Dear STiPP member,

This notification is to let you know that the AGM of the Polish
Technical and Professional Association will be held on Friday 14th
December at Mt Waverley Community Centre 6.30pm Room 1 of the Youth
Centre (next to the Library) Melways 70 E1 (maps in the file area of
this egroup) http://www.stipp.org.au

The meeting will cover 3 major topics:

1) Change of name (as requested by Andrzej Weiss)
2) Ratification and election of new committee members
3) Changes to the constitution

Name change
The suggested name change is:
• Association of Polish Professionals in Victoria (APPV)
The committee would like to add a few alternatives:
• Polish Professionals Association (PPA)
• Association of Polish Professionals (APP)
Committee
The entire current committee is standing down for the ratification
and election of new members. Members can either ratify the existing
committee or elect new members to fill their positions.
Nominations are:

Dr Ryszard Ufnalski (President)
Tadeusz Czubryj (Vice President)
Michael Czajka (Treasurer)
Edmund Bienczycki (Secretary)
General committee #1 – no nominations
General committee #2 – no nominations

Nominations can be made prior to the meeting. To obtain the widest
possible pool of candidates nominations will also be taken on the day
of the meeting.

Proposed changes to the Constitution

Explanations
The committee received a number of queries about the constitution
last year:

The 2006 AGM was poorly attended but was quorate (had a quorum of
members). However a lack of nominations resulted in the existing
committee being the caretaker committee until a new committee could
be appointed. A new committee was recently appointed.

<quote>
28. The executive committee may, subject to Clause 27, fill any
casual vacancy in any office referred to in Clause 26 by appointing
one of its members to the vacant office and the member so appointed
shall hold office during the remainder of the term of his
predecessor.

The executive committee may fill any casual vacancy occurring in the
office of an ordinary member of the Executive Committee by appointing
a member of the Association to the vacant office and the member so
appointed shall hold office during the remainder of the term of his
predecessor; provided however, that this clause shall empower the
Executive Committee to fill only one vacancy in any one year.
<end quote>

This wasn't a casual vacancy... it was a election... and failure to
obtain candidates.

It is normal to appoint a committee if an election fails to obtain
any nominations.

Given the number of committee members who have failed to serve out
their full terms (2 years) it is recommended that the last line be
removed ie. As otherwise the committee never has enough members.

<quote>
27. No member shall be qualified for election as an office bearer
unless he shall have been a Member of the Association for twelve (12)
months immediately preceding such election.
<end quote>

None of the present office holders were elected... they were
appointed... because of a lack of candidates at the elections. This
means this clause would not be relevant. This is Standard Operating
Procedure... if an election fails.

It is recommended that the words "If no nominees with over 12 months
membership exist then a nominee with less than 12 months membership
can stand for election" be added.

This merely codifies common practice and clarifies it.

Audit
41. The accounts of the Association shall be audited each financial
year by an Audit Committee. The Audit Committee shall consist of a
Chairman and two Auditors to be elected from among the Members by the
Association at General Meeting to serve for two (2) years.

It is recommended that this section is either removed or that the
required auditors be reduced to one or two.

• For the past ~4 years we have been unable to meet the
requirement of having 3 members in the audit committee. In fact
nobody has nominated for the position in the last 3 years.
• It is not a requirement of the Act that an audit be held.
• It is not standard practice for an organisation as small as
ours to hold in internal audit.
• The removal of this requirement would mean the AGM could be
held earlier in the year as there is a significant saving in time.
• It would simplify the Treasurers job… and STiPP has a problem
obtaining treasurers because the requirements have been complicated
more than they need to be

Members
Many members have got into the habit of paying up memberships only at
AGM's. This results in them being lapsed until they pay. Members are
often loathe to pay in advance (for the upcoming year). .. yet this
is what must occur for a membership to be current.

English
As these changes have to be submitted to consumer affairs this letter
is in English.