Résumé of the inaugural meeting of The Trichological Society
held on Monday 13th September 1999
at the Novartis Foundation, London
The inaugural meeting of The Trichological Society was held on Monday 13th September 1999 at the Novartis Foundation, London. This auspicious occasion was attended by fourteen of the founder members of The Society and the Novartis Foundation constituted the perfect setting for the event.
Mr Barry Stevens welcomed all persons present to the meeting, read out apologies for absence and thanked everyone for their recent efforts. Mr Stephen Eccles was then elected to act as Chairman for the meeting. The election of the President of the Society was next on the agenda and, after some discussion, Mr Derek Dane agreed to stand and was duly elected. At the same time, the Governing Council of The Society was elected as: Mr Barry Stevens; Mrs Karen Todd; Miss Claire Stevens; Mr Keith Ridley; Mr Stephen Eccles. Other elections included Mr Barry Stevens as Secretary/Registrar, Mr Keith Ridley as Auditor and Mr Brian Plunkett as Membership Secretary.
In order to protect the name of The Society, it was agreed that a non-trading company would be set up with the name 'The Trichological Society'. This required two Directors and a company Secretary. Mr Barry Stevens and Miss Clare Stevens were duly elected as Directors of the company, with Miss Stevens doubling up as Secretary.
The main part of the meeting was taken up with the discussion and agreement of the 'Rules of The Society', 'Ethics and Professional Guidelines of The Society' and the Society website. The official Society diploma was also presented by Mr Stevens and ratified by all present.
On completion of business, the President officially declared The Trichological Society inaugurated and thanked all present, including the Novartis Foundation, for all their effort and support.
The atmosphere during and after the meeting was one of professionalism, commitment and proactivity. Decisions on many issues raised were unanimously ratified and there was a sense of unity of purpose amongst the attendees.
The day drew to a close with a buffet, a short photo session (see below) and a chance for the members to socialise informally, many of which took this opportunity. In all, the day was a resounding success and it will be most interesting to see The Society grow and develop over its first year and beyond.