University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta
May 25, 15h15-16h25
Present: John Van Seters, Robert Culley, Lloyd Gaston, John Sandys-Wunsch, Diane Wudel, Ritva Williams, Steven Muir, F. V. Greifenhagen, James Linville, Roy Jeal, Michele Murray, David Bergen, Dietmar Neufeld, Anne Moore, Cecilia Wassen, Mary Louise Mitchell, Steve Wilson, John L. McLaughlin, Lissa Wray, Adrian Leske, James Linville, Ehud Ben Zvi, Andy Reimer, William Alexander, Mary Ann Beavis, Eileen Schuller, Colleen Shantz, Edith Humphrey, Tony Cummins, Nicola Denzey, John Marshall, Peter Richardson, Iain Provan, David Hawkin, John F. Horman, Jo-Ann Badley, Marion Taylor, Harold Remus, Margaret Macdonald, Tony Chartrand-Burke, Keir Hammer, David Jobling, Terry Donaldson, John Kloppenborg, Daniel Smith, Jim Knight, Tyler Williams, Bradley McLean, Richard Ascough, Fred Wisse, J. Richard Middleton, William Klassen, Wayne O. McCready, Dilys Patterson, Rebecca Idestrom, Daniel Fraikin, Michel Desjardins, William Morrow.
1. Approval of the Agenda
The agenda was approved as circulated (Morrow/Remus).
2. Approval of the Minutes
The minutes of the last Annual General Meeting (June 2, 1999) were approved
as circulated (Fraikin/McLaughlin).
3. President's Report
John Van Seters began by thanking those present for having come, and Executive
members for their work. He stated that the society was in good health.
He announced the death of Harvey J. Kugelmass, noting that an obituary would appear in an upcoming issue of Studies in Religion/Sciences Religieuses. This announcement was followed by a minute of silence.
4. Executive Secretary's Report
Michel Desjardins announced the dates of the CSBS meeting at next year's Congress,
set to take place at l'Université Laval: Thursday May 24 through Saturday
May 26 (Congress dates are May 23-30).
Terry Donaldson's book, Religious Rivalries and the Struggle for Success in Caesarea Maritima (ESCJ 8), emerging out of the Religious Rivalries Seminar, has just appeared and will be available the following day at the WLUP display.
The Second Mailing was sent electronically (only) to members with email access, and book announcements and other news will continue to be sent to members electronically as they are received (keep that information coming!).
Concerning the Humanities and Social Sciences Federation of Canada (HSSFC), which now represents more than 24,000 researchers in 68 learned societies (including ours) and 69 universities and colleges across Canada (http://www.hssfc.ca/), there are four recent points to report: SSHRCC travel grant funding is about to be reviewed, and society members are encouraged to write to the SSHRCC president, Marc Renaud, to make a case for how important these travel grants are to the health of our activities; template letters exist on the HSSFC website that can be modified and sent to government officials to advocate for humanists and social scientists; HSSFC dues are likely to rise after the November meeting; and one of the topics selected as a 2001 Congress interdisciplinary colloquium is "plagues and viruses"-anyone interested in working with others on this topic should contact Edith Humphrey as soon as possible. M. Desjardins will keep members informed of relevant Federation activities through email announcements, and welcomes input from CSBS members.
Richard Ascough announced funding possibilities available through the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning (http://www.wabashcenter.wabash.edu/).
5. Student Member-at-Large's Report
David Bergen reported on the special student session organized for the conference
("How to evaluate/assess student learning in biblical studies courses?"),
and encouraged members to pass along to him or his successor suggestions for
next year.
Student membership numbers have declined. The student Member-at-Large will be working to explore reasons and suggest ways to make the society better known to students and better able to meet student needs. Suggestions, again, are welcomed.
