L-R – John Cronin (President SA), Bruce Leonard (retiring National Secretary-Treasurer), Robert Slaverio (National President 2016), Alan Stiles (President WA), Mike Selwyn, Sue Milliken, Murray Forrest, Alan Rydge, Mike Baard, Kerry Westwood (Secretary-Treasurer, Qld), Tom Jeffrey, Sharon Tapner (Treasurer, VIC), John Rochester (President NSW) Derek Screen (President VIC), Tim Read (National President 2017-2018), Sandra Alexander (Incoming National Secretary-Treasurer), Yurik Czyz (President Tas).
Members of the National Executive Committee met at Sony Pictures Releasing, Market Street Sydney on May 25 2017. Amongst the first items on the Agenda was a formal resolution which was carried unanimously and with acclamation thanking our retiring National Secretary-Treasurer, Bruce Leonard for his 25 years of devoted and highly successful service to the Society. The very next resolution welcomed and appointed Sandra Alexander as the new National Secretary-Treasurer.
The NEC considered and approved nine resolutions proposed by Tim Read, National President. Some of these arose out of the results of the National Survey which was carried out in February-March 2017 and include: planning for and offering a wider range of activities for the members, redesigning the Society website and creating Facebook pages in each State to allow for easier social contact and information exchange, beginning regular donations to State benevolent societies, creating a drive for new members, increasing the joining fee to $300 and several changes simplifying the financial and administrative arrangements between the National and State bodies.
Zareh Nalbandian of Animal Logic was elected National Cinema Pioneer of the Year. His distinguished career to date can be seen here.
More details about the National Survey and the resolutions passed at the NEC meeting can be found on the Society’s new website. Please visit it and consider writing an article or story for it. The same applies to the Society’s Facebook page. It is there to make communication between members quick and easy and I hope it encourages more get togethers on an informal basis. For those members who do not have personal access to the internet, please see if your local library, senior centre or other resource has computers which can be used. And perhaps family members or friends could assist.
Finally, do you know anyone who would qualify for Society membership? Please support the membership drive and invite them to consider joining.
Happy Pioneering
Tim Read