Council Meetings in Cape Town create Organizational Changes

The USA was well represented with 27 delegates at the recent IFHE Council Meetings in Cape Town, SA. A big thanks is appropriate for the members who served as delegates. As always, important business was transacted, and our votes were critical inputs. Every organizational member was eligible to one vote, and individual members were represented by one vote per 50 members. During the Council, three important decisions were made (among others). Geraldine Hodelin from Jamaica was elected as the IFHE President Elect. Geri will take office as President at the Jubilee Congress in 2008. (Let us all plan to be there to celebrate her inauguration.) Delegates voted to reduce the membership fees for individual memberships of professionals from developing countries (half the rate of active members from other parts of the world), and voted to eliminate proxy fees. This means that all organizational members can vote even if they cannot send a representative (an existing delegate can be empowered to vote for them) without paying an extra proxy fee. However, organizations must send a letter authorizing the person who will vote in their behalf. Delegates also made minor changes in the constitution to conform to German law as a not-for-profit organization.

Cape Town was an exciting venue to host the Council meetings. Our location was on the waterfront with Table Mountain shadowing our presence when the sun was out (it was the rainy, cool season in South Africa). As always IFHE meetings bring old friends together…and now even the spouses recognize each other and anticipate the meetings! We were warmly greeted and cocooned in the friendly but efficient hospitality of the Bonn Office staff and the local organization staff from the South African Association of Family Ecology and Consumer Sciences.

Council is the primary member participation opportunity where the business of the organization takes place. But it is also a time of camaraderie and fun! Council meets on the even years, during the Congress (every four years) and at stand-alone meetings between Congresses. The next Council meeting will be in conjunction with the World Jubilee Congress, 2008 in Lucerne Switzerland and thereafter in Sligo, Ireland in 2010. Think about serving as a delegate in the future. We need more participation.