Last week the AOA Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held at the Brisbane Convention Centre. The meeting allowed AOA voting members the chance to have their say on the future governance of AOA.
A number of significant resolutions were put to vote, including the proposed changes to the AOA Constitution – the “Special Business” resolutions. The proposals represented three years of consultation with a constitution committee, the AOA membership, AOA's legal advisors and AOA Board. Of the 11 “Special Business” resolutions put to the meeting, we are pleased to announce that all passed with votes over the minimum 75 per cent. The approved Constitution changes will have a positive affect on the way that the association operates in the future. Below outlines some of the major changes as a result of the Constitution amendments:
- AOA members are now entitled to elect two General Directors to the AOA Board who may or may not be orthopaedic surgeons. This amendment enables diversity in the skills available to the Board eg financial, commercial or legal skills if the members so wish.
- The State Branch Chairs will now elect one representative to the Board, formalising AOA’s approach in recent years where the President and State Chairs Committee is used as a state-based forum.
- The President of the Australian Orthopaedic Registrars Association (AORA) will now be a director on the Board, satisfying the Australian Medical Council’s requirement to have trainees represented at the highest level of the organisation.
- The Board size will now be reduced to six Office Bearers and up to four other Directors.
The constitution changes will come into effect from October 2016 in a phased transition. The newly revised constitution can be viewed on the AOA website and will become effective upon receiving approval from the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
The Board is confident that the changes will assist in ensuring that AOA continue to remain relevant and contemporary for the future of orthopaedic surgery in Australia.
To view all outcomes of the meeting, download the 2015 AGM minutes.
Andreas Loefler John Tuffley
President Immediate Past President