Some months ago, I informed you of the plans to establish a network or group of schools under a common umbrella organisation, that would help to strengthen GPCC and support the flourishing of member schools. The GPCC Ltd Board has established the Melos Foundation (MF) and at a company members’ meeting before Easter, the members voted to join the Foundation as its initial school member. This means the current School Board, made up of people drawn from the company’s membership (enrolled members of Green Point Baptist Church) have resigned and handed over governance of the school to the Directors of the Melos Foundation.

Ensuring qualified and capable governance is vital to the on-going well-being of any school. The initiative for the MF came from the GPCC Ltd Board recognising the need for long term quality governance for the school and that the Church may struggle to provide that into the future. Releasing the governance to the MF Directors, means the Church can focus on supporting the school in other ways, such as through our Kids Hope project.

The current GPCC Ltd Chair, Dr Kevin Sproats, is the founding Chair of the Melos Foundation and Pastor Phil Blair of Green Point Baptist Church is also a Director. In 2020 the GPCC Ltd Board appointed Mr Craig Ayling, a past parent of GPCC to the Board and he is also a MF Director along with Mr David Bartlett who is a past parent of GPCC as well. The existing Board members of GPCC Ltd have become members of the Foundation as will the Directors of all joining schools.

Our proposed new school for autistic children (Yattalunga Valley Christian School), will be a member of the MF as will the school we plan to establish in Brewarrina. We are in process with another Christian school to join and in discussion with a number of others.

I have been appointed as the Executive Principal of the Melos Foundation with our school Business Manager, Mr Michael Lowbridge appointed as the Executive Business Manager. For GPCC, it means little change. Michael and I continue in our current roles although, as membership of the Foundation grows, we will be spending more time with other members. The Foundation will be funded by a fee for service system with its members so while GPCC will make its own contribution to operating costs, no GPCC funds will be expended on other schools. Each member school remains a separate entity with its own funding as a protection for each other should any one member get into financial difficulty.

Feel free to explore the Melos Foundation website :  https://www.melosfoundation.com.au and contact me if you have any questions.

Phillip Nash