Minutes - LACS-SHA

Executive Committee Meeting

4 November 2004

Attending:  Richmond Brown, Jurgen Buchenau, Marshall Eakin, Tim Henderson, Jane Landers, Andrew McMichael, Michael Polushin

1.  After some discussion, the committee agreed that the cash prize for the biannual article/book prize will be $100.  Maria Elena Martinez, University of Southern California, is the winner of this year�s article prize.  We agreed to give her a prize of $200 due to a miscommunication about the amount of the award.  Hereafter, the amount will be $100.  Marshall Eakin will write an official letter to Martinez congratulating her on the selection of her article and he will enclose the check for $200.

2.  Marshall Eakin suggested that when Ginger Gould puts together the book prize committee that she draw on individuals who have been members of LACS previously, but who have not signed up for this year.  This will help recruit a few more members to the organization.

3.  The committee agreed that the book prize committee will consider books published in 2003 and 2004 for the prize.  The deadline for submissions is April 1, 2005.  We will place the information on the webpage, send it out on the current listserv, and publicize the prize on H-LATAM and other H-Net lists.  The committee should aim for a September 1 decision so that the winning author can be invited to attend the November 2005 meeting to accept her/his prize.

4.  Several people suggested making up a flyer to distribute at the Conference on Latin American History/AHA meeting in Seattle in early January.

5.  Entrants must be LACS members to be eligible for the prize.  When submissions are received, the secretary needs to send the author a message with information about signing up for membership.  As several people pointed out, the new memberships of the entrants should be able to fund the $100 prize.

6.  The Ralph Lee Woodward, Jr. Prize for the best graduate paper at the conference will be $50.  Everyone agreed to publicize the prize to graduate students presenting at this meeting and encourage them to submit their papers to the committee:  Jane Landers (Memphis program chair), Michael Polushin (Atlanta program chair), and Jay Clune (New Orleans program chair).

As soon as the committee reaches its decision, Ginger Gould will write the winning student a letter of congratulations and enclose the $50 check.

7.  Michael Polushin reported on the program for Atlanta.  LACS currently has five panels set and the possibility of one more.  Considerable discussion ensued about the problematic nature of the process of getting our panels on the SHA program.  Michael reported that he had enough graduate student submissions to organize five Phi Alpha Theta panels.  The committee decided to organize just four so as not to create too many competing panels. 

8.  Jurgen Buchenau, in his capacity as the LACS representative to the executive committee of the SHA, that we now have been given regular voting status on the executive committee.  As Jurgen�s term as our representative is ending at this meeting, the committee elected Richmond Brown as our new SHA representative for a three-year term. 

9.  The executive committee then agreed unanimously to nominate Michael LaRosa (Rhodes College) to a five-year term as our new treasurer to replace Andrew McMichael; Theron Corse (Tennessee State University) for another term as secretary; and Andrew McMichael for vice-president/president-elect. 

10.  After some discussion, the committee agreed on the need to recruit next year�s luncheon speaker from an institution in the Atlanta area.  Some suggestions were Susan Socolow, David McCreery, and Jeff Lesser.

Minutes

Business Meeting

5 November 2004

Attendance of 27, Marshall Eakin presiding.

1.  Andrew McMichael gave a brief report on membership and finances.  We have about $2000 set aside for the Woodward prize fund, and about another $1,000 in cash.  The number of members doubled this year as more individuals signed up through the LACS membership form and not just through the SHA.

2.  Tim Henderson announced that Maria Elena Martinez, University of Southern California, is the winner of this year�s best article prize for her essay, �The Black Blood of New Spain:  Limpieza de Sangre, Racial Violence, and Gendered Power in Early Colonial Mexico,� William and Mary Quarterly, July 2004.

3.  Marshall Eakin then announced the competition for the biannual book prize.  Books published in 2003 and 2004 will be considered.

4.  Eakin then announced the competition for the annual Ralph Lee Woodward, Jr. prize for the best graduate paper presented at the conference.  He asked everyone to encourage graduate student presenters to submit their papers to the prize committee.

5.  Jurgen Buchenau reported that the SHA has now given LACS a permanent, voting representative on the SHA executive committee.

6.  Michael Polushin gave a brief report on the program for the 2005 meeting in Atlanta.

7.  In short order those present at the meeting elected Michael LaRosa (Rhodes College) treasurer, re-elected Theron Corse (Tennessee State University) secretary, and elected Andrew McMichael (Western Kentucky University) vice-president/president-elect.  Eakin announced that the executive committee had selected Richmond Brown (University of South Alabama) as the LACS representative on the SHA executive committee.

7.  John Chasteen (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) gave a stimulating talk on �What Dance History Tells Us about the Latin American Past,� followed by a lively question and answer session.

8.  The meeting ended at 1:45 p.m.