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Meeting Minutes
Minutes of the Annual General Meeting
Held at Attending to Early Modern Women–and Men
University of Maryland, College Park
Friday, November 10, 2006, at 5:30 pm
The meeting was held following the Plenary Round Table: "The Next Twelve Years"
Moderator: Naomi Yavneh (Hu)
Panelists: Linda Austern (Mu), Elizabeth Cohen (H), Margaret Hannay (E), Jennifer Pendergrass (AH), Allyson Poska (H)
1. President Naomi Yavneh welcomed those present and introduced the SSEMW officers. Because this is a celebratory year (SSEMW's Bat Mitzvah), she introduced all former Presidents of SSEMW who were present.
The memorial red book for taking attendance was circulated. 54 people attended.
2. The minutes of the meeting of Oct. 22, 2005 (at SCSC in Atlanta) were approved.
3.President Naomi Yavneh’s report :
President Yavneh announced that the next General Meeting of SSEMW will be held during the Sixteenth Century Society and Conference in Minneapolis, October 24-27, 2007.
President Yavneh introduced the winner of the first SSEMW Ashgate Award for an Undergraduate Essay, Natasha Luepke (English, University of Nebraska), and her mentor, Carole Levin.
She conferred the SSEMW Travel Awards on graduate students participating in Attending to Women: Jennifer Ailles (English, Rochester), Janet L. Bartholemew (English, Tennessee State University), Valerie R. Holtz (Humanities, University of Colorado at Denver), Jennifer Pendergrass (Art History, Arizona State University) and to Natasha Luepke (English, University of Nebraska).
She reported that independent scholars will now also be eligible to apply for SSEMW travel grants. This includes recent PhD graduates who have not yet found jobs.
President Yavneh announced the publication of the first issue of the Early Modern Women Journal, which is available at this conference. She acknowledged the work of Jane Donawerth, Adele Seeff and Diane Wolfthal, offered official congratulations from SSEMW on this momentous and happy occasion, and urged those present to subscribe to the Journal and to consider submitting articles to it.
4.Vice-President Susanne Woods' Report on SSEMW affiliations and sponsored sessions.
Vice-President Woods reported that SSEMW sponsors an increasing number of sessions at an increasing number of affiliated scholarly organizations. She noted that SSEMW has two models for its affiliations with other groups: 1) affiliations with larger organizations, at whose conferences SSEMW sponsors sessions; and 2) affiliations with groups with whom we have affinities, groups who also focus on early modern women and gender. A full list of sponsored sessions will be circulated with her President's Letter in early 2007.
5.Webmaster Karen Nelson’s report on website/listserve.
President Yavneh thanked Karen Nelson for her work on the website and the listserv. Karen invited those present to consult the website and to join the email list. The website address is www.ssemw.org
6. Treasurer’s report (Treasurer Nancy Gutierrez)
Nancy Gutierrez reported an income of between $4000 and $6000 this year, and a balance of $1000 to $2000, with some information still to come in. She urged those present to take out memberships at this meeting. Membership is not expensive, and the funds are used to support student travel, the Attending to Women conferences, the EMW Journal, and other events of benefit to members.
7. Nominating Committee report (Carole Frick, Chair; Megan Matchinski reporting)
Megan Matchinski presented the Committee's report. Her announcement that Mihoko Suzuki has agreed to become Vice-President for 2007 and President for 2008 was greeted with applause. She reported that additional potential candidates have been contacted but have not yet replied. She accepted several nominations from the floor. President Yavneh expressed our thanks to Megan Matchinski, Carole Fricke, and the other members of the Nominating Committee: Pamela Benson, Claire Schen, Lisa Vollendorf, and Rena Warnicke.
8. Awards Committee report and bestowal of awards (Elizabeth Hageman, Chair)
Elizabeth Hageman announced the Awards for works published in 2005 (attached) and bestowed the Awards on recipients who were present. President Yavneh thanked Elizabeth Hageman and the members of the Awards Committee: Susan Dinan, Wendy Heller, Margaret Hunt, Natasha Korda, Amy Leonard, Alison Levy, Katherine McIver, Karen Nelson and Alison Weber,
9. Old business: There was none.
10. New business
Jane Couchman presented the proposed Amendments to the SSEMW Constitution and Bylaws, prepared by the Subcommittee of the Executive Committee formed for that purpose: Elizabeth Cohen, Jane Couchman and Naomi Yavneh. She commented that this review is necessary because, while SSEMW began as a small organization which could be run informally and could depend on the memories of those involved, it has become a larger, more complex organization with procedures and precedents that need to be written down.
Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws require a majority vote of the membership by postal ballot. The Executive Committee has approved the amendments and they will be circulated with the SSEMW President's letter for formal approval. She indicated that the amendments reflect changes which have already taken place, clarify the language, or respond to contradictions among SSEMW documents.
She then explained the proposed amendments, which were informally approved.
Georgianna Ziegler reported on the tragic death of our colleague Sacha Roberts last summer. She proposed that a Memorial Fund be established through SSEMW in Sacha Robert's memory. The proposal was unanimously approved. Georgianna Ziegler will consult with the SSEMW President and Executive about the practical aspects of the fund, including the specific uses to which the fund will be put.
Sheila ffolliot announced an upcoming exhibition of Italian women painters at the Museum of Women in the Arts
Susan Amunson urged those present to propose panels or seminars for the upcoming Berkshire Conference on Women's History. Details can be found at the Berks website: berksconference.org.
11. Adjournment: Following a vote of thanks to President Yavneh for her excellent work as President, the meeting was adjourned at 6:30 pm
Submitted by Jane Couchman, 15 January 2007.
