Attendees: Boris Martinac, Maté Biro, Sara Baratchi, Daryan Kempe, Yu Suk Choi, Martin Fronius, Ivar Noordstra, Kate Poole
Quick Introductions
Brief self-introduction from council members. No action items arising.
Bank Account Approval for Treasurer
Council approved Sara Baratchi, as Treasurer of the AuSMB, to open a bank account for the Society. Confirmed by assent of all attendees.
A second approval (secretary) will be required for transactions of more than $1,000.
Action items: Council members to sign off on minutes. Sara Baratchi to open account.
Additional Council Members
Currently missing representatives for NSW, SA, Vic, and Tas. Council agreed to approach colleagues who may be interested in filling these roles.
Daryan Kempe would like to also fill the role of EDI representative. These positions would need to be voted on at the end of 2022 in the next AGM.
Action items:
- Boris Martinac: contact colleague in Tasmania.
- Kate Poole: reach out to Kathryn Stok (Vic rep) and Sarah Boyle or Guillermo Gomez (SA rep).
- Suggestions for NSW rep: Peter Su or Charles Cox.
Forward Planning
Membership Dues
Proposed to start collecting dues from 1 January 2022. Costings as decided at AGM:
- Student: $30 (1 year), $75 (3 years)
- Full member: $100 (1 year), $250 (3 years)
Ivar Noordstra suggested that members joining after October have their membership extend through the following calendar year. Accepted by assent.
Council Meeting Schedule
Proposed meeting schedule of 4 per year: March, June, September, December. December meeting for sign-off on documentation post-AGM for legal/taxation requirements. Accepted by assent.
Action item: Kate Poole to arrange next meeting for March; doodle poll to be sent in February.
Provisional Budget
Sara Baratchi will present a provisional budget based on membership projections at the next council meeting.
Communications
Daryan Kempe will forward info@AuSMB emails to secretary and look at setting up an additional email address for the council (January 2022). Charles Cox is currently running the society Twitter account.
Website Content
Boris Martinac offered to rewrite the mission statement for the website (due next council meeting).
Council discussed EDI principles. Ivar Noordstra suggested involving Anne Lagendijk. Martin Fronius and Daryan Kempe also interested. Kate Poole to arrange a meeting in January 2022.
Other suggestions for the website:
- Password-protected area for members with contact details (Kate Poole)
- Highlighting papers from society members (Kate Poole)
- Message board/forum for members (Ivar Noordstra) — Daryan Kempe to investigate
- Upcoming meetings (Sara Baratchi)
- Interviews — starting with Boris, then expanding (Maté Biro)
- Good use of pictures/videos (Martin Fronius)
Payment Setup
Daryan Kempe will organise payment options on the website in January 2022, once the bank account is established.
Objects of the Society
The mission of the Society is to advance the science and education of Mechanobiology, and its aims are to encourage and support the discipline of Mechanobiology in Australia and New Zealand. The Australian Society for Mechanobiology is a broad organisation, embracing fundamental, experimental, clinical, organismal, tissue, cellular and molecular scientific activities in Mechanobiology.