Annual General Meeting (1990)

Members Present: Peter Allan, Eric Annandale, John D. Baird, Stephen Brown, Glen Campbell, Michael Cartwright, Rosena Davison, Roger Emerson, Christa Fell, Anne-Lousie Gibbons, Anne Godlewska, Mildred S.E. Greene, Ronald B. Hatch, Marianne Henn, Neal Johnson, David Jory, William Kinsley, J. Konczacki, Z.A. Konczacki, James Leith, Robert Merrett, Henri Mydlarski, David Oakleaf, Jon Rowland, Betty A. Schellenberg, H-G. Schwarz, Alison Scott-Prelorentzos, David W. Smith, Margarete G. Smith, Michael Treadwell, Paul Wood, John P. Wright.

The President took the Chair.

1. President's Report: Christa Fell outlined the proposed changes in the structure of the Executive. Michael Cartwright moved that the President's report be accepted. Seconded by Robert Merrett. Carried. Roger Emerson read a tribute to Mark Madoff, who had died of a heart attack a few weeks before the Kingston conference. A moment of silence was then observed. The meeting was informed that a student prize, commemorating Mark Madoff, had been established by the Executive, and that contributions to the prize fund were encouraged.

2. Secretary-Treasurer's Report: Paul Wood briefly discussed the present state of the Society's finances. He noted that the number of members in the Society had fallen slightly since 1989, and reminded the meeting of the implications of this for our next application for SSHRCC funding. He reminded members that they were eligible for financial assistance to offset travel expenses to the conference, and stated that graduate students and members not in full-time employment would be given priority. Paul Wood thanked Queen's University for its generous financial contribution to the conference, the Programme Committee for its assistance in organizing the meeting, and Fred Lock for designing the programme.

3. Managing Editor's Report: Robert Merrett presented his report on Man and Nature. Merrett outlined the scheme ratified by the Executive of offering back issues of Man and Nature at a reduced rate to members of the Society, and to members of ASECS. Merrett noted that the growth in subscriptions to Man and Nature had originated in the US, and that Canadian university libraries had been slow to purchase our journal. This problem was discussed by Roger Emerson, Ronald Hatch, Hans-Gunther Schwarz, and Robert Merrett. Merrett assured the meeting that he done as much as possible to encourage Canadian libraries to subscribe, and regretted that they had not done so. Jon Rowland asked whether Man and Nature was going to remain in its present format, or whether it was going to become a regular journal rather than simply the selected proceedings of our annual conferences. Merrett affirmed that Man and Nature would continue in its present format for the time being because the Society cannot afford to support a permanent editorial board. Jon Rowland then asked whether Man and Nature should accept papers by the same scholar in successive volumes. After some discussion, Rowland moved that contributors not be allowed to publish twice in Man and Nature, and the motion was seconded by William Kinsley. The motion was overwhelmingly defeated. On behalf of the Society, the President thanked Robert Merrett for his work on Man and Nature.

4. Newsletter: The Secretary-Treasurer outlined the scheme proposed by the Executive to revive the Society's Newsletter. Henri Mydlarski and David Oakleaf have volunteered to produce one or two issues of the Newsletter in 1990. However, Wood reminded members that they should submit suggestions for a permanent editor for the Newsletter, and that they should also submit copy to Mydlarski and Oakleaf.

5. 1991 Executive: Paul Wood presented the proposed slate for the 1991 Executive. Wood moved that the slate be accepted, and the motion was seconded by David Smith. Motion carried.

6. Future Meetings: Henri Mydlarski spoke about plans for the Calgary conference in 1991. Ronald Hatch raised the question of timing for the conference, and asked whether our annual meeting could not be held earlier in October. Wood noted that the Queen's meeting was held later than usual because of the conflict with Queen's Homecoming. Wood also informed the meeting that it was unclear where the CSECS conference in 1992 would be held. Although Memorial University had expressed interest in hosting the meeting in 1992, there were no official representatives from Memorial at Queen's, and the Executive had not received any information about Memorial's plans. The possibility of holding the 1992 meeting at Carleton was discussed.

7. ISECS: Paul Wood noted that the Society was asking its members to contribute to a fund to sponsor a scholar from Eastern Europe at the Bristol ISECS meeting in 1991. David Smith corrected the Secretary-Treasurer, and noted that the fund would be used to pay for registration and subsistence, not travel. Smith also reported that the most likely site for the 1995 ISECS meeting was Munster, and that the decision would be taken at Bristol.

8. Other Business: (1) Jon Rowland asked how far the editing of the Montreal volume of Man and Nature had progressed. Robert Merrett said that he had not been informed. William Kinsley reported that articles were in the process of being vetted, and that the papers in the field of English literature had been delayed. (2) David Smith appealed to members to distribute the form for the European Scholar Fund. (3) Muriel Usandavaris-Mili noted with regret that there had been little Francophone participation in the conference, and that at one Francophone session she had attended, it was decided to read the papers in English. Paul Wood replied that the Programme Committee had been disappointed by the lack of response from Francophone members, and that further efforts would be made in the future to encourage stronger Francophone participation. (4) Paul Wood and Christa Fell informed the meeting that the Kingston volume of Man and Nature would be edited by Christa Fell, with the assistance of James Leith. (5) Jon Rowland reported that a society for eighteenth-century studies had been formed in Montreal, and that CSECS members were encourage to contact William Kinsley for information. (6) John Baird moved that Queen's University be thanked for its generous funding of the Kingston conference, and the motion was carried.

The meeting adjourned at 2:00 pm.

Paul Wood
Secretary-Treasurer
Canadian Society for Eighteenth Century Studies

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