Minutes of the 2017 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of The Buddhist Society of Western Australia (Inc.)
Date: 18th March 2017
Time: 5:00pm
Venue: Meditation Hall, Dhammaloka
- Opening
- Homage to the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, the taking of the Refuge and Five Precepts and a short meditation – led by Ajahn Brahm
- Present
Sangha: Ajahn Brahm, Venerable Pasado, Venerable Hasapanna
Executive Committee: Drew Bellamy, Chris Perrier, Lay Har Goh, Don Weerakody. Committee Members: PJ Gunasekara, Lucky Kodituwakku, Prem Mirihagalla, Cecilia Mitra, Boon Tan, Sol Hanna
Full and Honorary Members:Cherry Jackson,Lay Har Goh, Sol Hanna, B. Haslegrave, A. Haslegrave, Nayane Gunawardane, Alain Bernay, Tholla Chan, Bianca Di Bua, Nicolette Binz, Manel Fernando, Eddy Fernando, Vaneta Huynh, Drew Bellamy, Nicholas Allot, Priya Barnes, Pam Baskind, Paul Firth, IndraniKuruppu, KapilaKarunaratna, Renukla B Karunaratna, Jean Mignon, Jacob Meddin, Nihal Kodituwakku, Pey Loke, Winsome Jackson, Shiroma R Mendis, Saman Perera, Linda Phillips, Steven Lim,Cecilia Mitra, Jake Mitra, Prem Mirihagalla,Pang Kit Lee, Bill Prins, Arnui Bandarage, Nicholas Christodoulou, Rohan Bandarage, Shalini Herath, Ranjith Fernando, Wayne Finn, Lorraine Hemley, Manoja de Tissera, Prema Abeysinghe, Pathmasekara Banda Abeysinghe, Graham Barnes, Havindra Caldera, Anoma De Fonseka, Ravindra Fernando, PJ Gunasekara, Sonia Albahari, Mukta Barua, Rodney George, Angela Separovic, Anusha Yatawara, Indrani Wijeratne, Lakshmi Yatawara, Tan Eng Chuan, Clelia Tedeschi, My Huong To, Wimal Silva, Rupa Silva, Theckla Weldt, Yohan Ratnayaka, Dennis Sheppard, Hugh Skyes, Chet Teh, Amitha Tennakoon, Ruwani Tennakoon, Chethasee Tennakoon, Eddie Perera, Dharshini Perera, Linda Mcguire, MaheshaIddagoda, Chris Perrier, Margo Ogledzka, Tom Ogledzka, Deepani Lokuratna, Christian Lafrentz, Manel Meegahage, Michael Loh, Kanchana Lafrentz, Cheng Niilus, Lynne Jackson, Eddie Khoo, Anne Long, Sarah Long, Ananda Thilakasiri, Judi Rushworth, HarshaniSenewiratne, Erandathi Ratnayaka, Ajith Senewiratne, Mahinda Wijeratne, Boon Tan, Don Weerakody, Ber Sun, DulanthaUlluwishewa, Chris Oram, Dimithri de Fonseka, Geetha Mendis, Lucky Kodituwakku, Denise Mignon
Apologies:Brett Cooper, Geoff Webb, Christine Anderson, Rachel Green, Penny, John, Hock Tee, Kim Tee, Jee Thong Tan, ImmGaik Tan
Proxies:Indu Abeysekara, Chandra Abeysiriwardene, Bud Abeysiriwardene, Lakshman Alles, LuckmaniAlles, Maria Backes, Nishanthi De Silva, Malkanthi De Tissera, Sanath De Tissera, Dayadari Devendra, Somasiri Devendra, Padmini Elangasinghe, Michele Ellis, Edwin Ellis, Indira Fernando, Upulmali Govinnage, Manorie Gunasekara, Nalin Gunasekara, Ramani Gunasekara, Rupika Gunawardena, Laksiri Jayasuriya, Rohini Jayasuriya, ThalathaKarunaratne, SompopKamsrikerd, Chay Lim, Sue McBurnie, Keith McBurnie, Komudhi Mendis, Nirosha Moonasinghe, Chin G Ong, Tasfan Sadikin, Jayantha Sellahewa, Nirmala Sellahewa, Poh Lian Suan, Peng Siah, Chee Way Siah, Joanne Tan, Max Tan, Bee Choo Tan, Trevor Taylor, Merry Taylor, ShamaleeThilakasiri, Anoja Wijeratne, Mahilal Wijeratne, Satish Wimalajeewa, Karu Gunathilake, LalithGunathilake, Jayanthi Jayawardane, Jatinder Ahuja, Sujatha Perera, Nishanthi Kodituwakku, Jayaweera Wickramasinghe, Nayana Liyanage, Poornima Kularrathna, ShehanDelile, Damith Fernando, SriyanieWeerasekara, Karina McKinnell, Padma Mendis, Kathryn Yew, Asoka Fernando, SudharmaDaine, Louisa Akerina, Magage Pasan Fernando, MalkauthiTeunakoon, LackmaliJayawardane, SarathJayawardane, Naveen Mirihagalla, Hau Mei Chin, DhammikaGonasekera, Stacey Gan, Hui Tong Chua, Sachira Kularathne, Chen Sen Yap, Lillian Uttam, Rohini Liyanage
