The following items were discussed by the Management Committee when it met on Sunday 14 June 2009.

A letter from International Congress of Medical Librarians (ICML) was received asking if PNGAA would sponsor a health librarian from PNG to attend the Brisbane Convention 31 Aug - 4 Sept 2009, at the approximate cost of $3,400. Following discussion, it was noted that the Association does not have the resources to take on such sponsorships at the present time as the principal income is from membership subscriptions which are designed to cover the production and distribution costs of our quarterly magazine.

There was some discussion over forum postings on the website and it was suggested that the PNGAA establish some ground rules for the future.

Letters of appreciation were sent to:

1.  Harriet Troy thanking her for work as Convenor of the Fellowship and Caring Committee;

2.  Joan Stobo in appreciation of all the years she has provided flowers for our luncheons.

3.  Pamela Foley and Joe Nitsche for their service to our organisation in successfully arranging Christmas and AGM functions for over 20 years, and also for the work they have done in preparing Una Voce material for posting over the same period.

4.  Nancy Johnston in particular for her dedicated work on the Caring Committee and the Una Voce index.

The Treasurer noted that the expenses arising from the Constitutional Review amounted to $8,751.06.  He observed that while the position was healthy, this Committee was not in a position to commit the incoming Committee to any project.

The Acting President, P Foley, spoke for everyone when she said that the Committee had enjoyed complete confidence in the Treasurer and the way in which he had conducted our accounts over the past eleven years. (Treasurer Ross Johnson is not standing for re-election)

PNG Relations: R Mead said that, with a number of disruptions in the first half of 2009, the PNG Relations Sub-Committee has been limited in its ability to operate effectively. A lot of good policy groundwork was done in the latter half of 2008, as well as some external contacts made with various bodies and, as of December, the future looked promising. Activities were necessarily circumscribed by the circumstances, and this meant that initial efforts focussed on health and community development, although a much broader remit was always envisaged, and sooner rather than later. Now that the constitutional position is complete and resolved, the incoming PNG Relations Sub-Committee should be well-placed and have a clear mandate to build on the work that has been started. Many thanks must go to those who have already put in their substantial time and effort in good faith, which should not go to waste.

Superannuation: F Kaad said any change in payments due to the Consumer Price Index will be announced at the end of June. He does not expect any change.

Costs of attending committee meetings: The Committee recommends that costs relating to attendance at committee meetings be the personal responsibility of each committee member.

Storage: After no responses to our ads for storage space in Una Voce, the Treasurer researched storage availability and has made a recommendation for a 3m x 3m space which will cost the association about $3000 per annum. This would provide necessary storage space for stock, financial records, back copies (archival) of Una Voces, etc. As a bonus, they have a meeting room which can be used by ten people, a discount for advance payment, and by arrangement they can accept deliveries of items (eg, Una Voce from our Printers to be collected at a time of our choosing).

Committee members' attendance on posting days: M Day suggested that committee members who do not assist on posting days should come once a year to see what goes on. The meeting agreed this was a good idea as the incoming Committee should be aware of the tasks that are carried out, the time it takes, and the effort that goes into it. It was noted that this could pose problems for those still in the workforce, however they should be encouraged to come along.

Congratulations to H West on his OAM: R Johnson moved the following: "This Committee would like to congratulate Mr H West on the award of an OAM for services to the Papua New Guinea Association of Australia".