Dear APFSSH Delegates:

Your donation and payment of annual due would be very helpful in running the Federation's Secretariat and set precedence for future Congresses. A draft check or telegram transfer is preferable. The APFSSH secretariat account is :

APFSSH Moroe Beppu, A/C : 401-2276149
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, Nagoya Branch, Nagoya, JAPAN

We respectfully suggest that you can settle the Annual Due US$ 100
for the year of 2003 by October 31.
Thank you for your cooperation in the above matter.

Minutes of the 5^th Council Meeting

1. Date and Venue

The meeting was held on 11^th August 2000 starting 10:30 am. The venue was at the grand ballroom of the Hotel Taj Coromandel. The President Susumu Tamai and Secretary General Kwan Chul Tark presided over the meeting. The credentials of the delegates were introduced.

2. Delegates and Representatives

Australian Hand Surgery Society
Official Delegate: Michael G Hayes (President AHSS)
Representative Members: Mark Allison, Michael Tonkin (Co-Editor of the Journal)

Hong Kong Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Wu Wing Cheung (President HKSSH)
Representative members: Ho Pak Cheong, Chang Yun-Po Robert

Indian Society of Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: G Balakrishnan (President ISSH)
Representative Members: R Venuarawanranni, S. Raja Sabapathy, T Chandra Prakasam

Indonesian Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: M. Rizal Chaidir
Representative Members: Lukman Shebubakar

Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Moroe Beppu
Representative Members: Maneaki Abe, Fuminori Kanaya

Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Suk Joon Oh
Representative Members: Duke Whan Chung

Korean Society of Reconstructive Hand Surgery
Official Delegate: Kwan Chul Tark (Secretary General of APFSSH)
Representative Members: Tai Suk Roh (Executive Secretary of APFSSH)

Malaysian Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Tunku Sara Ahmad (President MSSH)
Representative Members: Azhar Merican

New Zealand Society for Surgery of the Hand
Not attending the 5^th Council Meeting

Philippine Society for Surgery of the Hand
Not attending the 5^th Council Meeting

Singapore Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Lim Beng Hai (President SSHS)
Representative Members: Lam Chuan Teoh (Vice President of the APFSSH)

Republic of China Society for Surgery of the Hand (Taiwan)
Official Delegate: Hung Chi Chen

The Thai Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Werayudth Chaopricha (President, TSSH)

3. Minutes of the 4^th Council Meeting

The Minutes of the 4^th Council Meeting was passed without amendments.

4. The 5th Council Meeting

■The Federation Logo

The Secretary reported to the council that the two proposed federation logos were put on vote on the internet homepage and the round logo with hands supporting the globe was chosen.
A revote was proposed by the Indian Society and the results of the vote were unchanged.
It was requested that the acronym of the federation APFSSH be included at the bottom of the logo.

■The Federation Account

The Secretary General has reported that a US Bank Account has been opened for the Federation as follows: KC TARK(APFSSH) 126 604225-41-001 Hanvit Bank, Yonsei Branch, Seoul Korea.
It has been pointed out that a small sum of fund as it may be, the contents of the budget and spending still be reported at the next council meeting.

■The Annual Dues

The following member societies have yet to pay the Annual dues for the year 1999 and 2000.
New Zealand Society for Surgery of the Hand
Republic of China Society for Surgery of the Hand

■Donation by the Singapore Society

A sum of US $ 1,500 has been donated by the Singapore society as was proposed. It is expressed that this will set precedence for future congress including the one held in Chennai.

■The Next and Future Congress

The venue for the year 2002 Congress has been confirmed as being Seoul, Korea.
For the subsequent congress venue, Japan was ruled in favor over Thailand through voting (6 vs 2).

■Amendments to the Federation Charter approved.

■The Pakistan Society for Surgery of the Hand

Since the Pakistan Society for Surgery of the Hand has expressed the wish to join in on the federation. The federation welcomes their participation. However, it was pointed out that any member society joining the federation should faithfully meet their duties at the same time.

■Election of Office Bearers for the 4^th Executive Committee

The following office bearers were proposed and elected with unanimous support.
In view of the coming congress which will be hosted by the Korean Society, it was pointed out that an additional term of 2 years be granted to the current Secretary General, Kwan Chul Tark.

■Matters Arising

The Journal of Hand Surgery: At the time of the executive meeting in Chennai the subscriptions numbered 196.
Forty-five articles had been submitted for publication in 1999 with a 2/3 acceptance rate with minor alterations, a 22% rewrite rate and a 13% rejection rate. The average time from receipt to publication was 5 months. Two editions have been published each year.Subsequent developments include:

1. Agreement of the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand to subscribe to the journal, bringing 330 extra subscribers and ensuring the financial viability of the journal.
2. The journal has been listed on Index Medicus.
3. A Management Committee has been formed which will be answerable to the APFSSH executive. This is to be ratified at the Seoul meeting. The Committee will consist of a Chairman, MA Tonkin; President and Vice-President, Editor-in-Chief, and a Member at Large. The Japanese Society, in view of its large subscription, have been invited to nominate the Member at Large. SP Chow will continue as Editor-in-Chief and with an Assistant Editor will be responsible for editorial matters.

I and the Management Committee will be responsible for all matters involving subscriptions, marketing and distribution.