- Confirmation of 2016 AGM Minutes
Copies of 2016 AGM Minutes were handed out to those present together with the agenda paper.
The President invited comments and questions
Motion to accept the Minutes of the 2016 AGM
Moved by: Boon Tan
Seconded by: Chris Perrier
Agreed by: Spiritual Director
Unanimously accepted.
- Reports
- Address by Spiritual Director – Ajahn Brahm
2016 was an awesome year for Bodhinyana Monastery and Jhana Grove.
Three Anagarikas were ordained as novice monks, four novices became fully ordained monks and one monk disrobed – another inflationary year.
Our monks were all over the place as usual, teaching at Dhammaloka and Dhammasara, at the Armadale Group, in Karnet Prison Farm, as well as at various Universities and other venues around WA. Ajahns Brahm, and Brahmali also taught in Melbourne and Sydney, as well as overseas in, Hong Kong, South Korea, Norway, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Singapore, UK, Malaysia and Indonesia. A new book called Kindfulnesswas published together with several small books of unforgettable sayings of Ajahn Brahm which I had forgotten.
Our monks have also conducted many baby blessings, wedding blessings, funeral services and ghost-bustings. Our monks chanting can be so awful that no self-respecting ghost can endure it and they flee never ever to return
We have continued to improve the fire breaks by surfacing more of the steep sections with concrete, the more level sections with road-base and constructing two new firebreaks at Jhana Grove. This is to make our rugged and forested property more accessible to our local bush-fire brigades in case of an emergency. Fortunately, this past year, the only fire in our property was in the wood fire heater in our dining room. We have also purchased a fire-warning siren that is so loud I can use it to wake up the monks at 4 am in the morning. The monastery wall was extended to the female guest quarters.
A canopy was erected over the stairs to the upper cottages at the retreat centre and, for the lazy meditators, a ramp from the dining room to the lower cottages. Accoustic cladding was installed by the monks in the Meditation Hall at Jhana Grove to improve the quality of sound. An Ultra-Violet Water Purifier was installed at Jhana Grove sponsored by the Perth Insight Meditation Society. Also, the area to the East of the Jhana Grove Entrance was landscaped to provide extra parking under the trees for our annual Kathina ceremony.
Many retreats were held in Jhana Grove.
Our two Jhana Grove caretakers, Mike and Dania, left for Montreal and two new caretakers, Christina and Scotty are now looking after the best meditation retreat centre in the world, or at least in Serpentine.
3.2.Address by Assistant Spiritual Director – Venerable Hasapanna
Annual Report to Annual General Meeting of the Buddhist Society of WA at Dhammaloka on 18th March, 2017
Overview
2016 to 2017 was an another historic year for Dhammasara and the BSWA and its committee & members. After the completion of the Sala Complex, the carpark and Dhammasara Access Road have been completed in November, 2016. The Dhammasara Access Road is officially opened by Ajahm Brahm on 4th December 2016. We continued to receive abundant physical, material and emotional support from the lay supporters both here and abroad.
