Society for the Scientific Study of Religion

Council Meeting Minutes

Thursday, October 22, 1970

New York City


The Council members gathered in the Buffalo Room of the New Yorker Hotel at 9:10 a.m. The meeting was called to order by Joseph H. Fichter, President. Also present were Ralph Wendell Burhoe, Daniel Callahan, William V. D 'Antonio, N. J. Demerath, III, James Dittes, Dorothy Dohen, Benton Johnson, Edgar Mills, Christopher F. Mooney, and Paul W. Pruyser.

Minutes of the previous meeting of the Council, held in Boston on October 23-26, 1969, were accepted without correction.

The secretary announced that Dorothy Dohen and Christopher F. Mooney have been elected to the Council. They were introduced to the other members.

Mr. D'Antonio presented the Executive Secretary's report. Mr. Burhoe moved the report be accepted. Motion seconded and passed. Mr. D'Antonio then announced that 195 members of the Society have preregistered for the annual meeting. He had hoped to have a preregistration of about 400.

Mr. Burhoe then presented the Treasurer's report. He announced that the Society's deficit has been cut in half -- from $22,000 to $11,000 -- since last year's annual meeting. About half of this decrease is a result of a subvention by the University of Notre Dame. The other half results from the increase in dues and subscription rates approved last year. Mr. Burhoe expressed the hope that more university support will be forthcoming and that within another year or two the Society's deficit will be erased, the Treasurer's report was accepted without a formal vote.

Mr. D'Antonio then reported that the Council on the Study of Religion has agreed to charge the Society nothing for its 1970 membership but to charge it at the full rate for 1971. Mr. D'Antonio moved that the Society pay its dues to the CSR -for 1971 (the dues are figured on the basis of seventy-five cents per member of the Society, plus $1,000 toward support of the CSR Bulletin). Motion seconded.

There was considerable discussion of the motion. Many expressed the opinion that our Journal is a more suitable place than the CSR Bulletin to publish news and notes of the Society and its members. Many also felt that the intellectual focus of the Bulletin and of most of the constituent societies of the CSR is rather different from the focus of our Society. Mr. Demerath offered a substitute motion that our Council authorize its Executive Secretary to pay up to $2,500 to settle our obligation to the CSR, and that it instruct him to explore ways of continuing alternative forms of membership and/or participation in the CSR with reduced dues and services. Motion seconded and passed. The substitute motion having been accepted, the main motion was then passed unanimously.

Mr. Fichter then appointed an ad hoc committee to bring in recommendations on future meetings sites for the Society, on regional collaborative meetings, and on participation in the 1972 Internationa1 Congress to be held in Los Angeles. He named Mr. Mills chairman of the committee. The other members are Mr. Demerath, Mr. Dittes, Mr. Pruyser, and Mr. D'Antonio.

The Council then approved, without a formal vote, a motion authorizing a special sale at the current meeting of the back issues of the Journal. The price will be $2.00 per issue, or three issues for $5.00.

Mr. D'Antonio reported that he has been in negotiation with four hotels in Chicago and with the Continuing Education Center at the University of Chicago concerning facilities for the 1971 meeting. The Council agreed to let him make the final decision about facilities. He and the President will determine the composition of the local arrangements committee.

Mr. Mills moved that the Socicty not participate in the International Conference at Los Angeles in 1972. Motion seconded and passed unanimously.

Mr. Burhoe moved that the Council approve the move of the Executive Offices to the University of Connecticut, effective in July, 1971. Mr. D'Antonio reported that Connecticut has agreed to make office space available and to provide secretarial help for at least one year. Motion seconded and passed.

Mr. D'Antonio moved that the Executive Secretary be granted discretiorary power to dispose of the Society's library by donating it to the University of Notre Dame retaining only such books and journals which are deemed by him to be of relevance to the Executive Office; and that said donation be accompanied by a letter of appreciation to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, President of the University. Mr. D'Antonio reported that the library consists of about 1,000 volumes, most of them only tangentially related to the scientific study of religion. They were collected during Samuel Klausner's term as Executive Secretary. Motion seconded and passed.

Mr. D'Antonio then moved that the Executive Secretary use his discretionary power to reduce considerably the number of journals being exchanged, and to evaluate the entire practice for a report to the meeting of the Council in 1971.

