The General Assembly of the Club has the task of examining the Club's activity in the past year.

Approval of the Agenda
President's Report
Secretary's Report
Treasurer's Report
Approval of Final Balance 1988
Approval of Budget 1989
Proposal of Future Activities and International Collaboration
MBC Scholarships
New Memberships
Enlargement of MBC
Future Meetings
Unlisted Problems
Date and Place of the next Meeting
President's report
It is your President's pleasure to report that many positive developments have taken place during the brief period since our last Assembly. 1
shall only give a sketch of the highlights and let our able Secretary General expand on any point which may call for information.

1. International relations
The MBC is being increasingly acknowledged as a prime professional association and its cooperation is being increasingly solicited.

1. Within the United Nations Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR, 1990-2000) the MBC has been identified as its fire-prevention and burn care facility.
2. The Commission of European Communities (Common Market) looks upon the MBC as a strong link in its vast Civil Protection programme.
3. The World Association for Emergency and Disaster Medicine has strong links with the MBC as its principal thermal injury adviser.
4. The burns courses of the training programme of CEMEC (the European Centre for Disaster Medicine) and of ICDO (International Civil Defence Organization) are assured by the MBC through Professor Masellis's excellent department.
5. Through the same department the MBC is also part of the United Nations Emergency Data Collecting network.

2. International participation
Upon invitation, the MBC has been present and presented papers at:

1. Emergency 88 (London, 1988)
2. The International Medical Care Development Congress in Washington (August 1989)
3. Greek refresher course on Burns (January 1989) ISBI Rehabilitation refreshing Course, Yugoslavia (1989)
4. 6th World Conference on Emergency and Disaster Medicine, Hong Kong (September 1989)
5. French Burn Society (September 1989) and
6. Spanish International Symposium on Burns (October 1989)

3. Membership expansion
Membership in MBC is constantly increasing. We have started proceedings to contact Albania and Monaco so that MBC will be fully representative of the Mediterranean Basin.

4. International Civil Defence Organization
MBC has been officially nominated as a "Regional Training Centre" of ICDO. Additionally a special Agreement has been prepared on cooperation.

5. Training
This indeed is becoming a major and most worthwhile activity of MBC and the 1989 Course was a great success.

6. Scholarships
The ten annual scholarships given by MBC are an important contribution to quality burn care and something we can be proud of.

7. Burn disasters
The obvious expertise in MBC of disaster specialists is attracting much attention and it is the general feeling that we should expand our programme of burn emergencies to include disasters. This is a growing field in which we can be pioneers. 1 would personally encourage MBC members to join also the World Association for Emergency and Disaster Medicine.

8. The First World Congress on Burns and Fire Disaster
This will be held in Palermo in September 1990 and is a successful and logical outcome of note 7 above.

9. Journal
The ---ANNALSof the M13C" has established successful exchange mechanisms with other burn and disaster publications.

10. New commissions
In view of all these developments and expanded interests 1 would like to propose the creation of three new Commissions:

1. Commission for the Promotion of Burn Care Facilities in Mediterranean countries (contacts with governments, universities, hospitals)
2. Commission for Prevention of Burns and Fire Injuries
3. Commission on Nursing and Paramedical Professions.

11. The 4th General Assembly
This will be held in Rabat thanks to the invitation of our Morroccan friends.
In the meantime we all thank warmly our Egyptian friends for their tremendous work in hosting us in Cairo and wish the MBC every success.

William Gunn
President

Secretary General's report

1. It is necessary to mention the activity of 1988 which we already discussed in last year's Assembly, because later the final balance of 1988 has to be approved.
2. As said in the last Assembly - and I repeat what Is stated in the Minutes of the meeting - the activities of 1988 fell within those established in the three-year programme approved during the first Meeting in Palermo.
3. The Club follows three main directions:

1. Prevention
2. Promotion, cultural exchanges, and cooperation
3. Organization of a Centre for the coordination of all the activities.
4. In 1988, the prevention sector continued its activity of preparing didactic, illustrative material aimed at promoting prevention awareness. a 1) In particular, during the year, attention was directed not only to videotapes but also to other popularizing means, such as posters, colouring albums, notices and folders.

