ON THE 16TH OCTOBER 2001, the first
planning meeting for FTM Australia was held.
Twelve FTMs and Transmen turned up for a day of
planning and socialising, including three who
drove down from Newcastle especially for the
day. We were an inspiring mix of old timers and
just barely starting down the road with a
generation of experience between us.
Jasper, one of the first well-known Transmen,
gave a short introduction of himself, having
transitioned in 1991 at the age of 29 years. He
spoke of feelings of isolation during this time
and how important it is to build up a history of
our community and to provide services for those
who are questioning. Next, the 10 guys who
nominated for a role within FTM Australia were
accepted. The rest of the day was taken up with
identifying the priorities for the coming
year.
At first, a great number of needs and demands
were identified. After a well-earned break for
lunch, the group prioritised five top items
being Workshops and support groups, Health &
medical information, Newsletter, Funding,
Promotion of FTM Australia. This meeting
concluded with drafting a press release to begin
promotion of the fledgling organization.
TWO WEEKS LATER, on the 28th October, we met
once again to continue the planning. Thanks to
the hospitality of Steve and his extraordinarily
supportive family, we had an fantastic day.
Firstly, the question of Board Members was
addressed. Ultimately, we decided that all ten
of the nominees, including two more who had
nominated in the meantime, would be Board
Members. Ten categories were identified. The
priorities from the previous meeting were
grouped within these categories. After a quick
sweep around the group to see who would
volunteer to handle which project, every
category had at least two Board Members. Three
Coordinators volunteered to be the "on-call"
personnel to trouble-shoot any problems that may
arise in between Board Meetings.
The meeting concluded by 3pm with the
departure of our Honorary Treasurer and daughter
departing for Sydney. The day slipped into a
really pleasant afternoon, relaxing and
socialising around the remains of lunch.
SUMMARY
To date - this is what we have achieved so
far:
- Planning Meetings in October 2001
- Board Members identified
- Priorities for FTM Australia for 1
year
- Categories and volunteers agreed on
- Some roles agreed upon - publications,
youth liaisons, peer support, treasurer,
medical and surgery support,
- Media Release to service providers
- Postage and publication support from
Men's Health and Resource Centre for
2002
- Confidentiality Agreement drafted, agreed
upon and accepted
- 14 Contact Individuals throughout
Australia in different states
- Newsletter name agreed upon
- 32 FTM Australia memberships approved and
accepted
JackP, JackG, and Steve
Citation
— Jack P. (2001) FTM Australia
report, November 2001.
