Society for the Scientific Study of Religion

Business Meeting Minutes

1992

November 6, 1992     Washington D.C.

Stouffer Concourse Hotel, Washington D.C.
November 6, 1992 12:45pm - 1:45pm

AGENDA


1. Call to Order 12:45pm
2. Approval of Agenda Eileen Barker
3. Approval of 1991 Minutes Eileen Barker
4. President's Report Eileen Barker
5. Executive Secretary's Report Jim Davidson
6. 1992 Program Nancy Nason Clark
7. 1993 Program Marie Cornwall
8. JSSR Armand Mauss
9. Monographs Kay Meyer
10. Research Awards Ruth Wallace
11. SSSR History Armand Mauss
12. Treasurer's Report Richard Schoenherr
13. New Business Eileen Barker
14. President's Remarks Eileen Barker
15. Adjourn 1:45pm



Minutes of the 1992 Business Meeting -- SSSR
Stouffer Concourse Plaza Hotel, Arlington, Virginia

1.) The meeting was called to order by President Eileen Barker at 12:51 p.m. on Friday, November 6, 1992.

2.) The agenda of the meeting was approved as circulated.

3.) The minutes of the November 8, 1991 meeting were approved as circulated.

4.1) PRESIDENT'S REPORT:

The President began by welcoming Roland J. Campiche, president of the SISR. Campiche invites SSSR members to attend and present papers at the 22nd SISR Conference in Budapest, July 19 - 23, 1993. He also invites SSSR members to write for Social Compass, which is now the official journal of the SISR.

4.2) President Barker reported that Romney Moseley, who was a Council member, died in May 1992 at the age of 48.

4.3) President Barker expressed gratitude on behalf of the Society to Council members whose terms of office have ended: David Bromley completes his term as Council member; Armand Mauss finishes his term as editor of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion; Hans Baer and Gordon Shepherd complete their terms as JSSR book review editors; and James Davidson completes his term as executive secretary.

4.4) Janet Jacobs and Kenneth Pargament have been elected to the Council for terms starting in 1993. David Bromley has started work as the new editor of the Journal. Jeffrey K. Hadden is the new book review editor. Edward C. Lehman, Jr. has been appointed to a four year term as executive secretary of the Society.

4.5) The Council has appointed James Beckford and a committee which he will recruit to continue work on plans for an international directory of scholars in the social scientific study of religion. A separate committee is working on plans for an up-to-date membership list which will be made available to editors, committee chairs, and Council members to assist them in their work for the Society. This list may be made available to members.

4.6) James Richardson headed a committee which used a budget allocation of $1500 to help international scholars who would not otherwise have been financially able to attend come to the 1992 annual meeting. Grants for travel expenses were provided to: Vasil Gluchman (Czecho-Slovakia), Halina Grzymala-Moszozynska (Poland), and Irena Borovik (Poland). A special fund-raising effort by Richardson raised about $1200 to cover additional expenses. Lectures at universities have been arranged for some of these international visitors after the annual meeting. Honoraria from these lectures can be used to cover some expenses of the visitors. This effort to subsidize travel by international scholars will continue in 1993. Richardson asks SSSR members who would like to invite international scholars to lecture at their universities to let him know of their interest.

4.7) The Council established committees to review the financial situation and financial policies of the Society. A budget and expenditures committee will evaluate past expenditure patterns. Phillip Hammond will chair this committee. An investment and fundraising committee will examine present investments and potential changes. Jeffrey K. Hadden will chair this committee.

4.8) 26 certificates will be mailed to people who have been members of the Society for 25 years. The newly recognized SSSR fellows for 1992 are: John V. Apczynski, John N. Bartholemew, Petro B. Bilaniuk, Thomas A. Bland, Robert S. Brinkerhoff, Donald G. Dawe, Lawrence L. Falk, J. Russell Hale, Carl F. Henry, Arthur L. Johnson, J. Willis Langlinais, Michael McCloskey, Patrick H. McNamara, H. Newton Maloney, Fred Massarik, A. Graham Maxwell, Benny D. Nefzger, Gordon L. Nelson, William M. Newman, Emile J. Pin, Leon J. Putnam, W. Clark Roof, Tex S. Sample, Jack L. Stotts, Charles L. Swan, and Donald M. Walter.

