WAAMA Document No.3 /2021

Minutes of the 3rd Meeting of the Fifth Standing Council of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic

Time:  8:30 am, April 16, 2021

Venue: Online Video Meeting, with Main Venue in Beijing

Participants: Members of the Standing Council: Liu Jianhua, Cheng Beiping, Lisa Wang,

          Nip Tin Sing, Chiu-Yung Hsiao, Alexsander K. Taslim, Chong Tai Kaw,

          Hwang Ho Joong, Loani Tahitu'a, Sally Chou

          Persons Attending the Meeting without Voting Rights: Jin Zhongying,

          Zhao Xiangyi, Wang Yanling, Wen Zhifang, Ni Xiaojing, Huang Wenkun,

          Mu Jingmei, Gao Jiaqi, Gao Chang

    On April 16, 2021, the 3rd Meeting of the Fifth Standing Council of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic (hereinafter referred to as “WAAMA”) was held in the form of online video. The meeting should be attended by 12 persons and was actually attended by 11 persons, (Mr. KudoToshikazu issued a letter of entrustment, entrusting Chairwoman Liu Jianhua to vote on his behalf). The number of people attending the meeting complied with the provisions of Article 22 of the Articles of Association of the meeting on convening meetings of the standing council. The meeting was chaired by Secretary-General Cheng Beiping. The topics of the meeting include: 1. The members of the standing council introduced their work in 2020 and the outlook for 2021, shared their experience and made work recommendations to WAAMA. 2. The secretariat reported on the new version of WAAMA’s Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Appraisal Certificate; Ms. Jin Zhongying from the Australian Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Inc., a member organization of WAAMA, introduced the situation of the trial use. 3. The meeting reviewed the application of Russian Abacus Maths of Mental arithmetic-AMMA to join WAAMA. 4. The meeting studied the holding of the 3rd meeting of the 5th council of WAAMA and the 8th Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition in South Korea in 2021. 5. Liu Jianhua, Chairwoman of WAAMA, made a speech.

    The main items discussed and decided at the meeting are summarized as follows:

    1. Members of the standing council present at the meeting respectively introduced the work done in 2020 and the work arrangements in 2021, shared the practice and experience of innovative online teaching activities in the context of the epidemic, and expressed the desire to restart the offline abacus and mental arithmetic communication activities.

    2. The secretariat of WAAMA reported to the standing council members on the pilot use of the new version of WAAMA’s Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Appraisal Certificate, gave a detailed introduction to the pilot plan, and recommended that more member organizations join the pilot plan, so as to jointly promote the pilot use of WAAMA’s appraisal certificate and propel the further development of grade appraisal.

    Jin Zhongying, President of Australia Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Inc., introduced to the standing council members attending the meeting the situation of the organization’s pilot use of the new version of WAAMA’s Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Appraisal Certificate, and shared the experience of promoting abacus and mental arithmetic education through the pilot.

    3. The meeting reviewed the application of Russian Abacus Maths of Mental arithmetic-AMMA, and voted to accept it as a non-Council member of WAAMA.

    4. The meeting studied the holding of the 3rd meeting of the 5th council of WAAMA and the 8th Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Competition in South Korea in 2021, and decided that the council meeting and the competition would be held online with WAAMA secretariat working out a detailed competition plan.

    5. Chairwoman Liu Jianhua made a speech. As Liu Jianhua said, although the COVID-19 had a great impact on WAAMA’s work in 2020, all member organizations have overcome difficulties, timely changed their way of thinking, innovated working methods, and carried out online activities, such as teacher training, teaching and research, and Q&A competitions, which enables WAAMA to achieve good results in theoretical research, academic exchanges, appraisal competitions, and membership activities. In 2021, WAAMA will further explore the intelligent-inspiring role of abacus and mental arithmetic education, adhere to the public welfare nature of the abacus and mental arithmetic education, and better serve the quality improvement and long-term development of abacus learners around the world. She made four suggestions: first, WAAMA shall strengthen organizational construction, improve service quality, and continuously expand the scope of its activities; second, the development of the global abacus and mental arithmetic business shall adhere to both “quality” and “quantity”, stick to the core of inspiring intelligence, further improve the quality of teaching, and expand the scope of popularization; third, WAAMA shall give full play to the leading role of academic research in its development, and organize various academic seminars to contribute to its scientific development; fourth, WAAMA shall work hard to promote international exchanges and cooperation, promote “experience sharing, information sharing, and joint organization of activities” among member organizations, and work together to open a new chapter in the global development of abacus and mental arithmetic.

    The members of the standing council attending the meeting fully affirmed the form of online video for this meeting and expressed their gratitude to the secretariat.

                            The World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic

                                            April 19, 2021