On the morning of the 2021 AGM strong gales were buffeting Perth; I was concerned that we might not have the required 30 members to make up a quorum. Yet, by the time The President, declared the meeting open, close to 80 members were present.
The AGM proceedings were straightforward: after the adoption of the Minutes of the 2020 AGM, Mrs Monique Malié read out her President’s report, announcing that she would step down as President and hand over the reins to a younger President as COMMSSA moves forward in the technological age. The assembled members gave Monique a long and well deserved round of applause. Reports from the Treasurer, Ms Patricia Nicole, and the Medical directors, Dr Toussaint and Dr Mariam Bahemia were also heard and approved.
The Meeting proceeded with the election of the Office bearers and ordinary members to the Management Committee. Please see the Committee page in About us, on this website for more information. The Auditors, Mrs Joslyne Antoine and Mr Herbert Henrison having decided to step down, two new Auditors were appointed for 2021-2022, Mrs Annick Pointu and Mr Ben Aurélie.
Dr Mariam Bahemia, the newly elected President, thanked the members for having elected her to the Presidency; she was well aware that trying to fill Monique’s shoes would not be easy and she thanked Monique for her outstanding contribution and dedication to COMMSSA over the past 30 years.
Before the meeting closed, Mrs Marie Maunick was invited to speak to the assembly. She gave a most inspirational talk about the plight of the many disabled Mauritians who need a wheelchair or other walking aid. In 2019, she had arranged for a Perth based charity, “Wheelchairs for kids”, to deliver some 200 wheelchairs to Mauritius; another container would soon be on its way to Mauritius. She appealed for donations of any walking aids that members might have that could be included in the container. Marie received a resounding round of applause.
Well, in the end, my fears that we might not have a quorum had been totally unfounded; I had failed to consider that, for many of our members, hardened over the years by Mauritian cyclonic winds of 175-200km/hour, Perth gales of 50-90 km/hour would be no deterrent. However, at the close of the AGM, as the crowd, that by that stage had almost doubled in numbers, rushed to purchase achards, biryanis, curries, dholI puris, di pain frire, gateaux piments, samosas, and Napolitains, I could not but wonder whether the success of the AGM had been in no small way due to the Mauritian anticipaion of food?
Dr Serge Toussaint