October 2012 Meeting Report

1. Tom Dahlqvist opened the meeting at 14.00 hours.

2. Three visitors, Eddy Gobart (from Belgium), Raymond Smedberg (brother of Hans, from Sweden), and Kent Svensson (from Sweden) attended the meeting.

They briefly introduced themselves.

3. Eddy Gobart and Bill Chapman applied for membership.

4. All Attendees approved the minutes of the meeting on September 30 without any remarks/corrections.

5. A questionnaire has been distributed with the question:

               “Who is willing to participate in the Club’s AC, LC or any other committee”.

For some of the standing committees or work-groups, this may also be on a temporary basis. For example, to organize a lecture, course, party, diner, lunch or travel trip.

Also a questionnaire about possible future activities was distributed.

The questionnaires have been collected after the meeting. The results will be presented at next meeting.

For those who could not attend the meeting, a summary of the questionnaires is given below.

Anyone who is interested to participate in a Committee or an Activity is kindly requested to send an email, before Wednesday November 7-2012, to Herman, [email protected] or Joop, [email protected]. The Secretary.

Summary of the Questionnaires:

– Members are invited to participate in a Committee or Work-group of their choice;
– Members are invited to indicate which activities they like to join;
– Members are invited to give the number of persons they bring (Family, friend, …)

The up-coming activities are:

Jan Harms informed that the visit to the airport control tower will be arranged for Monday, November 12-2012. The airport can handle 10 visitors at a time. Tickets (50 Baht) are available during the coffee break.

Tickets may also be ordered and collected at Tom, [email protected] .

Dr Bernard informed that Expats who like to play or watch football may join the football Club at the Irish Clock. Tel: 08 2247 9898.

6. Coffee break at the hotel’s coffee shop.

The chef made us a special array of chocolate cakes and cookies.

7. Introduction of Jan Harms, the “Today’s Speaker”, by Tom

8. Presentation by Jan Harms: The possible end of the world, as we know it, on 21-12-2012. The X-mass party will be on December 20-2012. Just in time? Our last supper?
The presentation took us first back in history, to the period of the Maya’s. Later on we ended up in a
dizzying explanation of the movements of our solar system inside the universe. A fascinating presentation which made us forget the time.

As a result, the next subject, the Constitution, did not get the time it deserves for a proper presentation and discussion.

9. Workgroups / Committee Reports

Constitution Committee:

Dr. Bernard ventilated his regret that very little time was left for the presentation of the constitution. Nevertheless he painted in short the history and the long, long path (11 months) and many, many meetings that led to the constitution in the form and with the content as it is now.

A, last minute, revision of paragraph 2.6 has been made as follows:

“The Club shall have an Inspector who will examine the financial accounting and shall be elected at each Annual General Membership Meeting. He shall give an annual report to the membership at the Annual General Membership Meeting, or at any time the Inspector deems necessary”.

It is emphasized that the wordings and contents of the Constitution and By-laws is well thought over. The result has been checked and approved by a Thai lawyer for correctness and legality.

In case something is to be changed both documents may be adapted. The balance between the two shall not be disturbed.

One shall realize that this constitution is a compromise of many. And as with any compromise you may always find something you would have done a little differently.

Because of the little time available, Dr Bernard invites members who have any comments to the constitution and By-Laws,

to send that comments before seven (7) November per email to: Jake, [email protected] or Joop, [email protected] , the Secretary.

They will forward your suggestions to the Constitution Committee and make sure that you receive a reply.

One can be sure that all comments, suggestions and remarks sent by email shall be carefully evaluated and implemented if found just.

Please make sure that together with your comments, you also send your vision. So, not only say
“Don’t like it”    but also say how you do like it.

In this way the Constitution Committee feels they cover all.

At collecting remarks of the previous minutes of meeting, it was mentioned that the road-map to follow with the introduction of the new constitution should be reconsidered.

However, there was no common feeling among the Members of Today’s meeting neither to change the “Road map” nor to go over the constitution line by line.

Dr Bernard said there would be no discussion of the constitution after above procedure has been completed. There would just be a vote to accept or not to accept the constitution as written.

Jake, in name of the Attendees, thanked the Constitution Committee for their hard and contentious work.

10. The meeting was closed by Tom at 16.20 hrs. He thanked everybody for coming and looks forward to seeing all members and visitors at the next meeting.

The location of next meeting, November 25-2012, will be informed later, by email and website.

The conference room on the 4^th floor of the Bangkok Hospital Udon is under renovation. It is not sure when that will be finished.

The Secretary of the Udon Expat Club,

2012- October- 29,

J.J. van Spaandonk.

Privacy statement:

UDON EXPAT CLUB– http://www.udonexpatsclub.com/

If you no longer wish to receive emails from us, then please reply to this email with the word CANCEL in the “Subject Box” above the mail. Thank you.

We will then remove your name from our emailing list within 48 hours if possible.