Extraordinary General Meeting to resolve the matter involving 2 bronze drums and 6 wooden drums and to decide on the Review Panel’s Report Recommendations

March 6, 2023March 6, 2023

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

Melbourne, 2^nd March 2023

The Executive Committee cordially invites members of the Vietnamese Community in Australia–Victorian Chapter (VCA-VIC) to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting to pass resolutions on the following two matters:

1. Community assets:

Two bronze drums; and
Six wooden drums

The above assets have been stored at the Community Activity Centre for many years. The specifics are as follows:

On the two bronze drums: on December 31, 2022 Ms Nguyen Thien Giang sent an email stating that they belonged to Ms Hoang Kim Chau and now she wanted them back.
On the six wooden drums: on January 13, 2023, former VCA-VIC President, Ms Nguyen Phuong Vy sent an email stating that she had borrowed them from the Vietnamese Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and needed to return them. She also affirmed that at that time, she did not complete any necessary paperwork for this transaction between the two organisations.
According to the Handover Minute signed on October 31, 2022 between the two Executive Committees for the term 2019-22 and 2022-25, there are no records indicating that the previous Executive Committees had borrowed any assets from anyone or any organisation.
Clause 11 – Community Assets in the current VCA-VIC Constitution states that:
- 11.1. Community assets include movable and immovable property, debts and bank account balances.
- 11.2. All forms of mortgage, transfer or sale of real estate shall be subject to the approval of an absolute majority of ¾ members present at the Annual General Meeting or Extraordinary General Meeting.
On February 16, 2023, the Executive Committee and the Advisory and Monitoring Council met and discussed in detail how to resolve this matter in a fair and reasonable manner. We have agreed:
- This is not a dispute over the ownership of the aforementioned drums;
- The Executive Committee needs to adhere to the Constitution, therefore it shall hold an Extraordinary General Meeting as soon as practical to pass resolutions.
- The Executive Committee emailed Ms Nguyen Thien Giang and Ms Nguyen Phuong Vy formally inform them of the meeting outcome and invite them to attend the Extraordinary General Meeting to present the matter.

2. Resolution on the Review Panel’s Report Recommendations on the implementation of the Vietnamese Australian Cultural Center and Museum Project:

It is anticipated that the Review Panel will give the Executive Committee the Report after its presentation on March 19, 2023. Once the Executive Committee has it, we will inform you in detail.

The Extraordinary General Meeting on the above-mentioned two matters will be held with the following details: