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BCS Annual General Meeting, 28 June 2010

Breast Cancer Support Annual General Meeting
28 June 2010

The BCS AGM held at the Auckland Cancer Society on 28 June recognised not only the accomplishments of the Society over the last year but also marked the resignation of Marie Goudge as Chair after a six year tenure. Marie has seen much progress during a total of eight years of governance as both a Committee Member and Chair.

“The last six years in my role as Chair have been full of challenges and huge learning curves,” said Marie. She also paid special tributes to Treasurer Jennifer Woodroofe, also a long-serving Committee Member, the BCS Committee and Volunteers, Support Coordinator Jane Bissell, to the Cancer Society and to the sister breast cancer organisations who have supported and worked with BCS during her time as Chair. 
A special thank you was reserved for husband Stan, who “… has taken messages, talked to callers, had dinner early and late and has taught me some valuable computer skills …”

Marie was presented with tokens of appreciation and many words of praise and ‘thank you’ for her tireless dedication and commitment to BCS.

The new Committee was elected with Deirdre Parr taking up the role of Chair. Jennifer remains as Treasurer and Rosemary Geard as Secretary. Marie agreed to sit on the Committee for the coming year and will be Acting Chair for the next six weeks while Deirdre is overseas. Mary Forbes was re-elected to the Committee and Misha Crosbie is new to the team for 2010-11.
 (Photo at left, L to R: rear - Rosemary Geard, Marie Goudge, Jennifer Woodroofe; front - Mary Forbes, Deirdre Parr, Misha Crosbie).
 
The guest speaker for the evening was Misha Crosbie. Misha is a “two-time survivor of breast cancer” and counsellor who teaches counselling skills at an Auckland tertiary institution.

Misha’s talk was entitled ‘Breast cancer does not have to be our future’ and focussed on the initiative of Dr Susan Love, The Army of Women (www.armyofwomen.org), launched in the US in 2008. Dr Love’s project supports research to find a medical prevention for breast cancer. Rather than focussing on a cure for the disease, Love aims to find a vaccine or similar treatment that can be given to young girls so they will never encounter breast cancer in their lifetimes.

In partnership with Avon, Dr. Love wants to sign up one million women to her ‘Army’ which currently numbers over 330,000 women worldwide.  Dr Love invites all women to join – breast cancer is not a prerequisite for membership! Her goal is to recruit one million women of all ages and ethnicities to directly participate in research and so challenge the scientific community to find a medical prevention for breast cancer. Women join the Army and receive emailed updates inviting their participation in trials and research programmes for which they feel they may be qualified. Current projects include the BEAM study which is trying to determine a better way to predict a woman’s breast cancer risk.

Misha encouraged women to look up the website. “This generation – those of us currently involved in the project, irrespective of age – are the ones who can encourage women to sign up from all over the world for the research. I made a decision to take every opportunity that comes my way, give it a go – who knows what will come from that?”

Misha acknowledged the role of our breast cancer organisations as sources of information, keeping women up to date on opportunities to help with upcoming research.  Misha invited questions and comments from the floor and Libby Burgess, Chair of the Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition (BCAC) told the meeting that BCAC hopes to place information about clinical trials conducted in NZ on its website (www.breastcancer.org.nz). The trials will be listed by region to simplify access to the information for women throughout the country.   Misha congratulated BCAC on this initiative, saying, “It’s important to let women know what’s out there.”  

BCS Annual General Meeting, 22 June 2009

'Jonna's Body, Please Hold!' BCS fundraiser 22 May 09

BCS Annual General Meeting, 22 June 2009
Domain Lodge
Over 40 people attended the BCS AGM at the Auckland Cancer Society's Domain Lodge. Chair Marie Goudge celebrated BCS's many accomplishments over the past year in her annual report, giving special mention and sincere thanks to the outgoing Committee and paying tribute to the ongoing committment of BCS volunteers, working to support and help women experiencing breast cancer: 'I am mindful of the courage and strength shown by women I have met through BCS over the years. Many have come to receive support and stayed to give support. This is the nature of our organisation - those who have been there, smoothing the way for those who follow.'

