Photo: Sean Crudden
Anne Muldowney trying to decide who to snap next
The annual assembly of IMPERO for 2014 took place in The Old Schoolhouse, Bellurgan, Jenkinstown, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland, starting promptly at 14:00 on Saturday 14 June 2014.
Present: Anne Muldowney, chairperson; Seán Crudden, secretary; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes, mentor; Kevin McGeough, joint-treasurer; Peter Murphy.
Apologies were received from Leonard Hatrick and Joan Hardy, joint-treasurer.
The meeting reminisced about the two deceased members of the committee of IMPERO: Ita Daly, president; Michael Farrelly, vice-chairperson. The archbishop concluded the discussion with a short extempore prayer, “May God give them rest. We hope they are with The Lord.”
The chairperson read aloud the minutes of General Assembly 2013 which were adopted unanimously on the proposal of the archbishop seconded by Peter Murphy.
The minutes referred to initiatives in 2013 on mental health by Obama and by The Vatican. The secretary admitted that he had no up-to-date information on where these initiatives had led.
The following team of officers for the coming year was approved unanimously. Leonard Hatrick, president; Mrs. Anne M Muldowney, chairperson; Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes, vice-chairperson; Seán Crudden, secretary: Kevin McGeough, treasurer; Peter Murphy, mentor. The role of mentor was discussed and the secretary praised the ground-breaking work of Joan Hardy who filled the role extremely competently for a number of years in the past.
The chairperson thought that the main role of the psychiatrist was to motivate their patients. “Do one deed every day to make someone else happy,” was her recipe.
The chairperson read aloud Mental Health Europe’s “Bucharest Manifesto.” The secretary sounded a caveat about consulting mental patients about the construction of The American Psychiatric Association’s 5th edition of their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM 5) and about the forthcoming revision of The International Classification of Diseases (ICD 10). “Personally I would not like to have anything to do with the composition of these manuals because I am only too well aware of the downstream effects of these manuals.”
Speaking on the Bill dealing with Mental Capacity and Assisted Decision Making currently on its way through The Oireachtas Seán Crudden said, “It is impenetrable, arcane, unserviceable, impractical.”
The meeting was keen to continue relations with the European Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (ENUSP). It also took a favourable view of efforts made in recent time in the field of adult education. Appreciation was expressed for the work of Sinéad Fearon of Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) who has given IMPERO great assistance in that regard during the past year.
Treasurer Kevin McGeough reported that there is €307 on deposit in the IMPERO reserve business account in Ulster Bank, 100 Clanbrassil Street Dundalk. The secretary is owed a small amount due to out-of-pocket expenses. Kevin agreed to draw up a statement of account for the year ending 31 December 2014.
Winter Interim Meeting, 14:00 Saturday 15 November 2014, Our Lady of The Wayside Church, Jenkinstown: Spring Interim Meeting, 14:00 Saturday 21 February 2015, OLOTW: General Assembly, 14:00 Saturday 13 June 2015, The Old Schoolhouse, Bellurgan.
The meeting lasted about an hour. Those attending took part in a little photography at the end.
Photo: Seán Crudden
Outgoing mentor, Archbishop Michael Desmond Hynes OMD PhD, seated, with incoming mentor, Peter Murphy.
Photo: Anne Muldowney
Seán Crudden and Archbishop Hynes with Lordship Credit Union in the background
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