Letters have been sent to all Societies requesting that these Societies contact Mrs Lim(sclim@wspc.com.sg) regarding increasing submissions and all Societies have been encouraged to submit papers for publication to the Editor-in-Chief, SP Chow. : Michael Tonkin has submitted on November 27, 2000 through E-mail.

Recorded by Tae Suk Roh, Executive Secretary of the 3^rd Executive Committee, APFSSH
Vetted by Kwan Chul Tark, Secretary General of the 3^rd Executive Committee, APFSSH

Minutes of the 6^th Council Meeting

The meeting was held on 3rd March, 2002 starting at Noon, at the Emerald Room, Hotel Lotte World, Seoul, Korea. President Lam Chuan Teoh, Vice-President Michael Tonkin and Secretary General Kwan Chul Tark presided over the meeting. The credentials of the delegates were introduced.

2. Delagates and Representative

Australian Hand Surgery Society
Official Delegate: John Buntine (Vice-President of the Australian H.S.S.)

Hong Kong Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Wu Wing Cheung (President HKSSH), Chow Yuk Yin (President-Elect)
Editor in Chief of the Journal: S.P. Chow

Indian Society of Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: G Balakrishnan (President ISSH)

Indonesian Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Djoko Roeshadi (President Indonesian S.S.H.)

Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Moroe Beppu (Congress Chairman, 5th APFSSH Congress)
Organizing Committee Member of the 5th Congress:
Muneaki Abe (Vice President, 5th APFSSH Congress)
Yoshitaka Minamikawa (Executive Secretary, 5th APFSSH Congress)

Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Soo Kyun Rah (President, KSSH)

Korean Society of Reconstructive Hand Surgery
Official Delegate: Woo Kyung Kim (Secretary General, KSRHS)
Congress President of the 4th Congress: Suk Joon Oh

Malaysian Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Tunku Sara Ahmad (Committee Member, MSSH)

New Zealand Society for Surgery of the Hand
Not attending the 6^th Council Meeting

Philippine Society for Surgery of the Hand
Not attending the 6^th Council Meeting

Singapore Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate: Fok Chuan Yong (Committee Member SSHS)

Republic of China Society for Surgery of the Hand (Taiwan)
Official Delegate: Hung Chi Chen (President, HST)

The Thai Society for Surgery of the Hand
Official Delegate:Panupan Songcharoen(Vice-President, TSSH)

3. Minutes of the 5th Council Meeting

Passed without amendments.

4. The 6th Council Meeting

■Annual dues have been collected for the year 1999 and 2000 for the following societies.

Australian Hand Surgery Society
Hong Kong Society for Surgery of the Hand
India Society for Surgery of the Hand
Indonesian Society for Surgery of the Hand (also year 2001 and 2002, paid in advance, $200.00 immediate after Council Meeting)
Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand
Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand
The Korean Society of Reconstructive Hand Surgery (also year 2001, paid in advance, $100.00))
Malaysian Society for Surgery of the Hand
The Philippine Society for Surgery of the Hand
Singapore Society for Surgery of the Hand
The Thai Society for Surgery of the Hand

Annual Dues unsettled for the following member Societies:

New Zealand Society for Surgery of the Hand
Republic of China Society for Surgery of the Hand (Hung Chi Chen promised to settle soon)
Pakistan Society for Surgery of the Hand

■The budget and spending was reported by the executive secretary.

A total balance of approximately $1000.00 is to be expected at the end of the term, taking into account that the organizing committee of the 4th meeting compliment expenses for the current council meeting. It was pointed out (Michael Tonkin) that expenses relevant to the scientific meeting be handled by budget of the respective organizing committee. Indian Society of Hand Surgery (G. Balakrishnan) promised a contribution of US $ 500.00 to the federation. This is following hosting of the 3rd congress in Chennai.

■The domain of the APFSSH

Internet URL Domain for the APFSSH http://www.apfssh.org was authorized and registered. After completion of the 4th APFSSH Congress, the Domain will be forwarded to the next Council’s Secretariat.

■The next and future congress

Japan will be hosting the 5th congress of the APFSSH in Osaka, year 2003. Thailand proposed to be the host of the subsequent congress (late in 2005 or early 2006), and this was passed with unanimous support. Hong Kong Society expressed wish to host the congress following the one in Thailand (year 2007 or 2008). Thailand expressed thanks to the Hong Kong Society for the thoughtful consideration in not having competed for the subsequent congress.

■Election of office bearers for the 4th executive committee (2002~2004)

The following office bearers were proposed and elected with unanimous support. A motion was made and seconded (Tonkin, Sara) that the automatic ascent from vice-president to president be put down in the charter. However, this rule should not necessarily apply to that ascent from secretary general to vice-president (Sara, Balakrishnan). The next committee should therefore, see to that this amendment be made and be approved at the next council meeting.

■A management committee and an editorial committee should be set up to ensure financial viability and further betterment of the journal.

5. The Journal, and the Editor’s Report

S. P. Chow has expressed the wish to step down from the editor in chief position. The council accepted this and thanked him for his dedication and effort in bringing up the journal to the present status. A management committee as proposed at the Chennai meeting will form and gather for further discussion on 12:30pm, Tuesday, 5th, March.

Recorded by Tai Suk Roh, Executive Secretary, APFSSH
Vetted by Kwan Chul Tark, Secretary General, APFSSH