A medical scheme is only as strong as its Board of Trustees

Safeguard the future of your medical scheme by becoming both interested and involved in GEMS. One way to do this is to
participate in the upcoming GEMS Trustee election, which takes place between February and July when the tenure of three memberappointed Trustees will expire.

The Board of Trustees has an important responsibility of looking after the Scheme's administrative and financial affairs and to do
so in the best interests of the Scheme's members. It is therefore important that members strive to elect trustees who are honest, appropriately skilled and experienced to discharge the duties of a Trustee as they represent all the members of the Scheme. Registered principal members of the Scheme may be nominated or stand as candidates in the forthcoming election. Nomination Information and forms were sent to all members and the nomination phase closed on the 15 March 2014.

The voting process takes place from 21 April to 20 June. Once a nomination audit is completed a final list of candidates will be
prepared and published on the website. A ballot paper with the names of all the candidates will then be produced. GEMS members will receive special voting instructions and procedures explaining how to participate in the voting process. Postal votes, electronic votes and voting at polling stations based at regional helpdesks will make it both easy and convenient for members to participate in this, our fifth, GEMS Trustee election.

In accordance with the provisions of the Medical Schemes Act and the Rules of GEMS, the Board of Trustees is responsible for the proper and sound management of the Scheme. Subsequently, the persons elected to the Board must be fit and proper persons capable of holding and discharging an office of trust as contemplated in the Medical Schemes Act. As the effective governing of the affairs of the Scheme depends on the strength and integrity of the Board, you are urged to participate in this election. By participating in the election, members contribute directly to the election of trustees who have the appropriate attributes to make sure that GEMS continues to live up to its vision of being: "An excellent, sustainable and effective medical scheme for all public service employees".

After the elections, a notice with the names of the elected Trustees will be placed on the GEMS website by 16 July 2014. To ensure that the election remains free and fair an independent elections agency as well as an auditing firm will manage and
oversee the election process. Members are strongly encouraged to participate in order to make this the most meaningful GEMS Trustee election ever.