WAAMA Document No.1/2018
Minutes of the 3rd Meeting of the 4th Council of WAAMA
Meeting time: November 30, 2017
Meeting place: No.3 conference room of third teaching building, Shanghai National Accounting Institute
Attendees: Council members - Zhang Hongli, Wang Chaocai, Zuo Jun, Liang Yurong, Wang Jianxin, Li Xiulian, Wang Xin Guo, Chen Guozhong, Li Weibin, Zhou Limin, Lu Ping, Wang Jiadong, Zhang Xinji, He Lin, Hong Xinhua, Yuan Jilin, Ammon Ng, Diana Cheng, Nip Tin Sing, ,Nina Nip, Yeh, Tseng-Yi, Yang Chengyan, Li Sheng, Hadi Hamza, Alexsander K. Taslim, Hwang Ho Joong, Wong Hoon WAN, Huey-Chiang Huang
Secretariat staff - Wang Yanling, Wen Zhi Fang, Mi Huizhen, Ni Xiaojing, Liu Qinying, Zhao Xiangyi, Mu Jingmei, Niu Teng, Cui Chunshi
President Zhang Hongli chaired the 3rd Meeting of the 4th Council of the World Association of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic (hereinafter referred to as WAAMA).The council member discussed the work of WAAMA in the year of 2017, the issue on general election in the year of 2018, the competition form and arrangement in the year of 2018. The meeting attendees should be 12 people, actually 8 people present at the meeting. All participants of meeting made a heated discussion about the work of WAAMA and put forward suggestions.
Mr. Wang Chaocai, Secretary-General, on behalf of President Zhang Hongli made the work report at the meeting. The meeting heard and deliberated his report.
Mr. Wang Chaocai reported the work from the following several aspects. i. The 3rd Executive Council Meeting of the 4th Council was held in Djakarta of Indonesia on June 5, 2017; ii. All member units actively organized various forms of academic exchanges, seminars, competitions, appraisals and trainings on abacus and mental arithmetic; iii. Enhancing website construction and expanding social influence; iv. Completing annual inspection in accordance with regulations; v. Intensifying contacts with relevant units; vi. Strengthening member management; vii. Information about membership application; viii. Issue on correcting the membership of Association of Professional Abacus Education (HK) Limited, Hong Kong SAR, China; ix. Doing good preparation work for the 5th Education Academic Exchange Seminar on Abacus and Mental Arithmetic and the 3rd Meeting of the 4th Council of WAAMA. The report pointed out that Secretariat has worked hard for the year and has achieved positive results, but some difficulties they met in their work, such as the communication with member units, payment of membership dues and assistance in WAAMA website operation. Hope all these difficulties can arouse everyone's attention to make each member give their active support to related work.
In addition, he also put forward some suggestions for next year's work arrangements and deployment, such as: i. According to the Charter, WAAMA will hold a general assembly to conduct general election; ii. We will hold the 7th Competition of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic of WAAMA; iii. We will further to improve the portal website of WAAMA; iv. We will promote diversified exchanges of member units; v. We will properly support the production of the propaganda documentary of Chinese Zhusuan; vi. We will actively cooperate with CAMMA to continue studies in subjects such as ethnology and brain mechanisms for children’s intellectual potential development through teaching abacus and mental arithmetic; vii. We will strengthen work contacts between the Secretariat and member units and continue to properly handle daily work of the Secretariat; viii. We will strengthen human resources of the Secretariat and employ some staff to provide manpower guarantee for the future work.
President Zhang pointed out that we should not simply think of general assembly in the next year is just election meeting. We should pay more attention on the work of WAAMA. We should positively promote the extensiveness of activities and build up our organization by attracting more members of different countries. With regard to the competition, we have always stressed that competition should promote popularity of abacus and mental arithmetic. On the issue of competition, in the past we are concerned about the selection of elite players, but in recent years our work direction has been adjusted. Although it is important to win awards, the competition should not be the same. We should pay attention to various forms of competition. To promote popularity of abacus and mental arithmetic by competition, we need to make changes in terms of rules and regulations. We are not purely select high-level player. We must pay more attention to popularization and the function of enlightenment of abacus and mental arithmetic. Development of education is our goal. Abacus-based mental arithmetic can improve children's attention and space imagination and etc. The abacus-based mental arithmetic calculation training is a means, but not the only way to improve children’s attention and memory. The role of space imagination is being explored. Abacus-based mental arithmetic education is not something that can be performed at a certain stage. It has to be sustained. In addition, we should give attention to the cultivation of talents and research on subjects. With regard to website work, President Zhang pointed out WAAMA website has been set up. It is a free platform. How to play a good role in this platform, we need to have the support from each member unit by providing information reference to enrich the content of the website. Therefore, to establish wholesome and necessary contact with the member units is a prerequisite. The construction and development of our website depends on everyone, we hope everybody should care about the website and support the website construction. At present, the WAAMA website has made great improvements in form and content, I hope everyone can make full use of this site to enhance mutual exchanges. In addition, in order to expand publicity and communication, WAAMA will be jointly with Chinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association (CAMAA)to shoot Zhusuan propaganda film.
Vice President Yeh, Tseng-Yi proposed that it was not easy to establish WAAMA and we have made some progress in our work under the leadership of President Zhang. From the point of view of the development of abacus and mental arithmetic cause, it is hoped that all the member units will unite as one rather than just thinking about themselves from a business perspective. At present, CAMAA has given WAAMA great deal of help in funding. Some of our member units should actively exam their question on non-payment of membership fees. With regard to the question of the membership of the private institution, I think it is difficult for us to manage the private institution after they join WAAMA. We must make rules and regulations to restrain the private institute. We should pay more attention to the role of abacus and mental arithmetic in the field of science and technology, instead of simply promote the work from the commercial direction. Otherwise, the direction of our work will be biased. Our goal is how to protect Zhusuan, which is an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The council members think that the work report is comprehensive and detailed. They put forward many good suggestions for the arrangement of general assembly and competition in the next year.
After careful discussion of council members, the meeting formed the following resolutions:
I. Passed the work report made by Mr. Wang Chaocai.
II. The general assembly will be held in Bandung, Indonesia from July 27 to July 29 of 2018. During the conference, the 7th competition of abacus and mental arithmetic will also take place at the same time. The time for answering question in the competition is changed from 5 minutes to 3 minutes. The competition totally has four group contests. On the premise of strict confidentiality, one set of test paper is available for each group contest. Competition does not restrict the number of participants of each member unit, but the total number of entries restricted. There are 9 reserved places for each member. Each member unit needs to predict in advance both the number of participators in each group contest and the total number of participators. Those member units that do not provide their number of participators in advance will only have 9 reserved registration places. The registration of the competition should be carried out in advance. The deadline for registration is on May 20, 2018.
III. The meeting discussed membership applications submitted by Growth Point Center from Russia, UK-SINO GUILD LTD from the UK, Hebei Zhusuan Association from China and etc.
The World Association of Abacus ad Mental Arithmetic
Jan. 12, 2018