© 2021 Greek Community Tribune All Rights Reserved
MELBOURNE GREEK COMMUNITY CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
Changes proposed at consultation meeting on 2 June
July 2024 Written by Kostas Karamarkos (Journalist - Melbourne) What follows, is a summary of the points raised by the participants at the open consultation meeting at The Greek Centre in #Melbourne, on Sunday, 2 June 2024. The consultation meeting was called by 25 current and non- current members of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV), with the objective of discussing publicly any constitutional changes, that will make the organization as inclusive, as representative and as transparent as possible. The same members maintain that, if the GOCMV is to retain its role as a leading secular and democratic Greek-Australian organization, representing the interests and catering for the educational, cultural and other needs of the wider community into the future, it needs to adopt policies and rules that will engage in an active way, more people in the everyday affairs of the organization. An organisation with a current membership of roughly 1,000 in a community of 180,000 people. The Board of the GOCMV was represented by board member Costas Stefanidis, who greeted the meeting on behalf of the president of the organization Bill Papastergiadis. Mr Stefanidis was also delegated to carry back to the Board the recommendations of the meeting. Mr Stefanidis noted - as published in the Greek Community's newsletter last Friday - that the Board of Management of the Greek Community will discuss the feedback provided by the appointed lawyers, who have taken into consideration the constitutional reform submission of members so far. Then, an open consultation meeting with the membership of the organization will be called by the Board, before a Special General Meeting addresses the proposed changes. Reminder: All constitutional changes need a 75% majority of those present at a special general meeting, if they are to be adopted. POINTS RAISED AT THE GREEK CENTRE 1. Recognize in the preamble of the constitution the #FirstNations people of #Australia. 2. Strive for consensus and agreement regarding a #missionstatement that recognizes the current social, cultural, linguistic and other realities of the wider Greek-Australian community and looks towards the future of the GOCMV. For example, see constitution of the Greek Community of Toronto in Canada. The current constitution, the product of a bygone era, is too far removed from the Greek-Australian realities of today. 3. Explore the possibility of re-writing the entire constitution, in a way that reflects today’s realities and needs of the Greek-Australian community in Melbourne and in Victoria. 4. Request from the Board of Management the widest possible public involvement/consultation of the constitutional reform proposals that the Board may adopt and circulate them to the organisation's membership, before calling for a Special General Meeting to amend the constitution. 5. While “lawyers” have been appointed to work through this constitutional reform process - as stated in the circulated newsletter- the GOCMV needs to direct its lawyer as to what the vision of the organisation is, via prompt public consultations with its members and the constituency of the wider Greek-Australian community. 6. Set up a working group, from the members consultation initiative, in order to further discuss the proposals, put forward. 7. Merge the submitted proposals into one working/discussion document. 8. Limit the scope of disputation, and work/focus on the points of agreement. 9. Removal of the religious elements/references made in the constitution. 10. Limit the ‘terms’ of the executive and of the board to 2 or 3. Explore limiting the current duration of the term of the Board back to 2 years, similar to the boards of the Greek Communities of Sydney (NSW) and Adelaide (SA). 11. Use gender neutral terms throughout the constitution. 12. Women representation on the board to be set at 50% and also have provisions for substantive representation and involvement of women in the executive and in all of the sub committees of the GOCMV Counter proposal – women's participation should be proportional to the current membership ratio. 13. Explore diversity quotas (including ‘young people’ for example) 14. Establish an auditing committee appointed by members. 15. In the name of transparency and in order to encourage the active involvement of members of the wider Greek-Australian community, have provisions for open board meetings and rotating meeting venues (ie open to members, televised live, selective meeting location – eg school campuses and churches, like in the past) 16. Membership renewal reference in the constitution: remove the word ‘MAY’ and replace it with the word ‘MUST’. Especially in view of the recent board initiative to remove from the membership registry of the GOCMV, without sending out renewal notices as the practice was for a few decades now, more than 300 members of the organization, many of them first-generation long-term members. 17. Constitutional provisions are needed in order to ensure good governance practices and declarations of any potential conflict of interest by members of the Board of Management are stated prior to all meetings 18. A more proportional representation election system is needed, with pro-visions to include in the make-up of the board, in a functional way, (for example by not obligating members to vote for all 19 candidates on a ticket). This will ensure that all the views that exist about the current and future directions of the GOCMV, as expressed by members who take part in the elections for the Board of Management will be considered. 19. Introduce long-term goals and plans, for example, a 5,10, 15 plan is needed. 20. Consider ‘life membership’ as a constitutional amendment.
