Meeting Dates and Location:
| October 26, 1962 | New York City |
The Council met at 5:40 p.m. in the Barnard College Dining Hall. Present were Messrs. Clark, Dittes, Eister, Friess, Kallen, and Sprague; and Peter Berger (program chairman) and Prentiss Pemberton (editor). President Friess presided.
Minutes of the Council Meeting of October 27-28, 1961, were approved as circulated with the following correction: The Finance Committee voted by the Council was not to be regarded as a Standing Committee, but rather as an ad hoc committee charged with seeking support to guarantee the continuation of the Journal.
It was voted to establish the fiscal year as extending from October 1 through September 30. The membership year to remain coincident with the calendar year.
It was voted to approve the budget for the year 1962-3 as follows:
| Income | |
| $4000 | |
| 1500 | |
| 1000 | |
| 150 | |
| 150 | |
| 100 | |
| 1350 | |
| $8250 | |
| Expenses | |
| $ 500 | |
| 200 | |
| 300 | |
| 25 | |
| 50 | |
| 2000 | |
| 25 | |
| 300 | |
| 500 | |
| 3000 | |
| 1350 | |
| $8250 |
The report of the Secretary-Treasurer was accepted.
It was voted to create an ad hoc committee to provide recommendations for the organization of the central office of the Society and the role of the Executive Secretary. President Friess appointed the secretary to serve as a committee of one.
It was voted that a directory or a list of members be published promptly.
The report of the Program Chairman was received with appreciation: The theme of the program had been adopted a year earlier in consultation with the Council. Invited persons had readily agreed to participate.
Mr. Clark reported for the Finance Committee that two foundations had declined further support for the Journal at this time. It was generally agreed that financial subsidy was not an urgent need. Mr. Kallen remarked that the Kaplan Fund could probably be approached again if necessary.
Reporting for the special committee on the Hazen Conference on Sociology of Religion, Mr. Eister distributed copies of the program of the Conference, and commented briefly on the program. He pointed out that $1000 remained from the Hazen grant to subsidize a report of the conference.
It was voted to create a special committee to oversee the publication of the proceedings of the Hazen Conference, probably as a supplement to the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Review of Religious Research. Members: Eister, Pemberton, Frederick Shippey (Editor of RRR), Benson Landis, and Lauris Whitman.
The Nominating Committee reviewed its present considerations with regard to a program chairman. Discussion included the following points: Balance in program emphases is needed from year to year. Sufficient attention has been paid in the present year to the "existential" analysis of religion. Some shift would be desirable from isolated empirical reports to more general and theoretically more powerful analysis. Clearer statements of issues and controversy would be desirable. The general pattern of the current meeting was commended. It was said that a chairman was needed who could recruit major seminal thinkers; also one who can recruit persons actively engaged in on-going research. Persons mentioned as likely candidates were Robert Bellah, Lawrence Frank, Charles Glock, Phillip Rieff, Gerhard Lenski. The decision was left to the President with power.
It was voted to adopt tentatively the following pattern of locations for forthcoming meetings:
The Nominating Committee reviewed its considerations with regard to the two Council terms beginning January 1963. Three candidates probably will be nominated. Klausner to be nominated. Another candidate probably to be a psychologist, in order to preserve balance. After discussion of several candidates, the nominations were left with the President and Nominating Committee with power.
It was voted to apply for affiliation with the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
James E. Dittes
Secretary-Treasurer