Some words from the editors …
Before the summer starts we would like to send you this newest edition of our newsletter hoping that many of you are already receiving it as an e-mail attachment. Modern communication makes it easier to reach everywhere on this world within a very short time. 
Yet nothing is better than meeting in person - and thus we would like to invite you all to the next ICCCPO meeting in Luxembourg. It will be a great experience for us all. You will find the preliminary program in this newsletter. For the first time, there will also be an international meeting of survivors, who will have their program parallel to the parents meeting with presentations and workshops. A group of cyclists from Germany (all survivors) will arrive at the conference . For information on the survivors meeting contact Simone Mondelaers simondelaers@mail.be in Belgium. 
Also, you will read about the board elections. And we would like you to think about your nomination.
As SIOP meets in Brisbane (Australia) this year, only those living in the "other" end of the world will be able to attend that meeting. Of course, there will be a full parents program and those interested should sign up to receive it.
You will have realized that the ICCCPO website is not working quite the way it should be. We hope that it will soon be changed and an active interaction platform again, which should present you a lot of information - including the newsletter to be down loaded. Thus being easier available for many more readers. 
We are wishing you all a wonderful summer and hope see many of you in Luxembourg or Brisbane.
Gerlind Bode
Marianne Naafs

Back to Index

… and from the board

We hope that all ICCCPO-members and associate members did receive copies of the printed version of the Annual Report 1999-2000. This report was printed with the financial assistance of the Lisa Thaxter Trust (UK) and distributed by the Dutch organisation (VOKK).

The Executive Committee met for its mid-year meeting in February in Monza, Italy, where it was most generously hosted by the Comitato Maria Letizia Verga. The meetings took place in the brand new parent house and we visited the ward of the Hospital San Gerardo and exchanged ideas with Professor Giuseppe Masera, who is the chairman of the SIOP Psychosocial Committee.
We thank the Comitato and especially Pia Bonini and Rosanna Lupieri for their warm welcome. If your organisation wishes to host the Executive Committee for the mid year meeting in 2002, please contact Marianne Naafs or Mark Chesler (EC).

The EC wants to create a list of existing twinning programmes (parent organisation to parent organisation and / or paediatric cancer unit to paediatric cancer unit). If you know of any such twinning or cooperation between a developed and a developing country, please inform us (mc.naafs@vokk.nl).
Marianne Naafs
President

Back to Index

Board Elections
At each Annual General Assembly (AGA) elections are held for executive board members. Under the constitution the term of each board member is two years after which they can be re-elected for a further term.
The following board members have served a term of two years and offer themselves for re-election for a further term:

Marianne Naafs Wilstra (Holland)
Mark Chesler (USA)
Christine Wandzura (Canada)
David Orren( Israel)
Sadie Cutland from South Africa is retiring and not standing for re-election.

Nominations are now been called for Board positions. The nominations should be in writing with a brief background of the nominee and the skills they can offer as a board member. The nominations must reach the ICCCPO Secretariat no later than 30 June 2001 after which time the nominations will be circulated to member countries for consideration before voting at the Annual General Assembly to be held in Luxembourg in September 2001.

As ICCCPO is an international organisation global representation on the board is desirable.
Each board member is a volunteer who is required to fund their own travel costs and accommodation to attend board meetings. Outside board meetings, members volunteer a lot of time in performing their given tasks.

Simon Lala
Convenor - Elections Committee
Back to Index

Reduced Fees
We remind you that the yearly fee for ICCCPO membership is $500 USD. However, groups that do not have sufficient financial resources are permitted to apply to pay reduced fees. A minimum fee of $50 USD is required to enable a group to vote at the Annual General Assembly (this year in September in Luxembourg).
If you desire to request a reduced fee please write, fax (+734-7636887)or email (mchesler@umich.edu) Mark Chesler, ICCCPO Vice-Chair. Include information on your group's yearly income and budget and a specific statement indicating why your organization cannot pay the full amount. Indicate as well the amount you are willing and able to pay. 
Some ICCCPO members may be able to create a "twinning" arrangement whereby a group with adequate financial resources can pay the fee for a group with inadequate resources. Each group must make its own arrangements for such support. And, if one group is paying another group's membership fee on a reduced basis, that still must be requested in writing.
Remember, your membership fees (full or reduced) still are the principal source of income for the International Confederation. We are all dependent on everyone else making a reasonable effort to pay the full amount. Otherwise we will not be able to carry out the programs everyone benefits from.
Mark Chesler
Vice president
Back to Index

Making a Mark 2001
Is an exhibition of art by children touched by cancer. 
All patients and their siblings are invited to send in their art work to be exhibited in various places.
For more information contact:
Carol Herron
Arts and Medicine Program Coordinator
Texas Children's Hospital
Tel. +1 (832) 824-4104
Back to Index

International Childhood Cancer Day
ICCCPO is planning an international Childhood Cancer Day to help raise awareness globally, and to provide parent organizations with a vehicle to fund-raise for their local work. The proposal will be put to parents at the ICCCPO conference in September. If adopted, it is expected ICCCPO will declare the first international day in 2002.

A book report: 
Fly with a Miracle   by Sheila Belshaw
(London: Denor Press, 1999)
"A true story of personal courage and medical triumph" is a powerfully written report by the mother of a young man with osteosarcoma. Though Andrew has to be operated and intensively treated he manages to realize his dream and becomes a pilot. The gripping literary style makes this book very interesting and exciting.
Back to Index

Announcements

Back to Index