Greek Tribune
Adelaide, South Australia
© 2021 Greek Community Tribune All Rights Reserved
MELBOURNE GREEK COMMUNITY
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM Changes
proposed at consultation meeting on 2 June
July 2024 Written by Kostas Karamarkos (Journalist - Melbourne) What follows, is a summary of the points raised by the participants at the open consultation meeting at The Greek Centre in #Melbourne, on Sunday, 2 June 2024. The consultation meeting was called by 25 current and non- current members of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV), with the objective of discussing publicly any constitutional changes, that will make the organization as inclusive, as representative and as transparent as possible. The same members maintain that, if the GOCMV is to retain its role as a leading secular and democratic Greek-Australian organization, representing the interests and catering for the educational, cultural and other needs of the wider community into the future, it needs to adopt policies and rules that will engage in an active way, more people in the everyday affairs of the organization. An organisation with a current membership of roughly 1,000 in a community of 180,000 people. The Board of the GOCMV was represented by board member Costas Stefanidis, who greeted the meeting on behalf of the president of the organization Bill Papastergiadis. Mr Stefanidis was also delegated to carry back to the Board the recommendations of the meeting. Mr Stefanidis noted - as published in the Greek Community's newsletter last Friday - that the Board of Management of the Greek Community will discuss the feedback provided by the appointed lawyers, who have taken into consideration the constitutional reform submission of members so far. Then, an open consultation meeting with the membership of the organization will be called by the Board, before a Special General Meeting addresses the proposed changes. Reminder: All constitutional changes need a 75% majority of those present at a special general meeting, if they are to be adopted. POINTS RAISED AT THE GREEK CENTRE 1. Recognize in the preamble of the constitution the #FirstNations people of #Australia. 2. Strive for consensus and agreement regarding a #missionstatement that recognizes the current social, cultural, linguistic and other realities of the wider Greek-Australian community and looks towards the future of the GOCMV. For example, see constitution of the Greek Community of Toronto in Canada. The current constitution, the product of a bygone era, is too far removed from the Greek-Australian realities of today. 3. Explore the possibility of re-writing the entire constitution, in a way that reflects today’s realities and needs of the Greek-Australian community in Melbourne and in Victoria. 4. Request from the Board of Management the widest possible public involvement/consultation of the constitutional reform proposals that the Board may adopt and circulate them to the organisation's membership, before calling for a Special General Meeting to amend the constitution. 5. While “lawyers” have been appointed to work through this constitutional reform process - as stated in the circulated newsletter- the GOCMV needs to direct its lawyer as to what the vision of the organisation is, via prompt public consultations with its members and the constituency of the wider Greek-Australian community. 6. Set up a working group, from the members consultation initiative, in order to further discuss the proposals, put forward. 7. Merge the submitted proposals into one working/discussion document. 8. Limit the scope of disputation, and work/focus on the points of agreement. 9. Removal of the religious elements/references made in the constitution. 10. Limit the ‘terms’ of the executive and of the board to 2 or 3. Explore limiting the current duration of the term of the Board back to 2 years, similar to the boards of the Greek Communities of Sydney (NSW) and Adelaide (SA). 11. Use gender neutral terms throughout the constitution. 12. Women representation on the board to be set at 50% and also have provisions for substantive representation and involvement of women in the executive and in all of the sub committees of the GOCMV Counter proposal – women's participation should be proportional to the current membership ratio. 13. Explore diversity quotas (including ‘young people’ for example) 14. Establish an auditing committee appointed by members. 15. In the name of transparency and in order to encourage the active involvement of members of the wider Greek-Australian community, have provisions for open board meetings and rotating meeting venues (ie open to members, televised live, selective meeting location – eg school campuses and churches, like in the past) 16. Membership renewal reference in the constitution: remove the word ‘MAY’ and replace it with the word ‘MUST’. Especially in view of the recent board initiative to remove from the membership registry of the GOCMV, without sending out renewal notices as the practice was for a few decades now, more than 300 members of the organization, many of them first-generation long-term members. 17. Constitutional provisions are needed in order to ensure good governance practices and declarations of any potential conflict of interest by members of the Board of Management are stated prior to all meetings 18. A more proportional representation election system is needed, with pro-visions to include in the make-up of the board, in a functional way, (for example by not obligating members to vote for all 19 candidates on a ticket). This will ensure that all the views that exist about the current and future directions of the GOCMV, as expressed by members who take part in the elections for the Board of Management will be considered. 19. Introduce long-term goals and plans, for example, a 5,10, 15 plan is needed. 20. Consider ‘life membership’ as a constitutional amendment.
Greek Tribune
Adelaide, South Australia