PRESENT: Capps, Davidson, D'Antonio, Gaede, Hadaway, Hadden, Hammond, Hoge, Hood, Johnson, Neal, Nelsen, Roozen, Shupe, Seidler, Wood, Wuthnow.

1. CALL TO ORDER: Jeff Hadden called the council meeting to order promptly at 7:35 p. m, October 26, 1984, and welcomed all who were in attendance.

2. ANNOUNCEMENTS: Hart Nelsen also welcomed council members and asked that everyone turn in their travel costs as quickly as possible. He then briefly reviewed the agenda for the meeting.

3. MINUTES: To give everyone a chance to read the minutes carefully, approval was set aside until the next day. MOTION: On October 27,1984, it was moved (Hood) and seconded (Johnson) that the minutes of the 1983 council meeting be approved. The motion carried.

4. '84 PROGRAM CHAIR REPORT: Dean Hoge said he was generally pleased with the '84 program. He expressed his appreciation to Hadden and Nelsen, and noted that Hadden handled the banquet program.

Hoge regretted the fact that the student award winner could not attend the meeting due to pregnancy complications. He noted that a number of presenters were unable to attend because of sickness and unforseen circumstances. Also, the funds available for travel and honorariums were not needed this year.

The pre-registration requirement for presenters was questioned. Hoge asked if the stipulation applied to co-authors as well? Hadden felt it should apply only to the author who was making the presentation. Hoge also wondered if the requirement ought to apply to special speakers who came for only one event? Once again, Hadden said it should not apply.

5. Generally, Hoge felt the planning had gone smoothly. Hadden expressed his thanks to Hoge for a job well done and said that his responsibilities were made much easier because of Dean's good work.

5. LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS REPORT: In Warner's absence, Nelsen made a few brief comments. Except for over-booking problems with the hotel, local arrangements seemed to be quite in order.

6. PUBLICITY AND MEDIA REPORT: Roozen reported that media relations were much improved this year. Media attendance was down at the Knoxville meeting; only five attended, and two of those were local people. Over the last year, however, Roozen received a number of calls from reporters looking for material for stories. This was a first.

More media representatives are expected this year, including Roy Larson (CHICAGO SUN TIMES), Bruce Bursma (CHICAGO TRIBUNE), and John Dart (L.A. TIMES). Over one hundred religion editors received copies of the meeting announcement and Roozen personally contacted over a dozen key media people. He was hopeful that media representation at the '84 meeting would be good.

Roozen said that the most difficult part of his job was developing and maintaining the mailing list. He is helped in this task, however, by names recommended to him from Society members. Keep it up.

He concluded offering three proposals: First, in order to get placements on major radio/television talk shows, he will put together a mailing list of such shows and send to each a copy of the program booklet; included will be a letter encouraging the show to contact any presenters of interest. Second, he is considering holding a press conference during the meeting; he asked for input on this idea. Finally, he suggested the possibility of sending out (monthly?) formal press releases dealing with especially"newsworthy" articles in our journals; once again, he asked for input from council members.

7. '85 PROGRAM REPORT: Andy Shupe reported that the '85 meeting will be held at the Hyatt-Regency Hotel in Savannah, Georgia, between October 25-27, 1985. The program theme will be "Religion and the Political Order". Hadden asked for suggestions of scholars whose expertise is on comparative religion and politics. Shupe encouraged them, as well, to propose symposia, seminars, and sessions related to the theme.

8. NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT: Sister Neal reported on the work of the committee. Members of the committee are Bernard Spilka, Clark Roof, and Sister Neal. She felt that the committee had made good progress and noted that Reginald Bibby and Thomas Gannon were elected to the council. Neal will continue as Nominations Committee Chair, while other members will serve at the discretion of the Chair.

9. DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARLY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD COMMITTEE REPORT: In the absence of Hargrove, Hadden gave the report. He said that three individuals had been nominated for the award, from which a winner has been selected. The winner, whose name he would not disclose, will receive a book award. More details will be forthcoming from Hargrove .

10. RESEARCH COMMITTEE AWARDS REPORT: Phil Hammond reported that he had received sixteen inquiries about the award. All were sent award guidelines and each completed applications. James Lewis, Meredith McGuire, Rae Ann McLennan, and William Swatos received stipends in the full amount requested, while Catherine Faver and John Seidler were funded at about fifty percent of request. Members of the committee included Richard Gorsuch, Donald Miller, and Hammond.

