Chaitanya, Shimoga, August 02, 2022: The Thirty Third Annual General Body Meeting of the Shimoga Multipurpose Social Service Society was held on 02 August 2022 at Chaitanya, Shimoga. The meeting began at 9.30 AM with prayer led by Rev. Fr Stephen Maxi Albuquerque. Rev. Fr Stany DSouza welcomed all the members, especially the three new members in the persons of Rev. Fr George K. A., Sr Theresa Mascarenhas SCB, and Mrs Babitha Marina D’Sa. The President of SMSSS, Most Rev. Dr Francis Serrao SJ presided over the meeting. All the members were present for the meeting. The president declared the meeting legal as there was the required quorum.
After presenting the minutes of the Thirty Second Annual General Body Meeting and getting them approved, the Secretary of SMSSS, Rev. Fr Clifford Roshan Pinto presented the annual report of the Governing Board of SMSSS for the year 2021-22. The Report was presented under the following heads: (1) Women Empowerment; (2) Education and Development; (3) Natural Resource Management; (4) Good Governance; (5) Health and Development; (6) Capacity Building and (7) Covid-19 Response. All the members appreciated the tremendous work of the Society. The members appreciated the efforts of SMSSS in responding to the struggle of the people during the Covid-19 lockdown and thereafter with special projects for income generating activities. The support provided by way of food grains and medicine to the poorest of the poor was noteworthy. The President appreciated the remarkable work of the Society and noted that transparency and accountability is visible in all the activities. A healthy relationship is built between SMSSS and most of the local Government offices. The work of SMSSS is well known and well accepted by the Society. With positive observations Rev. Fr Francis Fernandes proposed that the annual report of SMSSS for the year 2021-22 be accepted and Sr Marie Evelyn AC seconded the same. The members adopted the annual report unanimously.
After the presentation of the annual report the Secretary presented the audited statement of accounts for the year 2021-22. Rev. Fr Stephen Maxi Albuquerque proposed that the audited statement of accounts comprising of the Receipts and Payments Account, the Income and Expenditure Account and the Balance Sheet be accepted. Rev. Msgr Felix Joseph Noronha seconded the same. The members present adopted the audited statement of accounts unanimously.
In his presidential address Most Rev. Dr Francis Serrao SJ noted that the progress is very much visible. Lot of importance is given for conducting various trainings and awareness programs. The increase in the number of Family Development Program partner families and the steady increase in the number of ICDP beneficiaries is a great help for the poor families. He noted the need of setting up a fulltime counselling centre so that several individuals who go into depression could be helped. He praised the committed, transparent hard work of the Secretary and the commitment of the Staff and wished all of them all the very best. Rev. Fr Francis Fernandes thanked everyone, especially the Secretary and all who toiled for the success of the meeting. The meeting ended with concluding prayer led by Rev. Msgr Felix Joseph Noronha.
