Byzantine Studies Conference Archives

Twenty-Fourth Annual Byzantine Studies Conference Governing Board Meeting I: Minutes

1. Thelma Thomas called to order at 12:30 p.m.
   
   Present: A.M. Talbot, W. Kaegi, P. Gray, S. Takacs, C. Rapp, D. Krueger, K. Corrigan, A. Christ, H. Elton, H. Saradi, K. Maxwell, G. Majeska.
   
   
2. Minutes of Governing Board Meeting of 1997 were amended (3.b) to clarify that the $100 per year fee, to Edward J. Ryan for registering the BSC in Illinois, includes yearly tax forms. Amended minutes were accepted.
   
   
3. Claudia Rapp, program chair, reported that the experimental blind reading of abstracts for this conference resulted in rejection of nine papers from ninety-one submitted, so about 10%. About twenty graduate student papers were accepted. The Board charged the program committees to follow this policy of anonymous readings for the next three years. Claudia will help with an announcement of the new procedure.
   
   
4. President Thelma Thomas suggested that more formal affiliations with other scholarly organizations (MESA, Australian or German Associations of Byzantine Studies, the Birmingham Spring Symposium; ACLS) could lead to better date planning and more coherent participation. ACLS membership structure requires an administrative staff, which we lack. However, the Medieval Academy Committee on Centers and Regional Associations' annual fee of $50 offers a central web site that could link to BSC web site. After considerable discussion, the board agreed a trial membership for a year was worth $50. The board will ask Ralph Mathisen to count referrals from the Medieval Academy page, to see if traffic increases. Otherwise, the BSC should try to exchange information with Australian and other groups, but still without formal affiliation.
   
   
5. Future Meetings
   1. George Majeska reported that the final date for 1999 depends on final football schedules. He has reserved 120 rooms in two motels about 20-35 minutes walk apart. Plans include a Byzantine play. He has already achieved a subvention of $5000. Costs are planned on a projected attendance of 300. The board agrees this is a realistic figure.
      
      
   2. John Duffy and Sarolta Takacs at Harvard, and Christine Kondoleon at the Wooster Museum, propose to host the 26' annual BSC October 26-29, 2000. Registration by web-site is planned: BSC2000@sas.harvard.edu Hotels will cost $90­300.
      
      
   3. Tentative plans for a future meeting in Montreal, connected with McGill, are being developed.
6. New Business
   1. A. Helen Saradi resigns from the governing board to move to Greece. B. Linda Safran has resigned as Treasurer.
7. Meeting will resume after the Business Lunch for election of officers. Respectfully,

Alice Christ

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Twenty-Fourth Annual Byzantine Studies Conference Governing Board Meeting 11: Minutes Lexington, Kentucky

November 7, 1998

1. Claudia Rapp called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
   
   
2. New officers of the BSC:
   
   Claudia Rapp, President
   Sarolta Takacs, Vice President
   Derek Krueger, Treasurer
   Kathleen Maxwell,Secretary
   
   
3. The Program Committee for the 1999 BSC at The University of Maryland was announced:
   Kathleen Corrigan, Program Chair
   Georgia Frank
   Maria Georgopoulou
   Eric Ivison
   Sarolta Takacs
   
   
4. A suggestion was made to subsidize graduate students' Saturday evening banquet costs. Their prices should be reduced by $10 per student. George Majeska, Chair of the 1999 BSC Local Arrangements Committee was to be notified.
5. A suggestion was also made to encourage the BSC Local Arrangements Committee to try and make arrangements for graduate students who wish to attend the BSC, but who cannot afford hotel costs.
   
   
6. The following names were nominated for the 1999 BSC ballot to serve on the Governing Board:
   John Barker Rebecca Corrie Georgia Frank Maria Georgopoulou Robert Nelson Susan Stevens

Meeting adjourned.

Respectfully submitted, Kathleen Maxwell Secretary