One problem was noted by Hammond. Overseas SSSR members receive notices of the award too close to the applications deadline. He asked if the deadline could be pushed back one month. It was agreed to leave this matter to the discretion of the Chair.

11. DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD AND ELECTION OF FELLOWS: Hadden reported that the Distinguished Service Award will be given to Ralph Burhoe this year.

Concerning the election of Fellows, Hadden suggested that, although we may want to change the criteria in the future, this year the criterion for the honor simply be membership in the Society for twenty-five consecutive years. MOTION: It was moved (Hammond) and seconded (Hood) that the Society induct as Fellows those who met the criteria. The motion carried.

A general discussion ensued. Concerning criteria, Hammond said that he thought longevity was a good standard to use for the award. Neal agreed and noted that it served as incentive to members to continue their membership in the Society. She asked if the names of the Fellows could be printed somewhere on a yearly basis. The council agreed to the suggestion.

12. AFFILIATIONS: Nelsen encouraged the council to carefully consider our support for CSR, since they are currently undergoing a great deal of change. He also urged reconsideration of our affiliation with COSSA.

D'Antonio argued that COSSA needs our help, given the policies of the current Administration. President Reagan has continually proposed cuts in social science funding; only Congress has prevented their execution. He felt that we need COSSA, especially at this time. MOTION: It was moved (D'Antonio) and seconded that SSSR retain its affiliation with COSSA. The motion carried.

Relative to AAAS, D'Antonio noted that it takes a significant amount of energy, time, and money to be placed on their program. He questioned whether it was really that important to the SSSR. Hadden stated that he did not feel the SSSR had the revenue to continue support for AAAS. The discussion of the issue was cut off in favor of a short "break" at 8:55.

13. CONSTITUTION REVISION COMMITTEE REPORT: After the break, Hammond presented a proposal for a revised constitution. In drawing up the proposed constitution, he said, revisers had made good use of the experience of the SSS. Major changes proposed were: First, the explication of the role of the executive secretary and the inclusion of the endowment fund. Second, there was an attempt to specify and assign responsibilities for certain tasks. And three, the position of president-elect was substituted for vice-president.

Hadden presented a separate document (labeled "Constitution--")which included a series of amendments to the proposed constitution. Accepted were revisions to Article II-Section 1 (with modification), Article IX-Section 2 (a new section), Article I-Section 4 (new section; modified), Article II-Section 1, and Article III-Section 2. After deliberating other Hadden recommendations, changes were also made in Bylaws Article IV-Section 1 and Bylaws Article I-Section 2. Seidler also recommended word changes in Article V-Section 2 and Bylaws Article 5-Section 5; these were accepted.

MOTION: It was moved (Hammond) and seconded (Johnson) that the council accept the proposed constitution as amended, and send it to Society members at large for deliberation and vote, either by mail soon thereafter or at the '85 business meeting, whatever can be implemented first.

14. TREASURER'S REPORT: According to Roozen, after several years of unsuccessfully attempting deficit spending (in order to reduce the Society's total assets), we finally succeeded! A cash flow deficit of approximately $10,000, combined with the relatively poor performance of the investment portfolio, resulted in a net decline of $2,000 in total assets (from $146,000 at the end of fiscal year 1983, to $144,000 at the end of fiscal year 1984).

However, we did not run as large a deficit as budgeted. We budgeted a $31,200 deficit based on cash flow income of $72,000 and cash flow expenses of $103,000. Actual income was about 15% overbudget and actual expense was about 12% less than budgeted, resulting in only a $10,000 deficit. The unanticipated income came from new memberships, library renewals and dividends/interest; reduced expenses resulted from non-publication of a monograph and few foundation related expenses.

Roozen concluded in noting that, in contrast to previous budgets, a balanced budget will be recommended in 1984-85.

15. EXECUTIVE SECRETARY'S REPORT: Nelsen began by noting that the Society faces a time of change. Though memberships were up this year, we also spent more than we earned. Investments were down somewhat as well. He stated that it is time to live with a balanced budget.

A. MEMBERSHIPS: As of September 1, 1984, the Society had 78 members more than the year before, and 11 fewer libraries subscribing to the Journal. The membership now totals 1399 and the total number of library subscribers is 2617. About 5000 letters with membership brochures were processed during the last year; more are planned next year, focusing upon ASR and RRA members who do not belong to SSSR along with ASA members with a primary interest in sociology of religion.

