Feb 22, 2009

Re: AMICOS- Chicago meeting

Hello AMICOS,

Just wanted to update you all on the Chicago meeting which was held on Saturday 21st February 2009.

I attended the meeting representing AMICOS CANADA.

We had representatives from New York, Dallas, Toronto in addition to the Local AMICOS. There were roughly 100 of us including some VIP AMICOS.

The meeting started with a prayer by H.E.Dr. Joseph Mar Thomas. We passed a condolence resolution about the death of former principal of Mar Ivanios College Rev. Dr. GeevarughesePanicker, which will be sent to Achan’s family in Kerala. They gave me an opportunity to speak for 5 minutes. I extended our greetings on behalf of President George Chandy, Secretary Binu Sajan, and all of you. I also wished them all success.

Meeting decided about having a North American family conference forAMICOS in 2010. In the next 6 months, all of us will contact as manyAMICOS as possible and help them enroll in existing chapters or help them to form new chapters. For this purpose, an ad-hoc committee consisting of the Presidents, Secretaries, and Treasurers of each chapter was formed with Chicago chapter chair Sabu Thomas as the chair as Chicago will be hosting the conference. During 2010 national, a full-fledged committee and operating by-laws will be finalized.

It was also decided that a North American specific AMICOS web site will be developed. AMICOS Chicago will take the lead for this. A national Nonprofit organization will be registered in due course. It was also decided that any former MIC student or faculty can be a member of AMICOS, but to hold an office a person shall be an AMICOS in good standing. An AMICOS will be in good standing once he takes an active interest in AMICOS activities and pays a life membership fee of USD/CAD $100.00. No yearly membership is envisaged as it is too cumbersome to administer it.

Sabu Thomas will invite the executives from each chapter for a conference call sometime in the near future to discuss the future action plans.

Regards,
Simon Plamthottam