The special general meeting held in Canberra on 15 December was something of a milestone. Several major decisions were made put the Federation in a strong position to meet the challenges of the future.

Major decisions made at the meeting were:

1. Changes to the constitution. If you would like a copy of the new constitution, just contact us (contact details at the end of this issue). The constitution also makes great bedtime reading. If you have trouble getting to sleep, start reading and you’ll be snoring by page 3.

2. Our name (as you will have already noticed at the top of the page) is now Australian Film Societies Federation Inc. After an exhaustive debate and voting process, this name emerged as the people’s choice. It might sound a bit strange at first, but by this time next year it will be part of the furniture.

3. Election of the Executive. The Executive comprises seven members, and the following were elected:

President: James Sandry; Vice president: Richard Keys; Secretary: Michael Lines-Kelly: Treasurer: Megan Finlayson; Other officers: Brian Dunne, Bryan Putt and Hilton Prideaux.

But the best thing about the meeting was that everyone there was more interested in talking about film than constitutions and legal rigmarole. Before and after the business sessions, little groups gathered to discuss what they were programming; who distributes what; comparisons of different digital formats, and so on.