ESA News

ESA Newsletter: November 2002

Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Endocrine Society of Australia - held at Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide SA
Monday 23rd September, 2002

Attendance:
John Burgess, D. Robertson, E. Simpson, Anne Turner, Alan Tilbrook, Mark Hedger, Peter Fuller, M. Wlodek, Paul Williams, Christine Rodda, Shaun McGrath, Roger Smith, Leon Bach, Guck Ooi, David Handlesman, Stephen Judd, David Chipps, Paul Farnworth, Jim Stockigt, John Casey, Steven Twigg, Albert Frauman, Brian Hirshfeld, Cathie Coulter, Brendan Waddell, Trisha O'Moore-Sullivan, Chris Rowland, Sonia Stanton, Cathy Choong, Ross Cuneo, D. Perry-Keene, Frances Thomas, Duncan Topliss, Jeffrey Zajac, Walther Plehwe, Shane Hamblin, Ken, Ho, Ben Canny.

1. Apologies:
Mark McLean, Rob Baxter, Robin Mortimer, Dennis Wilson, Jenifer Batch, Simon Maddocks, Henry Burger, John Carter, Bernie Tuch, Peter Colman, Richard Larkins, Maarten Kamp, Geoff Matthews

2. Confirmation of minutes:
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting that was held on 10th September, 2001 were accepted as a true and accurate record. Proposed by C. Coulter and seconded by E. Simpson.

3. Business Arising: Nil

4. President’s Report:

The The Society continues to grow and now boasts a membership of 870. Our members continue to be recognised for their achievements both nationally and internationally as follows:

• John Funder for 2002 Sidney Ingbar Distinguished Service Award by the US Endocrine Society
  
• Evan Simpson was bestowed the Asia-Oceania Medal from the Society of Endocrinology in the United Kingdom
  
• Martin Silink became a member of the Order of Australia, with an AM for services to paediatrics and endocrinology

The Secretariat has moved to larger premises with improved facilities shared with ADS and ANZBMS. The database is completely updated to a new platform and procedures have been implemented to comply with the new privacy legislation under the Privacy Agreement Act 2001. I thank Ben Canny and Ivone Johnson for their tremendous effort in implementing this.

A number of initiatives to return benefits to the membership have been implemented as follows:

1. Increased travel support to junior scientists and postgraduate students to attend the Annual Scientific Meetings
   
2. Provision of 2 Travel Grants ($2500 each) to attend international endocrine meetings, details of which will be posted in the newsletter and website.
   
3. Establishment of a Japan-Australia lecture in the program of the ASM with Prof Kojima as the Inaugural Lecturer this year.
   
4. Support of an ESA speaker to the Trans-Pacific Symposium which is now an integral part of the US Endocrine Meeting.

Investment of $600,000 of ESA funds in medium risk managed funds of a mixed portfolio over a 5 year period. The funds are managed by ASGARD, one of the largest mutual managers in this country, affiliated with NAB. Through an NAB Financial Advisor, Cathie Coulter looked into a number of investment options, and consulted widely with Council Executives and Members with experience in financial planning and investments.

Sponsorship

The Society continues to receive strong corporate support with Lilly, Pfizer and Pharmacia as Major Corporate Sponsors and with Novartis, Servier, Serono, DSL, Boehringer and Ipsen as Corporate Sponsors. These and other companies have also generously supported the Seminar and Annual Scientific Meetings. The setting up of a Sponsorship Committee chaired by Cathie Coulter has consolidated efforts that have improved the level of support at all levels of operation. The Committee comprises Bruce Robinson and myself and Chairs of the Local Organising Committees of the Seminar, Clinical Weekend and ASM.

RACP

The ESA has continued to work closely with the College on a number of issues:

1. Training in endocrinology with a review of current guidelines, discussions of other models of training and possible implementation of a region-based training program.
   
2. Adoption of common procedures to comply with private sector provisions.
   
3. Revision of the Memorandum of Understanding to clarify the structural working relationship, responsibilities of each party and new areas of co-operation and towards facilitating communication and joint planning.
   
4. With the National Prescribing Service to improve prescribing in endocrine therapies.

The Society has also endorsed the RACP Guidelines on the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It has provided endocrine representation to the Better Practice Co-ordination Committee. The ESA continues to be active in the governance and administrative affairs of the College with Robin Mortimer serving as President and Steve Judd as Registrar within the Divisional Committees for Adult Medicine.

Medical Affairs

The Society has provided representation, assistance and advice to various government agencies concerning a range of health-related matters:

1. To the Health Care Complaints Commission with a list of members who can assist with their activities
   
2. To the National Road Transport Commission concerning medical examinations for commercial vehicle drivers
   
3. To the National Centre for Classification in Health Proposals with suggestions to modify to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems in the area of endocrinology and metabolism
   
4. To the TGA with advice on the recall of Novo Mixtard 30/70 innolet pen device
   
5. To the Medicare Service Advisory Committee with nominees to review (a) laparoscopic gastric banding for morbid obesity and (b) mass spectroscopy measurement of bone alkaline phosphatase
   
6. To the Medicare Service Advisory Committee who have appointed Bruce Robinson to assist in a review of Thyrogn as a diagnostic agent for thyroid cancer
   
7. To the Therapeutics Advisory Committee for wording of indication for the use of EPO in chronic renal failure.

Other Societies

The ESA has strengthened its relationships with other international endocrine societies as follows:

1. With the Japan Endocrine Society to establish an exchange speaker program. The Annual Scientific Meeting will feature a Japan-Australia Lecture and reciprocating an invitation by the JES to their Summer Symposia.
   
