In attendance were: Donald Capps, Robert Friedrichs, Edgar Mills, Allan Eister, Glen Vernon, Joseph Fichter, Morton King, Jeffrey Hadden, Benton Johnson, Max Stackhouse, James Dittes, Paul Pruyser, Richard Gorsuch, William D 'Antonio, Sister Marie Augusta Neal, Barbara Hargrove, Phillip Hammond

D'Antonio presented the Executive Secretary's annual report. As in previous years, the society is in good financial shape. (Other items are discussed below where the agenda called for their treatment.) Ted Mills reported on the treasury. Certain operating costs of the Journal have been taken over by the University of Texas at Arlington because of Gorsuch's move there from T.C.U. Therefore, the proposed budget reflects this decrease. By contrast, a slight increase ($200) is proposed in the Executive Secretary's salary. It was noted that the 1974 minutes of the council errs in categorizing "bonds" with "stocks" rather than with "savings" in its direction to the Executive Secretary to invest up to one-half of the society's funds in stocks. It is now understood that the meaning of the 1974 directive is as follows:

"The Executive Secretary is empowered to invest up to one-half of surplus funds in stocks, the other half to be invested in bonds and savings."

It was proposed that overseas members dues be upped by one dollar a year to help defray the extra costs their memberships involve. Gorsuch argued against the increase on the grounds that we need more international members, not fewer. King proposed that this issue be tabled one year, instructing the Executive Secretary to look into the feasibility of recruiting new overseas members. The motion was seconded and passed.

Considerable discussion occurred about the agencies that negotiate for libraries their subscriptions to journals. Right now SSSR pays the agent fee out of the $15 subscription. Gorsuch moved that beginning with the 1977 fiscal year, the Journal cost the full $15 for such agencies and any fee they charge the library is a fee not to be discounted from that $15.

Gorsuch reported on the Journal. In his first year he has experienced the usual problems of publishing delays, turnaround time, etc. However, the review process is reasonably smooth with few (about 17%) long delays. About 25 percent of the submitted manuscripts are published and another 22 percent are rejected with an invitation to revise and resubmit. Editor Gorsuch asked that his Dean be thanked for the subvention his University supplies the Journal via a secretary, duplication services, etc. He read off the names of those ten or twelve members of the society who have reviewed four or more manuscripts for the Journal in the past year.

Book review editor, Hadden, reported. He too has trouble getting reviews returned after reviewers have agreed to write them. He also gets a number of unsolicited reviews. He indicated that he is considering a"heritage" section, a resurrection of old studies, or retrospective reviews. Some discussion followed on how to treat unsolicited reviews. It was decided that the book review editor should use his own discretion in this matter.

Gillian Lindt's report was handed around and accepted. Her suggestion was to separate the AAAS representation from the vice-presidency. She offered to continue as AAAS representative, even though her term as vice president is over. Her offer was accepted.

Earlier in the council meeting President Pruyser announced the results of the most recent election in which Eister was elected as the new president and Ben Johnson was elected the new vice president. Sister Marie Augusta Neal and Barbara Hargrove are the new members of the council.