B. ANNUAL MEETING: Nelsen thanked Hoge for a fine program and Warner for a good job on local arrangements. He noted that only a preliminary program was sent out this year, saving about $900 in printing and postage. Also, in an effort to save money, there will be a cash bar at the social hour and subventions to council members will be pro-rated if the total costs go above $3,000 (which they probably will not).

C. PUBLICATIONS: The Journal continues to be of the highest quality; special thanks to Don Capps and Bob Wuthnow. A &APrinting of Akron is still our publisher; they have not increased our costs, but Nelsen said he would like to look at a few other printers next year. The monograph series published Bergesen's THE SACRED AND THE SUBVERSIVE this year and will publish Samual Blizzard's volume on the clergy next in 84-85.

D. RESEARCH AWARDS: This year, the cost of research awards went $10,000 to $12,000. To help achieve a balanced budget, Nelsen suggested that the figure be cut back to $5,000 next year.

E. RELATIONS WITH OTHER SOCIETIES: (See discussion of this matter in section twelve, AFFILIATIONS, and section twenty-one, BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS.)

F. MEMBERSHIP DUES: Given the needs of the budget along with the fact that many organizations charge double the rates of the SSSR, Nelsen proposed that, in 1986, individual subscriptions increase by $8, institutional's by $10, Student's by $4, and Emeritus' by $4.

This proposal sparked a lively debate. Neal argued against it, saying that it would eliminate many subscribers; she felt that, given the amount of money the Society has in reserve, it is not necessary. Seidler agreed. Also questioned at this time were: the need for a balanced budget, the extent of the 'budget problem', and the specific cutbacks in next year's proposed budget. Capps, for example, felt that Journal employees should receive at least a modest increase in salary. These matters were postponed until the discussion of the budget.

G. FUTURE MEETING SITES: Nelsen reported that Savannah hotel rates will be $54/65; the site, he said, looks good. Concerning an '86 site, Nelsen reported probable costs at Pittsburgh, Montreal, Minneapolis, and Indianapolis. MOTION: After a good deal of discussion, it was moved (Hammond) and seconded (Hood) that the '86 Meeting be held in Pittsburgh. The motion passed. Moreover, given the low rates at the Bismark Hotel, it was moved (Johnson)and seconded (Davidson) that we return to Chicago in 1988. The motion carried.

16. RECESS: The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 p.m., October 25, 1984, and called back to order again at 9:00 am the next day.

17. EDITORS' REPORT - JSSR: Capps reported that the quality of articles appearing in the Journal is high. Levels of article submission remain fairly constant as do rates of acceptance (15%) and "revise and resubmit" (23%). He noted that his term as editor ends as of May 31, 1986; in order to bring about a smooth transition, a new editor must be selected fairly soon.

Wuthnow reported that the Journal continues to publish about fifty book reviews a year, though the quality of the books may be improving. A concerted effort to involve a greater diversity of reviewers is paying off: 28% are women and, in the March issue, a majority of the reviewers were women (for the first time). Unhappily, only 11 of 50 authors reviewed were SSSR members; "why?"is a question that needs to be addressed, according to Wuthnow. He closed with a plea to authors and other members to send him book announcements and ask publishers to send him review copies.

18. MONOGRAPH SERIES REPORT: Wood stated that Bergesen's THE SACRED AND THE SUBVERSIVE is now available, and Blizzard's THE PROTESTANT PARISH MINISTER will soon be sent to the printer. A third manuscript, MOBILIZING SOCIAL MOVEMENT ORGANIZATIONS by James Davidson, has been accepted and will be sent to the publishers in the spring. Though he plans to see the Blizzard and Davidson manuscripts through the publication process, he asked the board to select a new monograph editor fairly soon.

Wood asked about the importance of "sales potential" in the decision to publish a book: should manuscripts be selected on the basis of merit alone? The council had mixed opinions, some feeling that the market was irrelevant (the purpose of the Series, they said, was to publish quality manuscripts that might not be published elsewhere), while others thought that sales had to be considered given the limitations of the budget. Hammond suggested that we approach foundations to support a portion of the Series' budget.

19. SSSR SPONSORED VOLUME: Hammond reported that THE SACRED IN A SECULAR AGE: TOWARD REVISION IN THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF RELIGION, which he edited, has been published by University of California Press. This volume was authorized by SSSR Council in 1982 and partly funded by the Society; it is a review of the discipline specifically designed for Society members. He noted that it is included in the 84 Program in an "Author Meets Critics" section on October 27.

