Dear EOA members, dear friends.
As I write this message it is cold and rainy, in short gloomy weather, in the Netherlands. The year 2016 is nearly history and it is timely to let you know what’s going on in EOA and about our next EOA Congress in 2017.
EOA Executive Council (EC) 7-9 October 2016.
The yearly EC meeting was this time organised by Jón Thorkelsson, our EOA treasurer in Reykjavik, Iceland. During our stay in Iceland the EOA-EC was invited for to a meeting with the members of ISILCO. It was fortuitous that the monthly meeting of ISILCO coincided with the EOA-EC meeting, affording members of the EOA-EC the opportunity to meet with the members – a memorable occasion!
24/40 Group.
A very special programme is being organized for the 20/40 Group on Saturday 20th May. The young people will have their own meeting because it is very important for them to meet others of the same age and situation. The EOA-EC encourages every association to send at least one young member to the Congress as representatives of their country.
Meeting of the House of Delegates.
Amendments to the Constitution: Within a few days, Maria Hasz from our EOA contact office in Germany will send a call for changes or amendments to the Constitution. You will find the Constitution on our website.
Elections of the new President and new members of EOA-EC.
If you would like to be a member of EOA-EC or be the next President, please have a look at the message from Maria Hasz, nomination officer, which will be sent to you soon.
News from our EOA members.
Nordic meeting.
In August 2016 the Nordic meeting took place in Denmark and a report of this meeting has been published on this website. A grant from the Prof. Dr. Gerhard Englert Fund made it possible to invite one member from Estonia and two members from Lithuania to this meeting.
Kosovo.
With joy I inform you of the new Kosovo Ostomy Association – KOA.
Mrs. Arta Uka is the founder of KOA and she is implementing a project named “Supporting Ostomates in Kosovo”. She will tell us more about this project at the Congress in 2017.
Country reports.
We’re asking all our member associations to send us a country report on the activities of the past three years and we hope you will help us by sending your reports as soon as possible to the EOA Webmaster who will publish your contribution on the website.
World Ostomy Day (WOD).
The next WOD will be on October 6th 2018.
EOA Congress 2020.
If you would wish to be considered as a host for the Congress in 2020, please send a message to Maria Hasz at our contact office in Germany.
If you have any questions and/or remarks, please don’t hesitate and send me an e-mail.
Best wishes to all of you and good luck with all your efforts for the ostomates in your country.
Ria Smeijers.
Rijssen, The Netherlands.
November 2016.