Community
Now, we have a community of 9 Bhikkhunis, 2 Samaneris and 3 Anagarikas and quite a few lay women interested in ordaining coming to stay at Dhammasara to have a taste of monastic life to see whether this is a suitable place for them.
Activities Outside Monastery
Ven. Hasapanna conducted the Vesak silent day meditation retreat at Dhmmaloka on Monday, 23rd May, 2016 at Dhammaloka. Ven. Hasapanna was invited to be one of the Witnessing Bhikkhunis for the 1st Bhikkhuni Ordination at Santi Forest Monastery on 2nd September, 2016. Ven. Munissara and Ven. Upekkha participated in the Santi Forest Monastery Kathina Ceremony on the 6th November, 2016. Ven. Hasapanna attended the ASA Conference on Tuesday, 14th March, 2017.
Rains Retreat, 2016
Dhammasara’s Entry to Rains Ceremony was held on Sunday, 10th July, 2016. Dhammasara’sKathina Ceremony was held on Sunday, 16th October, 2016 well over 900 people attended this Auspicious event.
Building & Maintenance
The installation of the shelter for storing flammable materials has been completed. Our volunteers are in the process of installing a 4 bays carport at the Carpark. The repairing and maintenance of the 2nd Emergency exit road has been completed. Due to the hot weather, we are unable to repair the fences at the Western side of the property.
Sala Complex Outstanding Items
We had completed quite a few outstanding items, please find the following the remaining outstanding items :
- Fences at the accommodation pods for solitude, seclusion and privacy.
- Installation of handrails/railings at car park, stairs to amenities block & walk way to accommodation pods to fulfil the council requirement.
- Carpark Line Marking, speed humps, stoppers and Japanese Garden steps for safety.
- Finalise bleacher steps near dining with concreting.
- Finish verandah tiling at the back of library and side door to the meditation hall.
- Meditation hall cladding needs some gap filling.
- Meditation hall verandah needs last row of granite paver laid.
- To fill the gap of the accommodation door with wooden step.
- Bench around the courtyard tree & cover for the other tree at the walk way to accommodation pods.
- Fill the rain water pipe connections with some rubber or foam.
3.3.Presentation of President’s Report by Drew Bellamy
In general, it has been a good year for the Society, with no major issues and many aspects of the Society in good standing such as the popularity of our new website, increased viewings of Dhamma talks online and Friday Nights usually at full capacity (even when Ajahn Brahm is not in attendance) the accounts are in good order and donations are as strong as ever.
NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED
Sol Hanna, PJ and myself have been working hard on the new website with our website designer clever starfish and successfully launched it at Christmas. The project should be considered a success delivered within a reasonable budget and we have since had much positive feedback and the Committee has approved monies to begin a multi-language ability for the site to be undertaken this year.
Sol Hanna to provide more information in his report but I understand viewings of our Dhamma offerings have increased since launch
JHANA GROVE REVIEW
A review of how Jhana Grove was run and clarification of job statements was done. The old caretakers decided to move on after 6 years and so we have had new caretakers plus gardener for the last 4 months. I was on retreat only last month observing that things seem to be running very well and whoever is cooking the food now well done on the new menu.
CITY OF STIRLING MEETINGS ON PARKING
We lost our campaign for replanting the trees off the Nanson way verge to conserve parking spaces but after some mediation have begun a new relationship with council and are working with them in a positive manner to investigate how to alleviate congestion at peak times.
OFFER ON 37 MILFORD WAY
This block sits adjacent to the eastern side of the Dhamma hall and we made an offer for $565k two weeks ago with no other offers yet and are awaiting possible sale. There are multiple use possibilities for this site and we will await purchase confirmation until discussing options. It is the Committees long term strategy to acquire the three large blocks left adjacent to the our property as they come for sale.
