Dear SOCEH Members
Our Society of Environmental Health Singapore (SOCEH) management committee met last wee to discuss, among other items -
A. The collection of the annual subscription fees of $16 for calendar years 2021 and 2022;
1. The Annual General Meeting (AGM).
A. Collection of Annual Subscription fees of $16 per year for calendar years 2021 and 2022.
2. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, the management committee has decided that we will waive the annual subscription of $16 per year for 2021 and 2022. For those members who have already paid for 2021 and 2022, their subscriptions will be counted for years 2023 and 2024.
B. Annual General Meeting
3. SOCEH normally holds its Annual General Meeting (AGM)) in May every year. However, we were not able to hold our AGM last year (2021) because of the COVID-19 situation and our Government’s rules on the Safe Management Measures (SMM) at gatherings and meetings, including AGMs.
4. The COVID 19/ Omicron situation now in 2022 is still very serious. Our Government has indicated it is very unlikely that the situation will improve in the near future for the conduct of large gatherings. Strict safe management measures are expected to continue for some time to come. Restrictions on large gatherings, including AGMs, are unlikely to be relaxed by May/June 2022.
5. We had sought the advice of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to defer this year’s AGM too. We were advised that if the society wishes to postpone its AGM beyond the month which is stated in the society’s constitution, it will need to seek the consensus of the society’s members. ROS does not have the authority to grant such deferment.
6. This letter/email is to seek your agreement to defer this year’s AGM to next year (2023) or to such a time when the situation improves, and the Government allows large physical gatherings like AGMs. The “term of office” for the present management committee expires end of May 2022. It is also proposed that the present management committee continues, until the next AGM. We seek your agreement to this arrangement.
7. If we do not receive a reply by 15 March 2022, it will be deemed that you are agreeable to the proposals in paragraph 5. But if you, as a member, disagrees to any of the proposed arrangements in paragraph 5, or want to abstain from this consensus seeking exercise, please reply to this email (which is copied to ALL members and the present management committee).
1. The Statement of Account and Income & Expenditure Account reports will be sent to the members for review in Apr or May 2022, after they are audited by the Hon. Auditors. Regarding holding of AGM via an on-line session, the Management Committee has carefully considered this option, and deemed it as not practical, since some members may not be fully familiar with participation in the live, on-line AGM sessions.
2. Thank you for your kind understanding and look forward to your responses, if any.
Yours Faithfully
Hassan Bava – President
John Gerizim – Secretary