S-USIH Minutes 5.24.2012

S-USIH meeting call: May 24, 2012, meeting called 9:45am

All present: Andrew Hartman (president), Mike O’Connor (treasurer), Ben Alpers (chair of publications committee), David Sehat (chair of conference committee), Ray Haberski (secretary)

Final Report of 2011-2012 S-USIH excom

Andrew: made changes per suggestions from the officers

Ben: concern regarding the way the journal is reported

Journal will be responsibility of pub comm. According to the constitution

Section on journal did not make clear that the pub comm will be involved in the discussions about the journal

Supports ad hoc committee that reports to pub comm or have the chair of pub com chair the ad hoc com

Mike: journal would make a constitutional adjustment necessary not merely under the pub com

Ben: who supervises people editing the journal

David: Agrees with Mike, pub com will not oversee journal, need trustees, board of editors, and constitutional adjustment

Table structure of the journal for now

Ben: what is the structure of the exploratory committee about the journal

Publications com needs to be involved in discussion of the journal

Mike: include sentence in report in which we acknowledge changes to the constitution

Ben: objects to recommending a standing committee for the journal when the pub com is a standing com that oversees all publications of the society

David: include line to the effect: outgoing excom recommends a com be formed to explore the journal with a member of the pub com on that com

All agreed to add line in the final report regarding the final report

Mike: appreciate the work that Andrew did to write the report

Motion to approve final report with revisions, seconded by Ben

Vote:

Andrew: yes

David: yes

Ben: yes

Mike: yes

Ray: yes

Circulation of final report to all members?

David: would be good to show members what we have been doing

Ben: google docs posting of the final report

Andrew: email link to the members

Ben: email with Ray regarding docs and posting on google docs

Andrew: book prize report and final budget need to be included on the google doc list

Ben: suggested to link all members to budget and book prize and link from the blog to the final report

Report from officers

Andrew: final report is his report

Ray: update on blog and send Ben the new logo

Mike: letter from IRS, and this has been taken care of

Ana at CUNY sent the check to S-USIH. Small snag with mailing address with checks

Ben: blog changes—adding IRS disclaimer; ELQ is new blogger; blogging rules are close to be distributing

David: nothing much to report; deadline approaches; panel proposals are at 11 total so far; replying to people by August 1

The conference brings in members and the need for a diverse membership will depend on how the conference is created.  The need for diversity will drive the decisions of the conference committee

Proposed Change to the Bylaws

  • The treasurer shall maintain a conference fund for the express purpose of paying for the annual conference. The conference fund shall not be considered part of the general fund, and shall not be subject to the normal budgetary and requisition process. The initial amount of this fund shall be $3,250. Only the conference chair may authorize expenditures from the conference fund, and only for purposes related to administering the conference. The conference chair may not requisition monies from the general fund for any purpose related to the conference, and must return all revenue related to the conference to the conference fund. The conference chair is responsible for ensuring that the amount of revenue from the conference for which he/she is responsible is equal to or greater than the expenditures for the same event. Should the final revenues for a given conference exceed the final expenditures, the conference chair may, but need not, transfer to the general fund any amount up to and including the difference between these two sums.

Tabled from last meeting

We will receive the check from CUNY

Reserve fund for conference that is not part of the general fund

Move to approve, second

Andrew: yes

Mike: Yes

David: yes

Ben: yes

Ray: yes

Approved

Andrew: will report on this new bylaw in the final report

Andrew: will sit on the first meeting of the new excom

Ray: will start a google doc account for the society

All: good cheer and warm regards for the first year of working as an excom for S-USIH

Promises by all those leaving the committee to be helpful when needed and pains in the ass when not!

Meeting adjourned 10:42am EDT