These were compiled with the collaboration of specialized persons - psychologists, cartoonists and architects - in order to find the most salient points to be illustrated. The work is not yet complete and we must all try to make useful suggestions for its full realization.
The experts have pointed out that each individual country may have specific features to be included in the prevention campaign. Regarding the best way of publicizing this material I would like to ask the Assembly. if it considers it useful to continue to use the Representatives of the individual countries, who would have the obligation of distributing the material, or possibly someone can suggest other methods. In order to reduce the production costs of this material the MBC has acquired apparatus for design management by means of which we are able to produce drawings and slides and to print part of them. This is the only way we can get round the very high cost of printing. So far the technical personnel used has been on a volunteer basis, without any administrative cost involvement.

a2) The prevention sector in 1989 once again resumed videotape production. Three have been made:

• The prevention of electrical burns in everyday life
• The prevention of industrial electrical accidents
• Prevention in disasters
• Other videotapes have been prepared, using a collage technique, of films of actual events or scenes taken from films. These can be used for teaching purposes and in refresher courses on nuclear problems and fires in general.

a 3) Printed material (posters, notices, etc.) has continued to be produced.

b) Promotion and Cultural Exchanges

b 1) In 1988 only seven scholarships were awarded, and of these only three have been taken up so far. In 1989 thirteen were awarded, the remaining two were put aside, as the winners for valid reasons were unable to take them up. We are of the opinion that they must do so by March; otherwise we will use the scholarships for 1990.
It sometimes happens that after awarding a scholarship we hear no more from the winner and the scholarship money remains unused!

b 2) Cultural Promotion
In 1988 the Club began to prepare the organizational activity of a Didactic Centre for refresher courses.
The financial commitment was not high as it was possible to use equipment in the Division of Plastic Surgery, which made it available for the Club. The second Meeting of the Club was organized in Palermo.

b 3) In 1989 the MBC contributed to the organization of the third Meeting, in Cairo.
The Directive Council has decided to support the Meeting - and it hopes to be able to do so every year also in favour of other organizing countries - both financially, with a contribution of 25 million lire and by preparing promotional material at the expense of the MBC (folders, headed notepaper, pamphlets, etc.).

b 4) The first Refresher course was held in Palermo in June 1989.

b 5) The MBC pays most of the cost of the journal -Annals of the MBC-, which succeeds in managing itself, thanks also to income from advertising.
The cost of the journal is related to the expenses of printing, linguistic advice, secretarial work, postage and stationery.
The journal has reached its sixth issue, and we have succeeded in publishing it regularly every three months, with a circulation of 3000 copies,(it is also sent to ISBI burns specialists and to other experts).
1 would point out that a letter was sent to all members informing them that the fourth issue of each year (December) is devoted to works that they wish to publish, while the first three contain the proceedings of the annual Meetings.

b 6) Valid relations have been set up with the publishers of several other journals, which publish the contents of our issue, as we publish theirs.

c 1) In 1989 the Club began to acquire the necessary equipment to set up in the Club a Centre for bibliographical research available for all.
This work began in 1989 and at the same time the delicate work of collecting all the bibliographical data, with relevant summaries, is also in progress.
It is expected to finish the work by the end of 1990.

c 2) The Centre will be equipped with a Modem for computer link-ups by telephone.

c 3) The Secretariat has acquired a fax machine, as announced in the Annals.

c 4) We are also preparing a Centre for the collection and processing of images; we will give further information when we can.

3. 1. The final budget is submitted for our approval.
If anyone wishes to examine the balance Dr Sferrazza, the Treasurer, will make it available.
It reflects what was established in the 1987 budget and fortunately it was possible to close in parity.