There was a discussion of who has authority to sign checks for the Society. Mr. Burhoe stated that the Treasurer has authority over the writing of checks, but that he may delegate to the Executive Secretary such authority over check writing as he deems appropriate.

It was decided that the Executive Secretary will provide the Council with a midyear report, including a budgetary report.

Mr. Fichter then reported on his efforts to raise Foundation support for the Society. He has talked with a fund-raising specialist at Harvard and has approached various foundations, but without success. Mr. Demerath suggested he get in touch with small foundations around the first of December, for many of them will have funds then that they wish to commit before the end of the year. Mr. Burhoe remarked that large foundations are reluctant to support societies with large deficits. It was suggested that private, informal contacts with foundations are more likely to be effective than formal, impersoral contacts. It was also suggested that copies of the Journa1be sent to prospective supporting agencies.

The Council then unanimously endorsed Mr. D'Antonio's proposed plan to provide Council members on June 30 with the names of all Society members who have not responded to the dues notices, and to drop these people from membership unless the Council members raise and objection.

The Council adjourned at 11:55 a.m.



The Council reconvened at 11:15 a.m. on October 23 in the presidential suite. Charles Glock reported that the proposed book edited by Morton King will not be finished because Mr. King is ill. The book Mr. Glock is editing with Phillip Hammond will be published in paperback by Harper and Row. The contributions are not a11 in, however. The royalties are to be donated to the Society.

Mr. Johnson was then asked to withdraw while Mr. Demerath submitted the report of his committee on selection of a new Editor for the Journal. Mr. Demerath reported that the committee had considered five nominees. These nominees were Robert Jones, Gillian Gollin, Phillip Hammond, Louis Schneider and Benton Johnson. Mr. Schneider declined to be considered. Mr. Demerath, on behalf of the committee, moved that Mr. Johnson be elected Editor with responsibilities to begin with the first issue of volume XI (Spring, 1972). Motion seconded and passed unanimously.

Mr. Glock then moved that the Editor's term be of three years' duration with an option to renew. Motion seconded and passed unanimously. Mr. Johnson returned to the meeting and was notified of his election.

Mr. Dittes then submitted the Editor's report. Since Paul Gustafson left the country the book reviewing task has not oeen covered very well. A decision on how to handle book reviewing clearly needs to be made. It was decided that Mr. Dittes and Mr. Johnson will resolve the question. About a third of the articles submitted to the Journal are rejected outright, though the Editor has only accepted one article without asking for or making revisions. Many difficulties have been encountered with the University of California Press. Issues are coming out very late a printer's costs are running well above estimates. It develops that the California Press has been printing the Journal in England. Mr. Dittes would like the editor to resume the task of seeing the Journal through the press.

Mr. Mills moved that the Council notify the California Press that we wish to terminate our contract on May 1, 1971, on grourds of inadequate performance (these grounds are provided for in the contract), but that we tell the Press informally that we will reconsider if its performance improves before May 1. Motion seconded and passed

Mr. Mills then moved that the President appoint a committee on publications to conduct a search for a new printer and to conclude a new arrangement with a suitable press. Motion seconded and passed. Mr. Fichter then appointed Mr. Dittes, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Glock, Mr. D'Antonio and himself as members of the committee.

The Council designated Allan Eister and Paul Pruyser program chairmen for the 1971 annual meeting. Mr. Demerath moved that the program chairmen be authorized to draw up to $500 in connection with their duties. Motion seconded and passed.

Mr. Burhoe will continue in his capacity as the Society's delegate to the 1970 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The Council elected Phillip Hammond as Secretary to replace Mr. Johnson, whose term has expired. He is to take office immediately.

The Council then elected Mr. Mills to be Treasurer to succeed Mr. Burhoe, who has resigned.

It was moved that the term of office for the Secretary and the Treasurer be set at three years. Motion seconded and passed unanimously.

Mr. Mills then gave a preliminary report of his ad hoc committee on future meeting sites and relations with other societies. The committee suggests the Society meet in Boston in 1972 and in San Francisco in 1973. The Council accepted these suggestions. The committee will meet again to conduct further business during the AAAS meetinh in December.

The Council adjourned at 1:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Benton Johnson
Secretary