20. ENDOWMENT FUND: A progress report was given by Hadden. He stated that it has taken a great deal of work to transform the endowment idea into a practical reality and more effort is still needed. He passed out a "Confidential Report on the Fund for the Scientific Study of Religion", calling it a working draft. From it, two things are still missing: a section of "strategy" and an SSSR demographic and financial statement.

Clark Roof joined the meeting for this discussion. He stated that the endowment fund has three major objectives. First, it will generate revenue to support research on the scientific study of religion. Second, it ought to encourage interdisciplinary discussion. Finally, it will enable us to communicate more effectively with the general public about significant research findings.

A general discussion ensued, focusing upon possible strategies for securing revenues for the Fund. Questions raised included: How can we get SSSR members to contribute? Should we launch a fund drive at the '85 Meeting? Who will do the contact work? Nelsen said that Lilly might be persuaded to support initial development work, but will not give directly to the Fund; we can not go to them, however, unless "all of our ducks are in order".

Davidson pointed out that the Midwest Sociological Society has put together an endowment fund and that we might profit from their experience. They assess an endowment fee of $1 from each member on a yearly basis, the monies from which go directly into the endowment. Coupled with this, of course, is an attempt to secure funds from external sources.

Hadden noted that each member of the Council will be contacted and asked for a "pledge to pledge" to the Fund. He asked that members give the matter careful thought. "This is an exciting time in the history of SSSR", he said. " Interest in religion is up, both among the general public and in the media; the Fund will enable us to mobilize this interest and use it to advance the objectives of SSSR."

Seidler asked if formal action was needed from the Council at this time. Hadden said "No", but asked for input relative to the document. Comments and criticisms should be directed to Richardson, Clark, Hadden or Hart.

Some members of Council, however, felt that formal action ought to be taken. MOTION: It was, therefore, moved (Seidler) and seconded (Johnson) that the Council endorse the general direction taken by the Fund Committee and asked that future development continue along the same lines; the Fund Committee should proceed at its own discretion but Council should be consulted relative to the progress of the committee. The motion was passed.

21. BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS: Three documents were distributed:"Expenditures" for '83-84 and '84-85; "Expenses - 1984-85"containing actuals for '82-83 and '83-84, and proposals for '83-84 and '84-85; and "Income" containing '82-83/83-84 actuals and '83-84/84-85 proposals. A correction was made on the document entitled "Expenditures": '84-85 Annual Meeting "Council Subventions"were reduced to $2,800 and " Student Research Award" was increased to $500. The total for the '84-85 proposed budget was $83,750(compared to an '83-84 proposed budget of $103,900 and an '83-84 actual of $91,766). The budget included monies for continued membership in COSSA but not CSR.

The budget proposal generated considerable debate, the gist of which may be caught by the comments: "Aren't we being overly conservative"(Hadaway), "No" (Nelsen), and "Can we find a compromise?" (Hood).One point of contention was whether or not we should employ a deficit budget (as in the past) or a balanced budget (as per the proposal). It was moved (Hood) and seconded (Hammond) that Council adopt a balanced budget. The motion failed.

The polysyllabic debate resumed. Nelsen noted that we might save another $1,000 on subventions. Neal felt that research awards should be increased from $5,000 to $8,000. MOTION: It was moved (Johnson) and seconded (Seidler) that the proposed budget be accepted with the amendment that subventions be reduced by $1,000, $500 of which would be used to increase salaries of assistant editors and $500 added to "printing"; moreover, if the budget "looks strong" in the spring, the Research Committee will be allowed to spend an additional $3,000 for research awards. The motion resulted in a tie vote, after which it was withdrawn by the mover (Johnson).

A modified version of Johnson's motion was discussed. MOTION: It was moved (Hadaway) and seconded (Hood) that the proposed budget be accepted with the two following amendments: first, subventions be reduced by $1,000--$500 of which to be used to increase salaries of assistant editors and $500 added to "printing"; second, $1,000 would be added to "research awards", in addition to which there would be a $2,000 contingency fund. The motion carried.

MOTION: It was further moved (Roozen) and seconded (Hadaway) that, as of 1986, SSSR dues be increased by $4 for individual memberships, $5 for institutional subscriptions, and $2 for student and emeritus memberships. The motion passed.

22. HONORABLE MENTIONS: Hadden noted that Eileen Barker and John Seidler will leave the Council this year and he thanked them for their service to the Society. He also thanked Lorraine D'Antonio for her help, along with Bill D'Antonio for his contributions to The Society.

23. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: It was moved (Johnson) and seconded (Roozen) that the meeting be adjourned. The motion passed.

Respectfully submitted,
S. D. Gaede Secretary