Members of the Greek Orthodox Community of New South Wales (GOCNSW) have voted against a series of proposed constitutional amendments during an Extraordinary General Meeting held on Sunday.
The meeting, attended by 177 registered members, was convened to review and vote on amendments aimed at reforming the organisation’s governance structure. GOCNSW President Harry Danalis opened the session, underscoring the significance of the proposals and noting that a 75 per cent majority was required for each amendment to pass.
Four primary proposals were presented for voting, with three additional proposals contingent on the acceptance of the first two. An electoral committee was elected to oversee the process, consisting of Nikolaos Thliveris, Maria Chrysanthou, Aikaterini Vetsikas, Stavros Tsilimos, and Kathy Stojanovic.
Voting was carried out by secret ballot, with the results as follows:
- Proposal 1: Reduce the number of Board Members from 20 to 15, with three-year terms
Votes in favour: 101 (57 per cent) | Against: 75 (42 per cent) | Invalid: 1
- Proposal 2: Allow Board replenishment if membership drops below 13
Votes in favour: 101 (57 per cent) | Against: 74 (42 per cent) | Invalid: 2
- Proposal 6: Limit office bearers (President, VP, Secretary, Treasurer) to four consecutive terms
Votes in favour: 44 (25 per cent) | Against: 125 (70 per cent) | Invalid: 8
- Proposal 7: Cap total service on the Board at 20 years per individual
Votes in favour: 28 (16 per cent) | Against: 139 (79 per cent) | Invalid: 10
None of the proposed amendments achieved the required 75 per cent majority, meaning no constitutional changes will be implemented at this time.
The Board of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW extended its sincere appreciation to all participating members for their presence and engagement in this pivotal governance process.