4.9) The 1993 annual meeting will be held from October 29 to 31 at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Raleigh, North Carolina. Room rates are unusually favorable: $62 single and $68 double. The 1994 annual meeting will be held from November 4 - 6 at the Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The 1995 annual meeting will be held in St. Louis.

5.1) EXECUTIVE SECRETARY'S REPORT:

Secretary Davidson reported that membership is fairly stable. In August 1991 we had 1570 members. In August 1992 we had 1542, a net loss of 28 members. Library subscriptions are down slightly, from 1246 in 1991 to 1225 in 1992, a loss of 21.

5.2) Our financial situation is favorable. This year we had more income than expenses. Next year a small deficit is planned. Expenses will be set a bit above income in order to cover some program innovations.

5.3) As of noon on Friday 425 people are registered for the annual meeting. The final total will be larger. This is an unusually large attendance.

5.4) Members are invited to make suggestions for sessions which the Society could sponsor at the February 1994 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in San Francisco.

5.5) Four members died this year: Romney Moseley (University of Toronto), Sister Francis Jerome Woods (Our Lady of the Lake College), John Doyle (New Rochelle), and George Connolly (Loyola University of Chicago).

5.6) Davidson completed his report by expressing happiness with his five year experience as executive secretary. He welcomed Edward Lehman to the job.

6.) 1992 PROGRAM:

Nancy Nason-Clark, program chair, reported that there were over one hundred sessions this year. A larger than usual number of international scholars and graduate students participated in this meeting. She thanked the University of New Brunswick for providing financial support for her work as program chair. She also thanked her graduate assistant, Anne Stapleton, and her secretary, Susan Doherty, for their work.

7.) 1993 PROGRAM:

Marie Cornwall, program chair for 1993, invites members to send her papers and to propose sessions.

8.) REPORT OF THE JSSR EDITOR:

Armand Mauss, retiring editor, distributed his written report. During his term of office he received between 120 and 150 manuscripts a year and accepted about one fourth of those submitted. He expressed gratitude to the referees who worked with him on the Journal. He invites SSSR members who are interested in serving as referees to fill out the form which is included in the convention kit.

9.) MONOGRAPH SERIES:

Katherine Meyer, editor of the monograph series, announced that we anticipate publication in 1993 of a translation of Georg Simmel's essays on the sociology of religion by Horst Helle. This monograph will be published jointly with Yale University Press. Another potential monograph is currently being reviewed. Additional possibilities for joint publication of monographs with other publishers are being examined. Meyer invited members to submit monograph manuscripts to her.

10.) RESEARCH AWARDS:

Joseph Tamney reported for the committee. 14 eligible applications were received. Research awards were made to Mark Chaves, Lyn Gesch, M. Jean Heriot, Susan Palmer, and N. Gerald Shenk.

11.) SSSR HISTORY PROJECT:

Armand Mauss reported that an effort will be made in 1993 to conduct interviews with senior members of the Society about their early experiences in the Society. Senior members will be encouraged to deposit their personal papers which are of interest for the history of the Society in the SSSR archives. The SSSR Council made a budget allocation of $2000 to assist this work. (The Religious Research Association Board has allocated $700 for a similar project.) Mauss invited people who are willing to conduct interviews with senior members to write him.

12.1) TREASURER'S REPORT:

Richard Schoenherr reported that for the fiscal year ending August 31, 1992 income was $1,296 above budget and expenditures were $3,759 below budget. The surplus was $12,383.

12.2) In the 1992 - 1993 budget we anticipate income of $129,850 and expenditures of $132,779. The projected deficit is $2,929. It is anticipated that more money will be spent next year for travel by international scholars, annual meeting general expenses, the SSSR history project, a small increase in salaries, and money for annual meeting program development.

14.) PRESIDENT'S REMARKS:

President Barker thanked all office holders and Anna Davidson, the business manager, for their work for the Society this year. Barker singled out James Davidson, retiring executive secretary, for special thanks for the enormous amount of work which he has done for us during his term of office.

15.) The meeting was adjourned at 1:43 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

William Silverman, Secretary