Marie made mention of the thriving Breast Friends groups, commending their facilitators, and also announced that the BCS website was live for visiting and encouraged everyone to enjoy the information and features on offer.

The meeting was unanimous in its election of Marie to another term as Chair and to Jennifer Woodroofe as Treasurer. Newcomer Rosemary Geard assumes the role of Secretary. Deirdre Parr and Joan Kerr return to the Committee with newly elected members Mary Forbes and Liz Hunt (photo from L to R: Marie, Liz Hunt, Deirdre Parr, Mary Forbes, Rosemary Geard, Jennifer Woodroofe).

Unfortunately guest speaker Dr Marli Gregory could not appear due to illness but the meeting was most fortunate to enjoy a presentation by Lynne Walker, a reiki teacher and practitioner. Lynne gave a very informative talk about the practice of reiki - its origins and role in health and wellbeing - and had invited seven of her colleagues to attend the  meeting and offer short reiki sessions to meeting attendees. Most everyone enjoyed a turn during Lynne's talk and found the experience very relaxing!

Reiki is safe, simple and practical, a therapy with no known contraindications. It involves the gentle laying of hands on (or held above) parts of the body in a light, non-invasive touch on a clothed recipient. The benefits are now well documented and include relaxation, improved sleep, reduced anxiety and improvement to the health of the immune system. The therapy is widely used in New Zealand, particularly in Hospice, private practice and some hospitals. Lynne is a registered Service Provider with Sweet Louise and reiki is a popular therapy.

The evening concluded with a cup of tea and plenty of good chatting and fellowship.

Jonna Tamases performs "Jonna's Body, Please Hold!" and raises over $1,000 for BCS
Performed at Theatre Pitt, Auckland, 22 May 2009 
The Auckland Methodist Central Parish, Pilgrim Productions, CityLife Hotel Auckland and BCS joined together to present a wonderful evening of entertainment with visiting Los Angeles-based actress Jonna Tamases and her award-winning one-woman show "Jonna's Body, Please Hold!" On Friday 22 May, 90 people gathered at the Theatre Pitt to enjoy the show and to raise money for BCS. Jonna (pictured) performed in Auckland courtesy of the aforementioned sponsors and helped raise over $1,000 for BCS. 

"Jonna's Body, Please Hold" offers an original, often hilarious but poignant, tender look into Ms Tamases' own battle with cancer, a performance that uplifts, inspires and challenges despair with Jonna's own contagious zest for life. 

Jonna gives us a glimpse into the hectic day to day world of her body, complete with Baby Toe (who is squeezed into a too-tight shoe), Upper Back who threatens to go on strike if she doesn't rest up a little and those irrepressible twins Uta and Ula, breasts begging to be released from the torment of a restricting bra. A busy receptionist sits at a switchboard, fielding calls from these irate tenants, dishing out as much comfort and advice as she can while her boss, Ms Jonna, carries on with life, somewhat oblivious and neglectful of the goings-on inside her body ... that is until two unwanted tenants move in - the charming French madame Venice and the tough 'old goat' Walter - two cancerous personalities determined to set up housekeeping and wreak their havoc.

Jonna performs with an engaging honesty, involving the audience not only in the drama of the situation unfolding within her body but also establishing a chatty rapport as she speaks directly about her life and experiences.   

With courage, honesty, and humor Jonna takes us inside her battle with cancer. We are with her every step of the way as she is diagnosed, more than once, endures tests, scans, biopsies and multiple rounds  of chemotherapy and then we are there as her ravaged body begins to recover from the trauma of the disease. The body parts report in as they fight the battle and struggle to recover and restore her to health. Jonna finds that her body - its strength and will to survive - is her greatest ally and her most precious asset. 

Jonna's performance moved, inspired and delighted the audience - a truly talented actress with a brave, courageous and moving story to tell.  

For more information about Jonna, visit her website, www.jonnasbody.com. Click here to view the Auckland performance poster.

BCS wishes to thank the Auckland Methodist Central Parish, Pilgrim Productions and CityLife Hotel Auckland for their kind support of this event.

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