Posted by B.J. Smith on Jun 28, 2016
The GNBD exhibited at the Rotary International Convention in Seoul, South Korea. During the meeting, over sixty new members joined the GNBD Rotarian Action Group. The GNBD Annual Meeting was held on May 31, 2016.
Our friends from the Korean Red Cross were having a blood drive.
RAG GNBD Board meeting Seoul, KR – 31 May 2016
Present – B.J. Smith and Cees Th. Smit Sibinga
 
  1. Opening by the president Cees Smit Sibinga
  2. Minutes of the 2015 Sao Paulo meeting – no comments, accepted.
  3. Voting Proxy’s  were reviewed.
  4. Reports from regions, offices and liaisons –  No reports were received from Ron Wilson (Australia), PTP Prabhakar (India) and Nina Kolenc (Roteract). Joe Ridley sent his report from the Professional community.
  5. Financial status – no report was received from the treasurer. However, B.J Smith reported that Carter BloodCare has graciously funded the GNBD operating expenses for the Rotary 2016/2017 year.
Board of Officers and periods – elections will be prepared for the Atlanta meeting mid-June 2017. B.J. Smith and Cees Smit Sibinga will make an inventory of those who need to be replaced for obvious reasons. A call for candidates for the identified vacancies will then be send out according to the By-Laws.  Periods of offices are set at two (2) years with an  extension of another at two (2) years period. Incidentally the period may be set at three (3) years as determined by the executive. The articles IV, V and VI of the bylaws are attached.
  1. Board members are expected to be active and report back to the executive, which is so far rarely done. Also they are expected to actively participate in the booth duties in the HoF during the RI Conventions, which so far has been disappointing. It is obvious that a reflection on this inertia is highly needed with the motto ‘All for One and One for All’ where the ‘One’ is our RAG GNBD.  The RI motto is ‘Service Above Self’.
  2. Strategic Plan  – implementation makes progress in the following areas:
  • Continue ad hoc initiatives (action plan 1 and 2) create a GNBD ‘clearing house’ of initiatives and models to promote voluntary non-remunerated and preferably regular blood donation;
  • Create a GNBD Data Base (action plan 3) collect operational data (community and donor management) to create indicators for M&E of success and fundamentals for regular SWOT analyses to allow sustained GNDB policy and strategy making;
  • Structural contribution (action plan 4 and 5)
  • Support the creation of nationwide voluntary non-remunerated and preferably regular      blood donation;
  • Support the creation of national donor data bases
  • Facilitate in country Rotary project approach (TRF) to support the national developments
  • Support coordination with the professional organizations (NBTSs, WHO an  NGOs – FIODS, IRC, IQM Consulting, AABB, ISBT, etc.)
The main activity is in the first objective resulting in a series of break-out sessions on Voluntary Blood Donation and motivation and mobilization initiatives and their impact on GNBD. Additionally further work was done with the objectives 2 and 3 through adequate responses to questions and requests from the field (ask the expert)
  • a position paper publication in the ISBT Transfusion Today (2012, electronic version)
  • promotion of the Governor’s Blood Drive and the French ‘Mon Sang Pour Les Autres’ program in various continents and countries
  • initiative to establish country/continent GNBD coordinators – India, Australia
  • establishing a relationship with the Association of Donor Recruitment Professionals.
 
It was decided to incorporate the initiative ‘Be a Gift to the World’ (Chuck Kurtzman) into the Strategic Plan and also to develop an implementable plan for areas with defined humanitarian emergencies, in particular the countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region of WHO, dove-tailing with the Blood Safety Strategic Plan as developed by WHO EMRO. Cees Smit Sibinga will take the initiative as he is involved in the EMR project.
 
A request from Peru RI District 4455 has been received on projects on ‘Voluntary Donations of Safe Blood’ and ‘Quality Assurance of Blood’ to which Cees Smit Sibinga as already initially responded. A further contact will be established to support these projects within the scope of the GNBD objectives.
  1. RI Convention 2017 in Atlanta – the moment the RI call for booth and break-out session registration will appear B.J. Smith will take action. Cees Smit Sibinga will design a theme for the breakout session and communicate for input of the Board.
During the Board meeting elections will take place for the vacancies.
Board members are urged to become more active, particularly during the Convention and provide active help in manning the booth.
  1. There was no other business, so the meeting was adjourned at 07.30 pm
 
 
ANNEX to the minutes –
ARTICLE IV - BOARD OF DIRECTORS 
Section 4.1.  The governing body of the action group shall be the Board of Directors. The number of Directors shall be determined by the Board of Directors and shall be increased or decreased in a manner approved by the Board of Directors, but in no event shall there be fewer than three Directors. At least one member of the Board of Directors shall be a past district governor of RI. All directors shall be active Rotarians.
Section 4.2.  A simple majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at a meeting of the Board of Directors. Attendance by conference call or via Internet shall be considered the same as attendance in person to the extent permitted by law.
Section 4.3. Directors shall serve until their successors are chosen and qualified.
Section 4.4. Terms for Directors shall be either two or three years as determined by the Board, except that the terms of the members of the initial Board of Directors shall be set to allow the terms to be on a staggered scheduled. For terms of two years, one half of the Board of Directors shall be elected each year; and for terms of three years, one third of the Board of Directors shall be elected each year, in order to promote continuity. No Director shall serve for more than two consecutive terms. Terms shall commence on July 1 of the calendar year elected.
ARTICLE V - ELECTION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS  
Section 5.1. A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Board of Directors and so indicated in a notice to the members. Notice sent by mail or transmitted via email or Internet to the last known address of the members shall be considered good and sufficient notice to the extent permitted by law. The Nominating Committee shall receive nominations for the Board of Director's positions until a specified deadline, whereupon nominations shall be closed. The Nominating Committee may also offer its own nominees for election. All nominees must have indicated their willingness to serve by a specified deadline to be considered valid nominees for election.
Section 5.2. The names of the nominees for Director shall be mailed to the members in good standing at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting. Such mailing shall include a ballot for election. Ballots sent by mail or transmitted via email or Internet to the last known address of the members shall be considered a valid mailing. Ballots shall indicate that they must be returned to the Nominating Committee seven days prior to the annual meeting.
Section 5.3. The Nominating Committee shall tally the votes cast and announce the newly elected Directors (Board of Directors-elect).
Section 5.4. Following the annual meeting of the members, the Board of Directors-elect shall meet and elect from its members the officers of the action group, including the following Officers, who shall take office on the first day of July following their election: A President, Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. At least one of the action group's Officers shall be a past district governor. All Officers and Directors shall be Rotarians.
Section 5.5.  A vacancy in the Board of Directors, or any office, shall be filled by action of the Board of Directors. A vacancy in the position of an Officer-elect, or Board of Directors-elect, shall be filled by action of the members of the Board of Directors-elect.
Section 5.6. A Director or Officer may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the Board of Directors, or, by a two-thirds vote of the membership.
ARTICLE VI - OFFICERS 
Section 6.1. The Officers of the action group shall include a President, Vice-president, Secretary and Treasurer, and other such officers as may be deemed necessary by the Board of Directors. The terms of Officers shall be one year and shall coincide with the Rotary year. The Board shall establish an "executive committee," composed of the President, Vice-President, and at least two other members of the Board to act on behalf of the Board when necessary and convenient to do so.
Section 6.2. The Officers shall perform the duties and functions usually attached to the title of their respective offices, together with those fixed by law, and such other duties as may from time to time be prescribed by the Board of Directors.