Executive Meeting (2001)

Bessborough Hotel
Saskatoon, SK

Meeting called to order at 20:30.

Present: John Baird, Frans De Bruyn, Marianne Henn, Kathleen James-Cavan, April London, Benoît Melançon, Mark Phillips, Paul Rice, Peter Sabor, Betty Schellenberg, Ray Stephanson.

1. Minutes of the previous meeting adopted as presented.

2. Conference President's Report

Ray Stephanson reported on preparations for the Conference this year, which have gone very smoothly. Thanks to extensive financial support from the University of Saskatchewan, the Conference budget is in fine shape. Ray submitted a budget for the conference showing an income of $45,740 and expenses of $41,280. Total registration is 168 persons, of whom 100 are presenting papers. The other 68 are occasional attendees and graduate students. Ray thanked the University for its support and voiced a special thanks to Lisa Vargo, who organized hotel, catering, and other arrangements.

3. Bulletin

Kathleen James-Cavan reported that the Bulletin is functioning smoothly. Almost all members of the Society now receive the Bulletin by electronic means, with only nine members lacking the necessary e-mail connection. It was decided that beginning in 2002 the Bulletin will be distributed via the Web. Benoît Melançon informed the Executive that Marc André Bernier wishes to step down as Bulletin editor within a year or two.

4. Lumen: Current Activities

As editor for the 1999 volume, Benoît Melançon has been working closely with John Baird, who edits the 2000 volume. Benoît has undertaken some initiatives to publicize the journal (advertising in Eighteenth-Century Fiction and providing review copies). The Montréal volume (1999) will be out by the end of 2001; the Toronto volume (2000) will appear in the spring of 2002. The entire production cost for the 2000 volume was paid for out of the 2000 Conference budget--for which John Baird received the thanks of the Executive.

Because Alex Sokalski is stepping down as managing editor of Lumen, it was proposed that Benoît Melançon and Frans De Bruyn step in for one year as acting managers, Benoît for the editorial side, and Frans for the business side. The balance of funds in the Lumen account in Saskatoon ($999) is being transferred to the central Society CIBC account. Currently, our printer is moving and clearing out his warehouse, so a clearance sale of past volumes of Lumen (vols. 1-18) is presently underway.

5. ISECS, ASECS, HSSFC and Other Organizations

Some questions were raised about plans by ASECS to hold its 2005 annual meeting in Montreal. There has been no consultation with CSECS on this. It was pointed out that ASECS may need to be reminded that CSECS is a national society in its own right and not simply an affiliate of ASECS (like its regional societies). The ASECS representative will look into this. Ultimately, questions of co-ordination with ASECS in 2005 may arise.

April London reported on her liaison work with HSSFC. She had little to report of relevance to CSECS.

Benoît Melançon reported on the last meeting of the ISECS Executive. He announced that there is still room for panel proposals for the 2003 ISECS meeting in Los Angeles. ISECS is promoting a program of support for delegates from countries with weak currencies. National societies can donate funds for this purpose which will then be matched by ISECS. It was proposed that CSECS lend financial support to this project. Benoît also reported problems with the ISECS directory. It appears that ISECS will not be ready in 2003 to go completely to an electronic format, and a paper version of the directory will still be available. Benoît expressed an interest in continuing on the ISECS Executive, so it was proposed that a petition be circulated amongst the membership nominating him for candidacy to the post of vice-president.

6. Future Conferences

CSECS will meet in Quebec City in 2002 (hosted by Thierry Belleguic and Peter Sabor of Laval), and in Vancouver in 2003 (hosted by Nicholas Hudson of UBC). It was noted that CSECS hasn't met in Atlantic Canada for a number of years; efforts will be made to find a venue in Atlantic Canada for 2004 or 2005.

7. CSECS Website

The website is proving to be of increasing utility, and the time has come, it seems, to appoint (or hire) a webmaster to work on the site further.

8. New Executive Positions

The Executive proposed to nominate the following persons to Executive posts that will become vacant this year: Mark Phillips as history representative, Servanne Woodward as delegate to ASECS, and Frans De Bruyn and Benoît Melançon as acting editors of Lumen.

9. Future of Lumen

John Baird presented the ad hoc committee's report on the future of Lumen, with a number of recommendations for action. A copy of his report is appended to these minutes. It was agreed to present the report to the General Meeting and to begin taking steps to reform the journal's operations.

10. Secretary-Treasurer's Report

Frans De Bruyn presented a consolidated statement of income and expenses for the year (Oct. 2000-Oct. 2001) and a balance sheet of the Society's current assets and liabilities. Currently the Society's net worth, once liabilities (production costs for Lumen 99 and 00, and travel grants owing to this year's conference participants) are taken into account, stands at approximately $57,000, continuing the dramatic improvement in the Society's finances over the last few years. These figures include the Lumen account currently managed by Alex Sokalski. (See attached financial statements.) Reasons for this dramatic improvement include increases in donations and interest earnings, reduction of expenditure for the Bulletin, savings in office and clerical costs, and the publication of the last three issues of Lumen (vols. 18-20) at a cost less than that budgeted.

On the membership front, this year's figures show the Society maintaining the strong growth it enjoyed last year. Our membership stands currently at 195, and the Secretary-Treasurer estimates that this figure will grow to about 220 by year's end.

Given the strong financial position of the Society, the treasurer proposed that the Society's books be formally audited this year and that proposals be entertained for a judicious increase in the Society's expenditures on programs for its members. Among the ideas suggested are the following:

* Support for the ISECS program to assist ISECS members from countries with weak currencies,

* Donating sets of Lumen to ISECS member societies that have difficulty gaining access to academic publication,

* Financing the Mark Madoff Prize in future from the Society's budget, rather than from the budget of the annual conference,

* Hiring a webmaster to improve the Society's website (moneys currently being saved by our move to an electronic Bulletin can be reallocated for this purpose),

* Establishing a fellowship program to help fund the research of Society members.

11. Constitution

The President noted that the Society's expanding plans and changes in operation will require amendments to the Society's Constitution. In particular changes in the operation of Lumen will require an amendment of the Constitution, as will the creation of the post of Webmaster. It was proposed to include term limits in the Constitution for Executive positions, to create a category of honorary members, and to look into closer affiliations with the Scottish, German, and Swiss societies. Proposed amendments can be voted on at a future General Meeting or by postal ballot. In either case, all members would receive ample notice of any measures to be taken on this front. Betty Schellenberg, Rosena Davison (if she accepts), and Benoît Melançon will form a committee to write a first draft of the new constitution.

 Meeting adjourned at 10:30 p.m.

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