MEDIA
I wrote two articles for the BSWA during the year
a.The West Australian Newspaper alerting them to the fact they left Ajahn Brahm out of the most influential spiritual leaders of WA
b.The Australian Newspaper protesting against the stereotyping of Buddhists as hippies
Both letters to the Editor were published in the respective papers and then on our website for members.
COMMENDATIONS
To all volunteers and paid staff, contractors who help make the BSWA what it is;
Executive
Committee
AV team
IT Team
Gardeners
Jhana Grove Caretakers
DL Caretakers
Paid Admin staff
Library Staff
Lay meditation teachers
All volunteers
3.4.Presentation of Treasurer’s Report by Don Weerakody
See Treasurer’s reportattached.
Motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report
Moved by: Drew Bellamy
Seconded by: Dennis Shepherd
Unanimously accepted
3.5.Presentation of Membership Report by Lucky Kodituwakku
TOTAL CURRENT MEMBERS1850
Full 1166, Associate 625, Youth 54, Honorary 5 including:
Members Paid for Lifetime 241
Simon Blanchard, Graham Bond, Trinood Brown, Lan Mai Bui, T A Burgess, David Burton, Elizabeth Rose Cook, Bryn Durrans, Christine Dyson, Norbert Hummer, Lakhbinder Kang, Adrian Magno, Semeng Ndhlovu, Su Riwan, Patricia Yih Tan, Nicholas Waldron, Gareth Mervyn Williams, Gek Ping Ang, C Grainger, Tian Lim, Lin Pik Ki Rebecca Rudgard, Caroline Battaglia, Ruth Abberley, Rupika Deepani Abeyakoon, Kristy Alechnowicz, Stuart Walter Amoore, Hong Koon Andrew Ang, Binh Anson, Yupa Anson, Craig Baldacchino, Graham Barnes, Priya Barnes, Yeow SeangBeh, KosumBeyfus, Ming Shang Cassim, David Kok Eng Chan, Kit Har Chan, Peggy Chan, Ching-Howe Chan, Tholla Meung Chan, Gem Cheung, Ida Chew, Hau Mei Chin, Siaw Fong Chong, Kathryn Jane Choules, Grace Chow Ah Lan, Hui Tong Chua, Lee Foong Chung, PubuduNuwanDharmakirti, Shashini Kumari Dissanayake, Michael Dodds, Michael Dove, Scott Ermer, Eddy Fernando, Siew Wan Fong, Tony Foo, Moo Liew Foo, Jee Too Foo, Kevin Barry Fox, Robert Fraser, Kitty Fraser, DilkiGawarammana, Ruwani Gilmour, Rachel Green, Robert Grosch, Nalin Gunasekera, Ramani Visakha Gunasekera, Prasenajit Gunasekera, Karu Gunathilake, LalithGunathilake, Jesper Hansen, Ling Heang, Lorraine Hemley, Lenny Herawaty, Thomas Hoyer, Parichat Hunt, Vaneta Huynh, David William Indermaur, Winsome Jackson, Aruni Jayasekera, Solokara M Thushara L Karunarathne, Adrian Kemp, Andy Khong, Eddie Khoo, Julie KesryKift, Lucky Kodituwakku, Nihal Kodituwakku, Marisa Koo, Teng Choon Ku, Sumith Praveen Kulatileka, Abigail Kuo, Yong Kooi Kuo, Richard Lai, Van Hoa Le, Nicola Le Couteur, Say Moy Liew, Hui Sia Lim, Michael Loh, Eunice Loke, Anne Long, Sarah Long, Shri Maine, Elisabeth Meehan, Geetha Mendis, Naveen Mirihagalla, SaliyaMudannayake, KanchanamalaMudannayake, Sharie Ng, Lip Yang Ng, Hoang An Nguyen, Ha Phuong Nguyen, Kim Meyung Nguyen, Craig Nicholls, Leena