The most recent board meeting was held on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 of December. The meeting was well attended and ran smoothly; it was amazing to look back and see how much we had covered over the two days. A new and most beneficial technology in the form of Real-Time Captioning provided a great learning experience for the board. Some of the agenda items addressed included:

• a revision of the business plan to cater for the next six – eighteen months;
• the financial report indicated that AFDO is certainly capable to meet its financial responsibilities at this time.
• A discussion around external representation of the AFDO has prompted the need to conduct an audit of those committees and other forms of representation. The audit will report to the next board meeting.
• AFDO Conference: the decision to go ahead with a conference in 2009 was made. The discussion came to an understanding of the importance of the UN Disability convention. The conference committee has since informed the board and the members that the conference will be held on 29 and 30 May 2009 at the Jasper Hotel, Melbourne. We encourage all of our member organisations to have as many of their members attend this inaugural event.
• AFDO will take up membership of both the Disability Advocacy Network Association and In Control. The ability of each of these groups to address the growing needs of people with disabilities can only be enhanced by working together.
• Board departures over the past few years as well as the inability of individuals to continue on the board has raised the need to amend the AFDO constitution to preserve the intellectual and corporate investment in the board to the benefit of the organisation..
• A Special General meeting will be convened at our next members meeting to address the constitutional amendment which will be distributed early in the New Year.

• The board instructed Lesley Hall to form a selection committee to search for and employ a new National Policy officer as we had received the resignation of Collette O’Neil who had faithfully filled the position for the past 4 years.
• The Board expressed its sincere thanks to Brenda Lacey for her dedication and strength through what has proven to be a difficult time for the organisation while the executive and the rest of the board ran the office often by remote control while we went through the process to replace the CEO, while also bringing our temporary policy officer Niki Sheldon up to speed.

At this time of the year, while families around the globe come together for a combination of reasons. May I offer, first of all my thanks to my fellow executive and also the members of the board. Secondly, and most importantly, may I also thank our member organisations, their staff and families for the time they put into their support of the AFDO.

May I extend to you all, my wish for peace and prosperity for the coming year and a successful 2009 for one and all. GDM