Society for the Scientific Study of Religion

Business Meeting Minutes

1994

November 4, 1994     Albuquerque, NM

4 November 1994
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Albuquerque, NM


Meeting called to order and agenda's distributed by Ed Lehman at 12:50 PM.

Agenda was approved as distributed and modified by consent as the meeting proceeded.

Pres. Wallace reported on Council decisions:

  1. 1997 meetings will be held at the U. S. Grant hotel in San Diego, CA. Reminder--1995 meetings will be in St. Louis (where you will be reading these minutes) and the 1996 meetings in Nashville.

  2. Ralph Hood has been appointed editor of JSSR for a 4 year term beginning 1 Jan. 1996.

  3. International Travel Awards were made to 3 persons:
    Halina Grzymala-Moszcynska, Dr. Robert Kisala, and Dr. Alexander Agadjanian.
    Pres. Wallace congratulated the membership for contributing $1500 to the island for international travel awards. As a result of contributions we will be able to make more (or larger) awards next year.

  4. Book Award committee will be chaired by John Coleman

  5. Article Award committee will be chaired by Jim Woods, Sociology, Indiana University.

  6. Thanks were offered to Margaret Poloma and Don Miller who are completing terms on council, and to Loretta Morris, 1994 Program Chair. Special thanks were given to Loyola Marymount College, Los Angeles, for the generous support of Prof. Morris as she prepared the program.

  7. Pres. Wallace recognized new officers: Don Ploch, secretary, and Marie Cornwall, who begins term as treasurer at the end of these meetings. Bill Silverman, secretary, and Richard Schoenherr, treasurer, having completed their terms of office, were thanked for their service to the Society.

Executive Secretary's Report:

Ed Lehman pointed out that the Society has sustained a loss of about 120 members since 1991 (1570 to 1453). We must try to incorporate new members into the society. Current registration is 426 (record is 478) and 10 tickets remain for the banquet.

Lehman reported that he would retire at the end of his term in 1996. A committee has been named to search for a successor. Committee is to report to council in 1995. Members are urged to consider volunteering for the post or nominating others. Search committee consists of Wade Clark Roof, Meredith Mcguire, Ed Lehman, and Richard Gorsuch.

Editor of JSSR:

David Bromley, reported that forthcoming issues of JSSR will be more thematic: Sept., international articles; Dec. psychology of religion; Mar, economics; June, religious movements. Moving to electronic office and preparation routines has saved approximately $9000 which will allow the Journal to contain more pages or special issues. Individual subscriptions are down and are likely to decrease in the future due to competition from new specialty journals and the economics of reprints. Library and foreign subscriptions seem to be at steady state. Decision to appoint Ralph Hood (psychology, University of Tennessee Chattanooga) the next editor is part of a continuing effort to expand the interdisciplinary efforts of the society.

Nominating Committee:

Eileen Barker announced the election to council of: Cheryl Townsend Gilkes (sociology, Colby College), and Halina Grzymala-Moszcynska (psychology, University of Krakow). Next years nominating committee consists of Eileen Barker (chair), Bill D'Antonio, Peter Beyer, and Janet Jacobs.

1994 Program Chair, Lorretta Morris reported that we have 404 participants from l 9 countries. She turned down 20 papers and 3 session proposals because they were submitted substantially after the deadline. All proposals submitted in a timely fashion have been placed on the program.

1995 Program Chair, Adair Lummis, announced the theme: WOMEN AND RELIGION. She encouraged all present to submit proposals and to encourage others to emulate their behavior. She hopes the theme will attract new participants to our meetings.

Monograph series is doing well. We are negotiating with Yale Press on the publication of one monograph and we have 2 more in the editorial process. Kay Meyer is pleased with the quality of submissions.

Wade Clark Roof reported for the Research Awards committee (Roof, Helen Rose Ebaugh, and Donald E. Miller) that awards were made to 1 senior and 5 junior scholars: Dallas A. Blanchard, Gretchen Siegler, Brian Hall, Thomas L. Hogue, Mike McMullen, and Christel J. Manning.

Arrnand Mauss reported that the Joint history project with RRA is on schedule. Jeffrey Hadden and Benton Johnson were appointed as co-editors in chief. They will establish their own editorial board. Eli Lilly Foundation has provided the project with a $5000 grant. Both SSSR and RRA are committed to provide funds to see the project through to completion. Budget requests from the project will be reviewed when they are submitted.

Richard Schoenherr, treasurer, discussed the budget and pointed out that our investment portfolio continues to provide income. The Finance Committee is a source of much needed advice on the handling of our portfolio. Next year's budget projects an income of $137,900 and expenditures of $137,948 for a proposed surplus of $652.

There was no new business.

Meeting adjourned at 1:35 PM.

Respectfully submitted
Donald R. Ploch, Secretary