A New Decade! : A New ISGE?
I wish you all a very happy new year and hope that, in the coming year, the ISGE will be in an even stronger position to meet the needs and wishes of its members and the women they serve.
These have been exciting and turbulent times for the ISGE. While the general members of the society may have felt that little was happening, the executive and the board have been engaged in the most intense activity I have ever witnessed on behalf of the society. The extra-ordinary events that have rocked the world’s financial institutions have had implications for governments, businesses and organisations throughout the world. This includes the ISGE, and the board have had to face up to the realities of tighter financial realities in a number of ways.
The health care industry in general, and surgical equipment companies in particular, are having to work within more restricted financial frameworks and they are constantly re-appraising the level of support they are able to offer societies such as ours. We have, as a result, unfortunately lost one of our major company sponsors (we trust only temporally). Reassuringly our other sponsors have re-affirmed their continuing support to us and there is even a realistic prospect of signing up a major new sponsorship. The situation, from the industrial aspect is therefore tight but not desperate.
Similarly, administrative costs are under pressure but currently contained. There is, however, a real need to expand and improve our office, teaching and communication activities which all require additional income. These requirements are being addressed at times when personal financial pressures prevent us substantially increasing membership and/or congress fees. This spectrum of difficulties has led the board to closely examine various options for modifying the structure and functions of the society.
Many wished to appoint a full-time PCO organisation to run the ISGE office and the conferences. This option was seriously explored and several bids were received from established professional companies. One was interviewed both by teleconference and subsequently by presentation to the Board in San Paulo. The costs of such a venture were significant and felt to be more than the society could service at this time. Moreover, the world-wide distribution of our meetings made it very difficult for any single PCO, wherever located, to run meetings at the other-side of the world. Our unique meeting format implied that there would still, as now, be a requirement for a local PCO for each meeting. Such duplication of services was felt to be neither efficient nor the best use of the society’s limited resources.
An alternative route was to consider merger with other societies working in similar areas. The AAGL is interested in expanding its international role and invited the ISGE to take over this role. The board considered this option in the greatest possible detail. The proposals were complex and controversial. It is fair to report that there were those who favoured some form…
