APATHY: It's easier to cool down a fanatic, than warm up a corpse.

I'm a little disappointed in the ACMP. No one seems to care about apathy any more. Have we become so myopic about our immediate world we don't have time, or perhaps even care any more, to contribute our greater one?

Take copyright, for example: copyright issues concern us all. I wrote to 600 photographers, asking for help for Chris Shain on the copyright committee. I received two responses. Only two. Mind you, they were two good responses and we needed only two, but what happened to the rest of you? Are you no longer concerned about the issues of copyright? Do you assume the battle is over? You're all too quick to bloody whinge when nothing gets done - well, how do you expect it to get done if no one is prepared to do it? Are we all babies that have to be hand-fed by others? It's time we all contributed to more than just our wallets.

THE KIDS HELP LINE WAS THE SAME
A simple request: I asked photographers donate a signed image - to be auctioned to raise funds. Just one image. Once again I received two responses. That's all. Just two. Extraordinary.

The Kids Help Line runs a telephone service for kids needing help. Some of the calls are about "Do I take the Gladwrap off the chook, before I put it in the oven?" Others are more serious and are concerned with suicide. And homicide. Because of lack of funds, they operate the service only 50% of the time. And I get two responses? Are we really too busy and self-important in our businesses to take a few minutes to organise a print and sign it? Hell! These could be your own kids asking for help when you aren't available, or you are out of town. Shame on you.

The request still stands: Signed prints to be auctioned to raise funds for the Kids Help Line. Also someone who is prepared to help - someone who would like to handle the organising of it. Call me.

Australia has often been referred to as the Lucky Country - well, Australia is made up of Australians, so I guess that's makes Australians 'lucky' - but until Australians relegate apathy and negativity to the garbage dump of unused words, Australia will not be a Lucky Country, or even a Clever Country. She will be more of a Silly Country.

Negativity and apathy are the curse of Australia. For example, the phrase 'The tall poppy syndrome' exists only in Australia (and New Zealand). No one, anywhere else in the world, understands what it means. Most are amazed that in a country the size of Australia, with such a small population, there are so many who spend so much time ripping apart those folk who are actually trying to do something about the way we live and about our future. Call these people fanatics if you will, but (in the words of Brother Andrew) "It is easier to cool down a fanatic than warm up a corpse".

Come on photographers. Put down your chilled glasses of Chardonnay for five minutes and get off your bums.

ACMP BETTER BUSINESS DOCUMENTS
I know, I know. The Board's been promising these for ages. Well, you know how it is - apathy simply set in and everyone sat back with their chilly glasses and did nothing. Not true. They have been written, examined by two lawyers, approved by The Board, re-written, sent back to The Board and approved, designed by Ros Hyndman and about to go to the printers. These things take time and can be very frustrating to work on and our thanks go to Denis Montalbetti and his team of Julian Watt and Tony Page for having the perspicacity and tenacity to see them through.

COLLECTIONS 7, 8 AND 9
For the past few months David Roche and I have been busy negotiating with the Gold and Silver sponsors for the ongoing funding for Collections Seven, Eight and Nine.

As members of the ACMP we should NEVER FORGET that without the generosity of sponsors like Fuji and Canon over the past six years, the ACMP Collection would never have seen the light of day. It is all too easy, in the excitement of hanging a new exhibition, or opening the new Collection book, to be seduced by the chat and bubbles and forget those who - with both their vision and their hard cash - made it all possible.

I would like to take this opportunity of thanking Andrew McCallum of Hanimex and Stuart Poignand for their support for the ACMP Collection over the past six years.

Sadly, we will not be seeing quite as much of Andrew in the future - he has been promoted and is now Senior Category Manager, for Mini labs, Hardware and Consumables at Hanimex. Jacques Guerinet, who mostof us know well from his involvement in the Barossa Valley Weekends, will be moving up to Sydney to take care of us. We welcome him aboard and look forward to working with him.

Stuart Poignand is also moving onwards and upwards having just been promoted to Marketing Manager of the Photo and Video Group of products including Professional. Alan Brightman will be taking over his role in the Professional and Government Sales area.

I would like to take this opportunity of thanking them both, for the enormous contribution they have made to our members and Professional Photography in Australia and wish them well in their new positions. Hopefully there will still be time, from time to time, to have the occasional 'Glass of Sandwich' with them.

GOODBYE
Writing this column will be my last duty as Federal President. For business and family reasons I am also 'moving on'. My replacement will be Guy Little from Victoria - I wish him well and a sympathetic ear if he needs one! I have enjoyed my time wearing your President's hat and getting to know you all a little better; I will continue my involvement with AAIM. More of that later.

Peter Adams Federal President, ACMP

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