John Ling (ADB 1973–1995)
The Australian chapter held another successful reunion and annual meeting on 12–15 October 2008, this time at Warburton, a beautiful rural setting in the Dandenong Mountain ranges, some 70 kilometers east of Melbourne. The venue was the Yarra Valley Grange Country Retreat on the upper reaches of the Yarra River, a pristine, swift moving river with prolific avian life that provided a nonstop symphony of bird calls through the day. The 39 participants came from several Australian states, New Zealand, and Manila.
The activities commenced on the 12th with a ”meet and greet” gathering to welcome returnees and new members and reflected on our activities.
Annual Meeting. On the 13th, Chairman Peter Carroll called the attendees to order and extended a very warm welcome to Sin Yan and Mrs Tay, Ron and Vida Skeates, Ken and Rosalie Waller, Amar and Colleen Hinduja, Mr and Mrs Narayanasuwami, Joe and Margaret Rajaratnam, Andrew and Anne Proctor, Alex and Lynne Gordevich, John and Beth Thorp, Con and Helen Pappas, Willy and Nolleen Lim, Abbas and Pat Talib, Peter and Jill Thomas, Chân Carroll, Bob Byrnes, Alicia Maclan, John Ling (secretary–treasurer of the Australian Chapter), AFE Executive Secretary Hans-Juergen Springer and Treasurer David Parker, and Colin Pratt and Ron and Leith Hamilton from New Zealand.
Peter Carroll reported on the year’s events, including the election of Hans-Juergen Springer as the new executive secretary and Jill Gale de Villa as deputy. Peter reported that
- he had initiated correspondence highlighting the Australian dissatisfaction with the negative voting system;
- Queenslanders Phil and Sue Young held a very successful BBQ-picnic at their Brisbane residence, with 18 attendees enjoying good fellowship and fun; and
- ADB’s 41st Annual Meeting in Madrid, in May 2008, was a wonderful opportunity to meet with former colleagues and raise issues (including pensions, the AFE budget and related finances, medical insurance, life insurance, underuse of the ADB Alumni Portal, and the need for members to keep the AFE office in Manila informed of their current addresses).
The Australian chapter expressed its appreciation to Mr Khan, the previous executive secretary, for his efforts in setting up and maintaining the AFE over the past 22 years, and noted with sadness the deaths of former President Tadao Chino and Hospice Coronado. Peter concluded by extending his gratitude to John Thorp and his wife Beth Hilton-Thorp for the superb effort they had put into selecting the venue for this reunion and arranging the tour of wineries and the dinner.
Elections. For 2008/09, Peter Carroll was re-elected as country coordinator and John Ling as secretary and treasurer. State representatives are Con Pappas and Alex Gordevich (New South Wales); Phil Young, Neil Collier, and Pat Talib (Queensland); and John Thorp (other states).
From HQ. Hans-Juergen Springer addressed the meeting, explaining the AFE work plan’s initial focus on forming a strong working executive, dedicated to teamwork, regular meetings, communications, and sound administrative infrastructure support, and commenting briefly on pension, health insurance, life insurance, web site for AFE, and the ID system for retirees. David Parker discussed finances, including subsidies for chapter activities, as well as options for a new voting system.
Wining, Golfing, and Dining. Following the meeting, attendees toured three wineries capped by a gourmet meal and followed, on the 14th, by the Peter Pattison Memorial Golf Tournament, with Anne Proctor, Willy Lim, and John Thorp the champions. The festivities were capped by a formal dinner and then a farewell breakfast on the morning of the 15th.