6. Nominations
On behalf of the rest of the Executive, John Kloppenborg Verbin announced that
Bill Morrow would be stepping down at the end of this meeting, after his term
as Treasurer/Membership Secretary. Then he turned to nominations of new Executive
members, and submitted the following slate for Executive positions: Ehud Ben
Zvi as Vice-President, Dietmar Neufeld as Treasurer/Membership Secretary, and
David Bergen, ongoing as student Member-at-Large. With no other nominations
coming from the floor, and following a motion (Richardson/McCready; approved)
that nominations close, the three were acclaimed, then thanked for their willingness
to serve the society.
7. Programme Coordinator's Report
Edith Humphrey thanked members for the high quality of the paper proposals that
reached her this year, and encouraged members to consider participating as zealously
next year. She also thanked Francis Landy and Willi Braun for their on-site
help in arranging rooms, dinner and the million and one other things that always
need to be done behind the scenes to ensure the quality of a meeting.
8. Communications Officer's Report
John McLaughlin reported on the following issues:
* He encouraged members to consult the CSBS and the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion websites (http://www2.ccsr.ca/csbs/; http://www2.ccsr.ca), noting that he welcomed feedback on the society website that he manages.
* He also urged members to continue to send him news to distribute to others via the society email list, and to ensure that he receive any changes in people's email addresses.
* He noted the publication and distribution of this year's CSBS Bulletin, welcoming suggestions for changes in next year's.
* He indicated his intention to engage the media more directly in the coming year.
* He encouraged members to recommend outstanding books in Christian origins for consideration for the upcoming Frank W. Beare Book Award, with formal notification of the award to go out in the Fall in the First Mailing. (Planning is underway to introduce the parallel R. B. Y. Scott Book Award for the area of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.)
* He reminded members that this year he was the society's representative to the Canadian Corporation for Studies in Religion, referred to the electronic report he submitted to members earlier after the January Board meeting, and noted the usefulness of the Corporation to CSBS members.
9. Treasurer and Membership Secretary's Report
William Morrow, acting as Membership Secretary and as Treasurer touched on
the following points:
* He reviewed the membership statistics (277 in 1998, 255 in 1999, 266 in 2000-including nominated members), noting the need in this regard for attention rather than worry. He then read this year's list of nominees for membership (Keith Bodner, Frank Clancy, Theodore de Bruyn, Karen Eliasen, Alyda Faber, Alain Gignac, Susan Haber, James Knight, James Linville, Daniel Miller, Andy Reimer, Marc Saunders, Andréa Schmidt, Jerry Shepherd, Daniel Smith, Wade White, B. Diane Wudel), and moved (Morrow/Richardson; approved) that they be accepted as members of the Society. New members were welcomed.
* He reported that the SSHRCC travel grants were being reviewed, and encouraged members to lobby the SSHRCC president, Marc Renaud (http://www.sshrc.ca/english/index.html). Then he added that this year's travel funds, based on a SSHRCC grant ($4,755) and money he withheld for this purpose from last year's grant ($956), was distributed to CSBS Congress participants at a ration of 50% of the request from students and 40% for others.
* He then distributed and reviewed his financial report. Thanks to prudent financial management by the Executive and wise investments by the Endowment Committee (chaired by Wayne McCready; including Peter Richardson, Harold Remus and William Klassen), the society remains debt-free and is able to fund its projects effectively, albeit frugally. HSSFC fees will likely rise this year. Restricted funds, especially those used to fund the Craigie, Founders and Jeremias prizes, need to increase their endowment base in order to continue to serve their purposes. One recommendation that came from the floor: that the Executive consider the possibility and legality of doing biannual rather than annual audits, and that the CCSR representative consult with the Corporation on possible joint-society cooperation in this regard.
* He moved (Morrow/McCready; approved) that the firm of Secker, Ross and Ross be reappointed as the Society's auditors; then moved (Morrow/Fraikin; approved) that his report be received and approved.
* He then submitted his resignation, expressing his pleasure at having served the society as Treasurer and Membership Secretary for the last three years. On behalf of all the members, John Kloppenborg thanked Bill Morrow for his dedication and care.
10. Adjournment
John Van Seters thanked everyone for their participation, then moved (Morrow/Fraikin)
that the meeting be adjourned.
Minutes prepared by Michel Desjardins