Header

Return to Frontpage
Events
List all Past and Future Events
The Annual Reunion and General Meeting, Geneva, Sunday, 29.6.2003: Agenda, Presentation by the Secretary General, Minutes  Pictures


The Reunion in your Palm:
Download train timetabling information for the Reunion to your Palm handheld computer
 
 

Mandarin Oriental

Financially supported by the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
  • The Secretary General opened the General Meeting at 11:10, welcoming the guests of honor, Matthew Horton, Head of Alumni Relation, and Campbell Glennie, Alumni Communications Officer at the School, as well as well as members and other Reunion attendees, who included, for the first time, prospective and admitted students.
  • The Secretary General gave a comprehensive overview of the successes and achievements of the Association in the last half decade, together with key statistics on membership development. The Association currently serves a national constituency of 717 alumnae and alumni. Nearly every second LSE alumna and alumnus in Switzerland is a member of the Association, namely 324 persons.
  • To further boost membership, the Secetary General previewed the Association's membership development strategies: the facilitation of the student-alumni/ae transition, the engagement of underrepresented age cohorts and the diversification of the portfolio of activities, events and services.
  • The Secretary General thereafter introduced the IMMAFAS Project. The abbreviation IMMAFAS stands for Integrated Membership Management and Financial Accounting System, a major IT project within the Association with the aim to improve how membership records and financial accounts are administered. The Secretary General announced that he will be responsible for development work and that IMMAFAS should be fully operational by the end of 2003.
  • The presentation of the Secretary General moved then to the different parts of the "Put People to the Fore" Initiative. The Initiative includes the "My LSE" Video Archive as well as research into the first Swiss student at the School, with current frontrunners graduating in and around 1910.
  • The presentation of the Secretary General was followed by the Treasurer's report on the financial accounts for the years 2001 and 2002. Several items were highlighted, including the complete depreciation of the capitalised Web site, the costs of the General Meeting 2001 and the Newsletter 2002, the write-offs of membership dues in both years and the provisions for bad debts. The Treasurer answered questions from members.
  • In his report, the auditor confirmed that proper records are being kept by the Association, that the financial statements agree with the accounting records and that all the information and explanations have been provided by the Officers necessary for the purpose of his audit.
  • The Secretary General noted that the invitation of members to the General Meeting satisfied Article 2, Section 4, of the Articles of Association. The Secretary General, furthermore, notes that the General Meeting executes its powers by majority vote.
  • Thereafter, the following motion was put to the assembled members: "The financial accounts of the years 2001 and 2002 are approved and the Officers are granted discharge." The assembled members voted unanimously in favour of the motion.
  • As the last agenda item of the Plenary Session I, the Secretary General tabled motions for the appointment and re-appointment of Officers of the Association. The assembled members were made aware of Article 3, Section 1, of the Articles of Association, regarding the appointment of members to serve under the Association. Members, who wished to be re-appointed as Officers were named: Marcel Bigger as Secretary General, Pietro Manghi as Events Officer, Yves Steiner as Events Officer, Ronald E. Wilkens as Events Officer, Alexandra Rys as Media Relations Officer, Philip Thomas as Student Recruitment Officer and Nancy Troxler as Student Recruitment Officer. Members, who would be appointed for the first time Officers of the Association, were introduced: Martin Last as Treasurer, Harnik Deol as Events Officer and Jerome Haegeli as Government Relations Officer. The Secretary General motioned that the "Officers are to be appointed as a group.", of which the assembled members voted unanimously in favour. With the unanimous vote in favour of the motion "The Officer candidates are appointed to their respective duties for the 2003-2005 term.", the new and old managers of the Association assumed their 2-year terms-of-office. The Secretary General congratulated the newly appointed Officers present.
  • The Secretary General gave the plenum to Matthew Horton, Head of Alumni Relations at the School, who briefed members on the much expanded alumni relations programme at the School and the plans to establish an Alumni Council to advice and serve under the School. Matthew also showcased some of the dramatic improvements in the physical infrastructure of the School and introduced the current Campaign for LSE, a multi-year international effort to raise GBP 100 million for facilities improvements, student support, academic staff support, endowments, research excellence and the Annual Fund.
  • All speakers were thanked for their reports and presentations. The Plenary Session I closed at 12:45. As lunch was already ready to be served, the Plenary Session II of the General Meeting was postponed till after lunch.
  • The decorated kitchen crew served up a delicious three-course lunch in a royal setting. During lunch, the Secretary General proposed toasts to the School and to the assembled members.
  • The Plenary Session II of the General Meeting, which started at 15:00, was dedicated to the Jubilee Gift Campaign. The Secretary General was happy to report that the Campaign is already beyond the half way mark, with just over GBP 5'000 pledged in its silent phase to the run-up to the General Meeting. The Secretary General outlined the need, the opportunity and the planning behind the Jubilee Gift Campaign. The assembled members were shown pictures of the future "Swiss Alumnae and Alumni Room" at the School. The reasons for establishing a foundation to act as a charitable giving vehicle were given. Many of the assembled members fielded questions or commented on the Jubilee Gift Campaign and the proposed establishment of a foundation. The Secretary General answered all members' questions and mentioned that detailed information will flow in the coming days and weeks to all members. The assembled members were treated to an exclusiv preview of the Web site of the proposed Foundation of the SLSEAA.
  • The Secretary General thanked the guests of honor and the members for attending the "Jubilee Reunion" and closed the General Meeting at 16:00. Reunion attendees went thereafter together for an easy stroll along the lake promenade.

 
 
 
Copyright © 1998-2003 The Swiss LSE Alumni Association. All rights reserved.