I realise that the DAS Special General Meeting to be held at 3 – 4 pm on 1 April 2026 is at an inconvenient time for most if not all. Members can not be expected to use fuel, especially two days before the Easter period. However, please take the time to read some background to the nasty Special General meeting notice sent to late yesterday on behalf of the DAS committee.

The last DAS Committee meeting that I attended was 26 September 2025. Prior to the meeting I had sent an agenda to all committee members, There were no additions to that agenda. The meeting was chaired by Wendell Peacock in Lisa Wiseman’s absence.

Wendell declared the meeting open at 10am. Lynne McNairn then complained that I had phoned her (regarding the opening of the next exhibition).

Carol Rose then accused me of losing $15 on a workshop, and Wendell supported Carol, stating that payment should have been sought as funding was available to pay for the workshop.

The alleged workshop was not a workshop, but a holiday activity for students attending Joey’s pre-school in school holidays, designed to attract the participation of young people in DAS activities. Carol Rose had approved the expenditure of $30 for poly clay for the children to use in an activity taught, free of charge, by Lisa Wiseman. $15 was donated by Joey’s pre-school toward costs.

None of this attack on my professional integrity was minuted by Lynne McNairn in her minutes dated 25 September.

It was made very clear to me that Carol Rose, Wendell Peacock and Lynne McNairn did not wish me to continue as DAS secretary.

On 28 September 2025 I notified Janet Sternbeck by email of my immediate resignation from the position of secretary of DAS.

On 28 September, while on roster at DAS, I placed a thumb drive with the 500MB of all DAS files Lisa Wiseman and I had generated 2023 – 2025. I have phone and email records of my discussions with Janet regrading the files on the thumb drive. Janet replaced my thumb drive with a blank drive.

I remained in frequent contact by email, text and phone calls with Janet until 28 November 2025 and then provided further information on 15 February. I have phone records of all communication with Janet.

On 13 October 2025 I had a 22 minute 13 second phone conversation with Paris, providing her with information I sought from Lisa Wiseman. On 14 October I provided further information to Paris Goodman in a text message. I have records of these sessions. I did not keep the abusive email sent to me by Paris when Lisa was unable to talk to her while Lisa was driving to an appointment.

All the information and files relating to the DAS website were written by Lisa and sent to me to file as secretary. They were on the thumb drive that Janet has. That information included log in and contact details for domain hosting. These were minuted at a meeting in August 2025 and were in the Minutes folder on the thumb drive given to Janet. The information was also sent to Carol Rose when Lisa had to be reimbursed for payment of domain name and hosting.

On 27 January 2026, as a financial member of DAS, I wrote to Wendell Peacock requesting copies of minutes of all general and committee meetings held from 28 September 2025. The minutes i received on 11 February contain no financial statements. The minutes of the committee meeting 26 September 2025 state that Carol Rose presented a Treasurer’s report (attached). There was no report attached to the minutes sent to me.

The minutes of the committee meeting of 22 October 2025 regarding a new DAS website state, Janet is, “To advise Paris Goodwin that the committee has approved the spending and contract to be sent for signing”. The minutes of 19 November committee meeting state that, “preference is for Paris to bill us on a quarterly basis. Nowhere in the minutes is there mention of quotes being sought for a website. Nor is there any evidence of Paris Goodwin’s qualifications as a web developer. Her website states that her business is in Melbourne, where she worked as a diving instructor. her business website has no updates since 2021 Paris Goodwin – Digital Marketing Consultancy

I worked seven days a week for the just over the two years of being secretary for DAS. In that time I took on the roles of roster person, membership secretary, minutes secretary and workshop convenor when the people in those positions resigned without notice and no member of DAS would take on those roles.

All sponsorship sought and obtained was to maintain a healthy term deposit for DAS, and I supported the former treasurer to the best of my ability.

At the AGM in July 2025 Wendell Peacock stated that DAS was holding far too many general meetings and should be holding committee meetings. To the best of my knowledge there have been no general meetings since that AGM and no minutes of any meetings sent to members. I have a huge concern for the financial viability of DAS, and as a member a concern for my responsibility should DAS become bankrupt. I therefore give one month notice of my resignation from DAS, effective 30 April 2026.

A very sincere thank you to those of you who supported me during my time as secretary, and who often assisted with advice and encouragement.

Best wishes,

Lorraine Wiseman