Kirubakaran Publicity Officer
Board Members:
Bella George Immediate Past President
Mahiban Thomas Alumni Association
Isaac Muthiah Alumni Association
Robyn Bradley NSW FOV
Sharon Thomas QLD FOV
Neeta Wilfred QLD FOV
Ken Gilbertson VIC FOV
Neil Champion VIC FOV
Renjy Nelson SA FOV
Daryl Teague SA FOV
Ian Olver AVB Invitee
Shoma Baidya AVB Invitee
Anu John AVB Invitee
Ian Roberts-Thompson AVB Invitee
Devotions:
The devotions were led by Dr. Peter and was based on Jeremiah 17: 7: But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him , pondering whether we could still delight in the Lord in an ?off season? such as Covid-focussed 2020. The answer is definitely affirmative based on God?s promises.
Presentation by Dr J V Peter
JVP painted us a clear and up to date picture of CMC?s response to the COVID pandemic. From the initial request from the authorities to establish 150 dedicated beds which grew up to the current 910 dedicated beds, it has been a constant problem-solving exercise. Responding to the evolving needs, the institution saw the preparedness of the hospital and the staff. Undergirding all of this was the statement, ?We could not have done this alone? and the declaration that God?s guidance has and will continue to be pivotal. JVP was clear that this has come at personal cost to all the staff and has brought many close to breaking. He also expressed gratitude to all sources of financial donations and prayer support.
The presentation was followed by a very robust and productive session of Q & A with very pertinent issues raised, mostly by the alumni participants.
The Board thanked JVP for his participation and contribution to the proceedings which was very much appreciated
Minutes of the previous AGM 24/8/2019
Jenny Olver tabled the minutes which were accepted as an accurate record.
President?s Report
Stephen presented his report. The main points raised were:
Auditing of our Accounts: We were three years behind with the auditing and they were done during the year. We also got the accounts for the year 2019-20 audited on time for it to be presented at this AGM.
Constitution: We have done a revision of our constitution which was more than 17 years old, to clearly specify the current set up of the organisation and the relationship between the Board and the state groups.
Annual National Newsletter: The long promised newsletter was finally sent early in the year and it was well received by the Friends from the state branches.
There was some discussion about the concept of a generic brochure to be produced by the publicity department at CMC, an idea which was originally proposed by us and was accepted with much enthusiasm by all concerned. It was agreed that it would be particularly useful to us in keeping potential donors informed. Agreed to follow it up with CMC regarding the progress.
Treasurer?s Report:
Richard presented his report in the new format, which in fact is what he normally prepares for ACNC. All agreed that the current format was easier to read and comprehend, compared to the one we used to receive in the past. The Board acknowledged with thanks the diligent hard work of Richard in getting the accounts up-to date. The treasurer?s report was accepted.
Stephen presented a summary of the designated donations. It was noted that there were twice the number donations received this year compared to last year and also from many newer sources. A very high proportion of the donations were to support the COVID Preparedness Fund. A special mention was made regarding the increased support by the undergraduate and post graduate alumni.
State Reports
The state FOV Reports were presented by Robyn Bradly (NSW), Sharon Thomas (QLD), Renjy Nelson (SA), David Runia (VIC) and Mahiban Thomas (Alumni Association).
Stephen reminded the states that according to the regulations of the ACNC they did not need to have their accounts audited If their annual turnover was <$250,000 and as subgroups of a larger entity, they are covered by the financial obligations of the Board to ACNC.
Other Business ? Constitution
The constitution was widely circulated for feedback from the Board members and state branches and many of the suggestions made have been incorporated. Minor changes for clarity not content recently suggested by Neil Champion will be included. The revised constitution was accepted, and it will be forwarded to the ACNC.
Election of Board of Directors
The following were elected for the year 2020-21
President ? Stephen Aseervatham
Vice-President ? Mahiban Thomas
Secretary ? David Runia
Treasurer ? Richard Caitens
Publicity Officer ? Sharon Thomas
Date / Venue 2021 AGM
It was agreed that due to uncertainty of circumstances in the ongoing Covid environment, the next AGM would likely be a hybrid of face-to-face and Zoom.
The date and venue to be decided in due course
Closure of the Meeting.
Stephen thanked the Board members for their participation, with a special mention of those who attended the meeting for the first time. The number of alumni in attendance was very heartening. The ongoing support and encouragement from the Board of Directors during the year was very much appreciated.
He thanked the outgoing Directors ? Evelyn Lehmann and Chellam Kirubakaran for their services during the past 3 years.The Board appreciated the help of Jenny Olver for the past six months as the acting secretary and her tireless work in organising the AGM.
He closed the meeting with a prayer which was followed by the members of the Board joining in singing the college song ?Silver and Blue?.