07 May 2010
Board:
Hélène Antoine-Poirel (2008-2012), president
Thomy de Ravel (2010-2014), secretary
Guy Van Camp (2008-2012), treasurer
Pascale Hilbert (2008-2012)
Mauricette Jamar (2008-2012)
Paul Coucke (2010-2014)
Sonia Van Dooren (2010-2014)
Catheline Vilain (2010-2014)
MINUTES of the BeSHG Board Meeting held on Friday 07 May 2010 from 12h30 to 14h00
at the UZ Brussel, Brussels
Present: H Antoine-Poirel, G Van Camp, P Hilbert, P Coucke, T de Ravel, S Van Dooren, C Vilian, M Jamar
1. Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting held on 24 March 2010
The minutes of the previous Board Meeting had been circulated to all Board members prior to the meeting. They were unanimously approved as a true representation of the meeting.
2. 2. Matters arising from the minutes of the meeting on 24 March 2010
2a. Home Banking:
H Antoine-Poirel was registered at Fortis bank, updated her personal data last Wednesday in order to become a signatory on the BeSHG bank account and gain full access to the facilities on the account. She will therefore soon receive a bank card and card reader.
As G Van Camp was not registered at Fortis bank, he will have to await the publication of the Staatsblad/ Le Monitor reflecting the BeSHG Board members before the Bank would accept him as a signatory on the BeSHG bank account. He would only then have full access to the facilities on the account, receive a bank card and card reader. The 2 previous account signatories, Joris Vermeersch and Sara Seneca, will then be removed as signatories.
P Coucke and P Hilbert had already been given ‘view access’ to the BeSHG bank account as they were registered with Fortis bank.
2b. Bookkeeping Software Programmes:
G Van Camp will use the programme initiated by Sara Seneca. The need for a new software will later be re-assessed.
Financial report of the 2010 BeSHG meeting :
This would be discussed at a later date (G Van Camp). G Van Camp did however report back that the expenses of the 10th Annual BeSHG Meeting had been paid except for one – the account for the abstract book printing had not yet been received. He would present the final financial balance of the 10th Annual BeSHG Meeting at the next Board Meeting.
2c. Membership 2010 payment update:
P Coucke reported that 14 BeSHG members had not paid their 2010 annual membership fees.
The board reviewed the list:
- Honorary adherent membership would be offered to two of these (now retired professionals). P Coucke would send them a letter.
- He would also send a reminder of due fees letter to the other 12 members, indicating the account number into which they could pay. Failure to pay would result in their loss of membership to the BeSHG.
P Coucke would prepare a list of BeSHG members eligible for honorary membership. The Board members would consider these at the next Board Meeting.
2d. Updated membership list:
P Coucke reported that the Society had 188 paid-up members, of which 31 were new members. The list of these 31 new members was circulated and each individual was considered. All 31 new members were accepted into the Society.
2e. 11th Annual BeSHG Meeting (March, 4th 2011) UCL:
H Antoine-Poirel reported that she had received the electronic ‘organization book’ from Paul Coucke before the meeting. The Organizing Committee of the 11th Annual BeSHG would be holding their first committee meeting during the week starting 10 May 2010. The proposed venue, for which a quote had already been obtained, was the Aula Magna at Louvain La Neuve. The auditorium was large – seating capability not yet known - (2010 meeting had 257 paying participants) and there was more than adequate additional space for the exhibitors, posters and catering facilities – see website: http://www.aulamagna.be
2f. Creation of a working group: “Good Practice in Medical Genetics”:
H Antoine-Poirel had had contact with various members of the High Council for Human Genetics. M Jamar also confirmed that this Council had approved and was presently working on establishment of the necessary ‘society’ (asbl/vzw), which would have the task of making the recommendations to the Minister of Health regarding both nominations of members to seat on the ‘’College of Medical Geneticists’, and also financial issues. The links between the present High Council and the BeSHG had always been informal. The members of the BeSHG Board felt more formal ties/ links should exist between the to-be-formed-society (replacement of the High Council) and the Board of the BeSHG, which was in fact the largest body representing the medical/ human genetics community in Belgium. The President of the BeSHG would recommend to the High Council that the BeSHG Board should be represented on the to-be-formed ‘society’ and that the ‘society’ should be represented on the “Good Practice in Medical Genetics” working group of the BeSHG. The Board members of the BeSHG would continue to brainstorm on the issue of this working group.
2g. BeSHG web-site:
P Coucke had met with B Menten and an annual fee of E1200 was unanimously approved for maintenance and running of the BeSHG website. An invoice would be forwarded from the Centre for Medical Genetics, Gent to the BeSHG treasurer for payment.
3. Post-graduate course in Human Genetics
The present course will conclude with examinations in June 2010. The question as to whether the next course should be run the next academic year or only every second year was raised. The Board members expressed the view that there should be a minimum of 20/25 participants to make the course worthwhile. This issue would be referred to the relevant Working Group.
4. Participation of BeSHG in Complex Genetics Course
This course is starting in August 2010. Members of the BeSHG do receive a discount on their fee – details are on the BeSHG website.
5. Membership of ESHG for BeSHG members
Due to time constraints, this will be placed on the agenda of the next Board Meeting.
6. Next board meeting
Friday 04 June 2010 at 12h30 at the UZBrussel, Brussels.
7. Varia
H Antoine-Poirel proposed that the next Newsletter could report-back on the last Annual Meeting, give some aspects of the forthcoming Annual Meeting, and also highlight the Complex Genetics Course and the discount offered to the BeSHG members (see 4 above).
Hélène Antoine-Poirel Thomy de Ravel
President Secretary
Brussels, ………………….2010
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