2. The ESA has strengthened its involvement in the organisation of the Trans-Pacific Symposium. The JES, which had previously sponsored the Symposium, agreed to funding by the ESA of its own speaker. Karen Eidne was the ESA speaker at the 2002 Symposium. A process for selecting the future speakers has been developed by Evan Simpson and approved by Council. This involves nomination by the Program Organising Committee with selection determined through voting by Council members. On account of the success of the TPS, the US Endocrine Society has sought agreement from the ESA and JES to feature the Symposium in the first major session within its proposed plan to extend the duration of the Annual Scientific Meeting by a half day to start on a Tuesday afternoon.
   
3. The ESA has sent apologies to organisers of the Asia-Oceania Congress of Endocrinology 2002 because of a clash in meeting dates which precludes the ESA's support of that meeting.
   
4. Developed closer affiliation with the Neuroendocrine Group by including a neuroendocrine symposium in the ASM program with the Neuroendocrine Group covering the cost of its speakers.
   
5. Maintaining close ties with our sister Societies, in particular, the SRB and ADS with intent to continue to hold joint Annual Scientific Meetings.

Auditors

P. Gruchy and Associates have performed a good job as auditors and have returned the Annual Statement in a timely manner.

Committees

Sincere thanks to the following for significant contribution to the activities of the Society:
John Burgess for organising a combined Seminar Meeting and Neuroendocrine Tumour Symposium in Hobart;
Steve Judd for organising the Clinical Weekend;
Ray Rogers and the LOC for this year's Scientific Meeting;
Leon Bach and the POC for putting together a superb scientific program;
Stephanie Edmondson for editing the proceedings;
Sonia Stanton for editing the newsletter;
Chris O'Neill and Charles Allen for providing ESA input to the Australia-New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching.

I thank the present Council members for the tremendous support they have given and the diligence and commitment with which they have worked to make the Society as vibrant as it is today. I acknowledge and thank:
Brendan Waddell for all-round support as my Deputy, particularly in areas of policy;
Ben Canny for Secretarial assistance in developing the office of the Secretariat;
Cathie Coulter for her diligent work as Treasurer;
Ross Cuneo for his thorough and diligent work in overseeing medical affairs;
Bruce Robinson for overseeing College related matters;
Evan Simpson for strengthening our relationships internationally;
Sonia Stanton for a superb job as newsletter editor and invaluable input to College matters concerning training.

Finally I express my sincere thanks to Ivone Johnson whose hard work and dedication, amazingly in a part-time capacity, has reshaped the office of the Secretariat in a way that I did not think possible when I approached the College for space and a pair of hands in 1998.

5. Council appointments:
Congratulations to John Burgess, Catherine Choong and Jeffrey Zajac for election to the new Council and to the current Councillors Ben Canny , Catherine Coulter, Ross Cuneo, Bruce Robinson and Evan Simpson for their successful re-election to stay on Council. It is with regret that Brendan Waddell and Sonia Stanton did not re-nominate and their contributions will be missed. The new office bearers of the society are: Ben Canny (President), Jeffrey Zajac (Vice President), Ross Cuneo (Honorary Secretary) and Catherine Coulter (Treasurer)

6. Treasurer’s Report:

1. The ESA Accounts have been Audited by P Gruchy & Associates. They were distributed to the members prior to the AGM. A few small changes were made in terms of the adjustments to specific categories, but nothing to the bottom line. The President and Treasurer have signed off on the final accounts.
2. The Treasurer reports an overall annual profit of $66, 935
3. Since the last AGM, Council has spent some time considering the options for investment of the profit from the ICE meeting and accumulated funds which have been placed in Term deposits. After an extensive consultative process, Council decided on setting up an ASGARD Master Trust (ASGARD is owned by St Georges Bank), with an Asset allocation of: 20% International shares: 30% Australian shares: 12% property: 32% cash/fixed interest. The ASGARD Investment portfolio has not started particularly well, as the International and Australian share markets continue to loose ground. The Financial Adviser recommended a few small changes to the portfolio, not in changing the distribution of the investment, but adding a couple of other fund managers which have slightly different investments strategies. As the long term goal of the Portfolio is to increase the value over a longer-term period of 5+ years, then we expect to have some short-term fluctuations.
4. The Treasurer then discussed the major items of income and expenditure to the Society.
   

Approval for the Treasurers Report was moved by Roger Smith and seconded by Jim Stockigt.

7. Report on 2002 ESA Meetings

2002 ASM, Adelaide Convention Centre, SA
Ray Rodgers stated that there were 369 registrations for this meeting. There were 60 booths from the trade. The surplus will be in the order of $16-20,000.

Clinical Weekend, Barossa Novatel, SA
Steven Judd stated that 150 attended this meeting that included 25 from the trade.

Seminar Meeting - 2002 Hobart, TAS
John Burgess stated that there were 180 registrations and 3 international speakers.

8. Future Meetings

ASM 2003, Melbourne, 14-17 September
The 2003 Annual Scientific Meeting will be held jointly with SRB and ADS with Rob McLachlan Chairing the LOC.

ASM 2004, Sydney 21-25 August
In 2004, the ASM will be held with the SRB and ADS, the week before the International Congress of Endocrinology in Portugal.

Seminar Meeting, Noosa, QLD
The Seminar Meeting for 2003 will be held in Noosa and will be convened by Patricia Crock.

Stephen Twigg has agreed to the Chair of the POC from 2004-2006.

9. Other business – ESA email
ESA will launch a new fortnightly bulk email that will include positions vacant and meetings.

10. Date of next meeting: 15th September, 2002.

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