The 1978 meeting site and dates were discussed. It was decided that the Friday - Saturday - Sunday span was preferred over the Thursday - Friday - Saturday span. The issue of the site involves questions of our relationship with the CSR and with Scholars Press because of the possibility of meeting jointly with member organizations of CSR (SBL and AAR). Tom Gannon and David Moberg arrived to discuss these related matters. The CSR appears to be in a precarious position. Meeting jointly with SBL and AAR means a loss of convention revenue to SSSR. The Scholars Press, which is currently publishing our Journal, estimates our publishing costs to be about $3,700 per year. What is at issue is whether that press is willing to continue publishing the Journal unless we agree to join in the larger enterprise (at more cost for services such as dues billing, etc), and all of this is related to joint meetings with SBL and AAR. Pruyser attempted to resolve the ensuing mess of comments. First, he asked, what should be the relationship with the Montana outfit? Hadden moved that the Executive Secretary be empowered not to join the Montana outfit and if necessary to explore new publishers of the Journal. This motion passed. Second, Pruyser asked, what should be our relationship with the CSR? Friedrichs moved that he be allowed to explore with CSR immediately whether and how we might meet in the future with them. Third, Pruyser asked, should we allocate $500 again this year as a donation to CSR? D'Antonio moved that we so donate $500 to maintain friendly relations. The question was asked, What services do we receive from CSR? At present, it announces to its members our meetings and our existence through itsBulletin. Also our gesture is a show of good will. Gorsuch moved that the amount be raised to $600, on the grounds that their good will is valuable to SSSR. The latter amount was accepted and passed. Fourth, Pruyser presented and the Council concurred in the decision that the 1978 location not be decided now but await the outcome of the discussion with CSR.

Mr. Constant Jacquet (of the National Council of Churches) presented a request that the Council of SSSR go on record as urging that a question on religious preference be included in the 1980 U.S. census. Considerable hesitancy to support such a move was expressed, and the issue was not acted on at this Council meeting.

The search for a new Executive Secretary committee then reported. D'Antonio's replacement is to take office in October of 1976. The committee presented the names of two candidates and recommended one of them, Edgar Mills. Mills (who stepped out of the room) was elected unanimously.

Dean Hoge, program chairman for 1976, spoke to the Council about next year's meeting. The theme, he said, will be a "taking stock" theme with an eye to the Bicentennial. The meeting takes place in Philadelphia.

D'Antonio reported on the SSSR monograph series. Two manuscripts were received and read in the past year. Both were judged to be premature (for example, still in the form of a dissertation) and therefore were not accepted. He noted that $1,500 has already been set aside in the 1976 budget to underwrite possible publication of additional manuscripts to be submitted. A flyer announcing this subvention will be included in the next membership mailing.

Hammond reported that William Silverman was given the $1,500 Special Award in the past year. His project is a measurement handbook of religious variables. The council then voted to repeat the Special Award this year. This announcement, too, will be in the next membership mailout.

Friedrichs had left a written report on the Visiting Scholar Program of the past year. While 32 members volunteered, only 3 actually received invitations. Rather than abandon the program, the council allocated $100 to be used by Friedrichs this year, hoping that more activity can be generated through whatever mail or telephone activities that $100 will permit him.

Pruyser raised the issue of travel subvention for members going to other Societies' conventions. Requests, he said, are frequently received by the Executive Secretary, and until now no policy has been set. Therefore, decisions have been made in an ad hoc fashion. Money has never been allocated for presenting papers, for example, but rather only to aid persons who are in some way "representing" the SSSR. This policy, it was agreed, should continue.

Mills then proposed the 1976 budget. It was accepted as proposed. D'Antonio then indicated that about 80 persons this year are presenting papers at the convention without having joined the Society. The Council reaffirmed its policy that such persons should become members and urged future program chairmen to apply this policy.

King reported that in the Southwest, a group called the Southwestern Society for the Scientific Study of Religion has been formed. It has enjoyed support by SSSR, RRA, and ASR (Association for the Sociology of Religion). It meets next spring in Fort Worth.

Marie Augusta Neal appealed for more attention to women in the society. For example, babysitting services for convention goers might be supplied, a conscious effort could be made to include women as major figures to be interviewed, etc.

Pruyser raised the matter of establishing an archives for the society noting that we are now in our 26th year. He indicated that in his 2 years as president, for example, he had accumulated considerable correspondence and memos. The Council agreed that this was a good idea and instructed him and the Executive Secretary to recruit an archivist whose responsibility it would be to keep such matters in some systematic
fashion.
The final item was the expression of thanks extended to the program chairman of 1975, Vatro Murvar, and the various other persons who were responsible for local arrangements, the program, the publicity, and so on.

Respectfully submitted,

Phillip E. Hammond
Secretary