3. 2. 1 will also present the budget for 1989, which reflects what was established in the three-year budget you approved in 1986 at the first Meeting. It is articulated along the three directives that we already mentioned.

3. 3. Speaking of the approval of budgets, 1 have to submit to your attention an administrative procedure suggested to us by our Bank. If this procedure has your approval it would allow us to overcome certain bureaucratic conditions which the Italian law and the Sicilian Regional law, which regulate our financing, impose if certain deadlines are not respected. 1 will present the text to you and 1 ask for your approval, together with your approval of the budget.
"The constitutive law of the MBC provides that settlement of the contribution shall be made after the General Assembly has approved the balance and at the latest in the month of June of every year.
Since for organizational reasons the Assembly meets after that date, the supply of the contribution undergoes consequent delay.
Therefore, to obviate this inconvenience, we ask the Assembly to approve the acceptance of a bank financing as an advance on contributions from public and private bodies.
The Assembly also approves the issue of a special power of attorney for the collection of the said contributions and ct)nfers power for the preparation of the relevant deeds".

Dr Sferrazza communicates the excellent news that he is still able to balance the budget. The accounts are available for inspection.

5. 1. The MBC has been invited to organize the first International Conference on Burns and Fire Disasters.

5. 2. We have been involved in the holding of courses outside the Mediterranean area.
This years we have been invited to Lahore in Pakistan. As this is the first experience, I felt, as also the President, that we could involve only Italian colleagues, who are participating as a favour in this new experience which we wish to test. If the experience proves positive, all Members will certainly be involved in turns as done in the June course in Palermo. It is my opinion that the MBC should be present if invited, but with a guarantee of dignity and scientific efficiency.

5. 3. The ICDO has invited us to hold training courses for Mediterranean countries and Africa. It is our intention to use all MBC colleagues in these biennial courses, which will be held in Palermo, so that Club equipment can be used.

6. 1. It is necessary to elect this member for the award of the scholarship in 1990.

7. New Members Wishing to Join the Club
The list is presented to you for your approval. We are pleased that so many specialists want to

8. 1990 Meeting
The proposal by our colleaugues from Morocco to hold the next Meeting in Rabat is still valid. The date will be end November or December.

8. 1. Aim of the Meeting: The need for Burns Centres 1 n developing countries - Themes: Prevention, Management of acute burn patients, Sequelae, Organization of Burn Centres.
I have received a telephone call from Dr. Derfoufi who told me on behalf of Prof. Belmahi that he xAas not present here because of unavoidable engagements: he formally confirmed their willingness to hold the Meeting in Morocco in 1990.
If any colleague wishes to request to organize the Meeting after next, he is invited to do so officially c~en now.,

9. 1. Some members have suggested the institution of some study commitees within the MBC. We think this proposal is useful. In particular the following committees could be set up:

• Committee for prevention (Ferrara, Rosemberg)
• Committee for the study and analysis of structures existing in the Mediterranean area (Zdravic, Joannovich)
• Committee for nurse support (Palanque, Quattrim, Cavallaro).

It would be useful to approve their constitution and the number of their constituent members and to entrust to a restricted number a study of operational plans. With regard to this I wish to read you a letter.

9. 2. 1 received the following letter from our Spanish colleagues: The Spanish members of MBC, in consideration of the fact that Dr Banuelos is representative member of the ISBI and of the EBA, propose the nomination of Dr Francisco Martelo Villar, as Representative Member of MBC.

9. 3. Participation of the Club in the scientific activities of various countries.

• At Metz in France, where our colleagues organized the Annual Congress of the efficient French Burns Society.
• At Leon in Spain, where the Secretary General of the International Symposium on Burns and I saw the foundations laid for the constitution of the Spanish Burns Society.
• The President was invited to several important international meetings, as stated in his Report.

M. Masellis
Secretary General