EAG 31st SYMPOSIUM, 25-27th SEPTEMBER 2003, WROCLAW, POLAND
Minutes
of the Annual General Membership meeting (25/09/03)
Members present:
Profs. Kanowski, Mateos, Gustafson, Ihl,
Dr.s Mendonca Lima and Philpot, and 20 other members of the Association.
1. Apologies
Dr. Treloar and Dr. Calabrese.
2. Minutes
of meeting held on 15.11.02 in Padua.
The minutes were accepted as a true record of the meeting.
3. Matters
arising not appearing on the agenda
National
Advisory Board
Dr
Philpot reported that this group now included 14 members who had supplied
professional details and contact addresses. Requests for advice had been
sent out regarding the 'skill-based' set of educational objectives for
geriatric psychiatry, and the content of the present meeting. A further
targeted mail-shot would be sent soon to recruit members in those countries
not yet covered. The names of the NAB would be put on the web-site soon.
East
Research Award
No
valid submissions had been received for the second year running. However
it was anticipated that next year – with additional publicity via the
NAB – there would be submissions, particularly from Poland.
Mailing
List
Following
the links made with the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry
last year, there had been a recent request from them to buy our mailing
list
for the purposes of distributing promotional material about their future
meetings. It was proposed that we ask each member individually whether
they were prepared to have their contact details used in this way and
to include an opt-out ‘box’ on future application forms. The members felt
the list should be free to bona fide organisations and not distributed
to drug companies.
4.
Report by the members of the Executive Committee
Dr.
Calabrese had written requesting a change of role. He had difficulty
fulfilling the post of Treasurer although was keen to remain
on the Board. Members felt he could make a strong contribution
and
that an alternative Treasurer should be found. However, the
Board felt that increasing numbers – so as to include more active participants
in planning – would be a long-term goal for next year. It was
recognized that this proposal would have to be put to the next
AGM (in Oslo) with the appropriate six-week notice period for
members. If approved the Constitution could then the changed
in the Court at Dusseldorf. In the meantime, it was proposed that
four Associate Board posts were created. Members agreed with
this
proposal.
5. Financial
status
Prof. Ihl was unable to present the financial status for 2002/3
as the account had not been received and consequently not approved by
the auditors (Drs Mendonca Lima and Dimroth). Accounts for 2002/3 would
be presented at the next AGM. The current balance stood at approx. 25,000
Euro.
Unfortunately, no requests for membership fees payments had been sent
out in 2002. Prof. Ihl would be sending out requests very soon.
6. Election
of new Board members.
Prof. Kanowski and Dr. Philpot were due to retire at the end of
2003 having served two consecutive four-year terms. The Board nominated
Prof. Kiejna and Prof. Ihl (treasurer). It was proposed that Dr. Carlos
Mendonca Lima became Chairman (President). The following were nominated
for the Associate member places: Dr Martin Orrell (London), Dr Brigitte
Grass-Kapanke (Webmaster, Germany), Dr Joanna Rymaszewska (Secretary,
Wroclaw), and Prof. Knut Engedahl (Oslo). These nominations were fully
approved by the members and all were elected unopposed.
7. Future
meetings
Oslo
2004
Prof
. Engedahl and his local committee were well on track with planning the
32nd Symposium which would be held in Oslo between Sept. 23-25th 2004.
The day of
the meeting would begin with a plenary session followed by two parallel
sessions and possibly a couple of satellite symposia. The themes were
to be: affective disorders, subcortical dementia, evidenced-based medicine.
The 2005 meeting would be held in Lausanne (Dr. Mendonca Lima) and
the 2006 meeting might possibly be held on the Iberian peninsula (Prof.
Mateos and Dr Leuschner).
Prof. Kanowski announced an additional meeting that was being planned
for 11/12/03 in Berlin between the EAGP and the German Hirnliga. The theme
concerned the link between research work and service delivery in different
countries in Europe.
8. Date
of next meeting
This would be held during the course of the Wroclaw meeting. Members
would be sent the agenda, time and venue by post.
9. Any
other business
Dr. Mendonca Lima reported that the EAGP had been involved in
several meetings with other NGOs within Europe to develop the ‘skill-based
learning objectives’ for old age psychiatry. This and a number of other
important papers, on education and stigma, had been published in the
International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. He also reported that the
EAGP were to
be involved in developing the Atlas project for OAP that would be ready
for use in 2005.
Dr. Leuschner asked that the Portuguese Psychogeriatrics Association
become affiliated with the EAGP. Prof. Kiejna and Dr. Rymaszewska also
requested that the newly formed Polish association join.
It was noted that the abstracts of the Congress had been published
in the new Polish Old Age Psychiatry Journal and Profs. Kiejna and Leszek
were thanked for their efforts.
Dr
Michael Philpot
Secretary
29.09.02