Society for the Scientific Study of Religion

Business Meeting Minutes

1977

October 29, 1977     The Bismark, Chicago, IL

  1. Welcome. Alan Eister called the meeting to order and welcomed the members of SSSR and provided their comments and participation in the meeting.

  2. Minutes. It was moved and seconded that we dispense with the minutes of the last annual meeting since they were published in the March issue of The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. Passed.

  3. Elections. The election results were announced: President - William D'Antonio; Vice-President - Bernard Spilka was confirmed by Council to this position with the death of Benjamin Nelson; Council - Richard Fenn and Newton Maloney. (Leaving the Council are James Dittes, Robert Friedrichs, Donald Capp, and Benton Johnson.)

  4. Executive Secretary. Report of Ted Mills: a. membership - there has been a decline of 120 to 2 ,575 members. b. attendance at the annual meeting was 374 registered of whom 223 were SSSR members only, 33 RRA members only, and 40 members of both. c. the general fund increased approximately $5,000 through interest and earnings in the past year.

  5. Treasurer. Russell Dynes reported that the income for the 1976--77 year ,was $55,775 which was higher than proposed but the expenses were lower than budgeted in the result that there was $5 ,000 surplus. The proposed budget for 1977-78 is approximately $55,000.

  6. Publications. a. JSSR Report by Editor Richard Gorsuch indicated that 186 manuscripts had been submitted with an 80% rejection rate during the past year. President Eister expressed thanks to Mr. Gorsuch for his extra year in this capacity. b. Ad Hoc Publications Committee. It was recommended that Phil Hammond be given a 4 year term as Editor of the Journal for the Scient.ific Study of Religion covering the years 1979-1982. After September 1, 1978 manuscripts will be sent to Phil Hammond. c. Directory. A directory of members is planned in 1978. d. Monographs. Bill Newman, Editor and Chairman of the Committee on Monographs, reported that one or two monographs will be published during the coming year. e. Copyrights. The copyright law change has resulted with the necessity to obtain a release from the authors prior to publication so that the Society for the Scientific Study of Religion will own the copyright on all published articles.

  7. Program. The 1977 Program Chair James Richardson was thanked for his efforts on the program and 1978 Chair, Gillian Lindt was introduced. The 1978 meetings are in Hartford, Connecticut at the Sonesta Hotel, October 27-29. Gillian Lindt invited suggestions for the program. The general theme will be Religion and Sex Roles.

  8. AAAS. Gillian Lindt reported on her role as representative of SSSR to AAAS. Donald Ploch was named as the new representative of SSSR to the AAAS.

  9. Council for the Societies of Religion. President Eister discussed continuation of the involvement of SSSR in CSR and reported the Council voted to send two delegates, Bill D'Antonio and Bernard Spilka, the a converence at Camp Wingspread in Wisconsin and to offer the opportunity to SSSR members to subscribe to the CSR Bulletin and Newsletter as a part of their dues.

  10. Special Awards Committee. The special award this year was given to Egon Mayer for a study of Orthodox Jewery.

  11. Business Affairs. The business functions and membership files of SSSR will return to Storrs, Connecticut where they will be under the general supervision of Lorraine D'Antonio.

  12. Executive Secretary. Ted Mills will remain at St. John's University for one year, with future arrangements to be negotiated as necessary with the Council.

  13. Archives. The SSSR archives will be moved from Kalamazoo College and miscellaneous places to Marquette University where they will be placed under the direction of an archivist. Thanks were expressed to Dick Means for beginning the archives. SSSR archives will join those of the Association for the Sociology of Religion and Religious Research Association which were moved to Marquette University last year. Members who have materials of significance are encouraged to submit them as well.

  14. Memorial. A memorial to Ben Nelson by Talcott Parsons was read by Dean Knudsen.

  15. Resolutions. Thanks were expressed by resolutions to James Richardson, 1977 Program Chair, Robert MacNamara, 1977 Local Arrangements Committee Chair, and to Jim Hargrove, Cora Burke, and Lorraine D'Antonio for their work at the registration booth, and to The University of Nevada and St. John's University for their support of activities of Richardson and MacNamara.

  16. The meeting was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted
Dean Knudsen
Secretary