Niikkula, Cheng Niilus, NapapornNilapornkul, Eithne O'Brien, Margo Ogledzka, Tom Ogledzki, Seng Watt Ong, Weng Nie Peng, Nayanthi Perera, Troung Minh Chau Pham, Tat Soon Png, Jason Charles Price, Tonglor Thom Prins, Willem Herman Prins, Neil David Proudfoot, Athalie Pugh, MahesPandukaRajakaruna, StanelyRajapakse, Suramya Anoma Rajapakse, Judi Rushforth, Janaka David Salgado, Geraldine Lorraine Scott, Than ThanSetz, Diana Shum, Peng Siah, Chee Way Siah, Chad-jwi Sim, Jaipal Singh, Nipaporn Small, Darryl Max Small, Poh Lian Suan, Ber Sun, Haris Suwando, Hugh Charlesworth Sykes, Boon Chang Tan, Siew Bee Tan, Jeffery Tan, Joanne Tan, Boon Eiang Teng, Susila Malkanthi Tennakoon, Yen Yoong Teoh, Nguyen Thai Thi, Victor Alexander Thomas, Koh Kiong Tiong, Tamara Surya Tjhang, Ho Che Tong, Heidi Leigh Waldron, Lynn Karen Walters, Nathan Waters, Ariel Tze Ling Wee, David Wheeler, Tikka Wickramasinghe, Lai Ching Wong (Lee Chan), Eve Nget Hah Yap, Anthony Yeo, SathyajithThiranagama, Keranmoy Chakma, Michael Beisert, Dung Van Le, Van Nguyen, Ella Tan, TeroNikulainen, Astrid Bachmann, Maria Backes, Ralf Enders, Christos Georgantas, Desiree Marion Bucks, Tai Nin Cheng, Kei Cheung, Ying Della Chiu, Lai Kuen Chong, Jenny Wai Ying Ha, Wai Fan Hah, Gerald Lee Hon Jing, Shiu Man Ling, Esther Kit Lin Liu, Karen Poon, Liza To, Kwok Wai Yeung, Eva Yuen, Sharmila Peiris, Prashanth S., Devy Chan, Veinesca Chandra, Hendy Harianto, YuliantiHiman, Euy Luciana Prawiro, Tasfan Sadikin, J.A.SyntyasariSoetrisno, Susana Tjong, AgusWardanaDjaja, Wai Yin Chow, Chwee Huang Chua, Cheng Soo, Min Thu Aung, Keith Gunasekara, SamathIndula Perera, Hans G Valerius, Oliver Silvan Ackermann, Michelle Djaja, Venkata Prasanth Kakaraparthi, Bee Suan Koh, Sui Ling Ng, Catherine Ng-Phng, Jihyeon Kim, HyunKyung Kim, YongHee Kwon, Lakshman Alles, LuckmaniAlles, Kushlani Nimalka Gooneratne, Dishanthi Senani Jayathilleke, Wijewickrema Perera, KamajitRohantha Kumar S Rodrigo, TipawanJeamteerasakul, NuttayaLaonayor, NunamakerClaralynn, Zhinan Gong, Barbara Shayne Vang, Yausan Cheung, Hannah Faye Chua, Wayne Eggleston, Melody Eggleston, Tom Green, Morris Jette, Shirley Kwok, Susan Lee, Jun Pan, NandanaAthukorala Perera, name of one member withheld by request.
Membership by Country
Australia -1420
Overseas - 430 members from 39 countries
Austria – 5, Bahrain - 1, Bangladesh 1, Brasil - 7, Canada - 15, Denmark - 2, Finland 1, France - 2, Germany - 21, Greece - 1, Hawaii - 1, Hong Kong - 34, Hungary - 1, India - 8, Indonesia - 50, Ireland 4, Israel 1, Italy 3, Japan – 6, Latvia – 1, Malaysia - 17, Mexico - 1, Mayanmar – 1, New Zealand - 19, Norway - 2, Phillippines - 1, Singapore - 36, Slovakia - 2, South Korea - 13, Spain – 1, Sri Lanka - 50, Sweden - 9,, Switzerland - 4, Taiwan - 1, Thailand - 7, UK - 24, United Arab Emirates - 5, USA - 70, Vietnam – 2
3.6.Presentation of Information Technology Reports