Minutes 2016

LACS-SHA 2016, St. Pete’s Beach

Executive Meeting Minutes

Attending: O. Valerio-Jiménez, T. Corse, M. Childs, T. Spike, F. Ramos, R. Smale, W. Van Norman. (I also have a Monica, Gregory, and Andrea V. I can’t identify)

1. Van Norman opened the meeting
2. Corse: There are no minutes from 2015
3. Van Norman introduced new officers
   1. Valerio-Jiménez, President
   2. Sippial for Vice President
   3. S. Franklin, Newsletter (may wish to be temporary)
   4. Corse volunteered, but Childs recommended spreading the jobs out. Van Norman agreed to look through calendar to find what was needed in newsletter

1. Childs gave the LACS SHA rep to the executive council report
   1. EC pushed back on women’s group wanting to change name to be be more inclusive. SHA passed it but with dissent.
   2. EC interested in “old white guy” problem, no immediate solution
   3. EC likes us because we provide some diversity, but of course, Latin America is not Latino Studies.
   4. We should support special event for Richmond (Brown).
   5. A lot of attrition on the Southern side.
   6. The panel meeting requires 13-month advance submission
2. Childs: the panel with R. Brown on it collapsed, will be replaced with a memorial panel. Van Norman thanked Childs for his work on this.
3. Spike gave the treasurer’s report
   1. Separate from dissertation money, and before prizes are given out, we have $3000.
   2. After prizes and reception, maybe $2500, reception costs $200
   3. The IRS conversion from C6 to C3 is under review, IRS needs more information. Described needed information and next steps.
   4. If we fall apart and are dissolved, the money must go to education.
   5. Conversion to C6 because most of our money is membership, not a donation.
   6. (There’s a note here about donations should be tax-deductible given our current status, though that could change, but my notes are unclear. Perhaps Tamara could clarify.)
   7. We’ve taken in $1800 for the dissertation prize
   8. Childs: We should shoot for $5000. We haven’t even begun asking.
4. A discussion about graduate students
   1. Van Norman: Could we use R. Brown money to support graduate students?
   2. Spike: Since we are set up for graduate education IRS says yes we can divert it
   3. Childs: Graduate students can’t afford the lunches, we should pay for them if they are on the program
   4. Spike: Panels are limited, graduate student attendance will always be limited
   5. Van Norman: We need to get more people to talks, more grad students for lunches as lunches are always a highlight of our program.
5. One Big Thing
   1. Van Norman discussed the possibility of an auction.
   2. Spike: An auction to fund a graduate student council
   3. Van Norman: We could supplement dissertation prize money as those donations fall off.
   4. Spike: We could institute this over a couple of years, people could put the title on their CV.
   5. Childs: We need to do this (auction) at the reception
6. Future SHA representative
   1. We need to appoint a representative to the SHA
   2. Smale volunteered
   3. Smale was approved by acclamation
7. Van Norman commended Spike for her work on new status and Paypal
8. Graduate Committee
   1. Childs: We should set up a graduate committee made up of graduate students. Childs could be chair (not clear from my notes if this is a self-nomination), which would keep him as an officer.
   2. Childs: Students would get a nice line on their CV for professional service
   3. Spike: The students with Childs could organize and run the auction and reception
9. Donations
   1. Childs asked where donations came from besides Brown.
   2. Spike: Not many other sources because of unstable year to year membership.
10. We chipped in to help the SHA buy two projectors. Buys goodwill. (Not clear from notes who said this.)
11. Award Committees
    1. Valerio-Jiménez raised the issue of keeping people on award committees for 2-3 years.
    2. Childs: We haven’t done that, and it makes forming awards committees one of the hardest jobs.
    3. The proposal was supported by acclimation. Valerio-Jiménez said he would look into it.
12. Spike presented new bylaws for new IRS status for signing.
13. Corse described wish of new SHA director to house website on SHA site. Committee approved assuming Google Docs can be maintained.
14. Social Media
    1. Ramos discussed developing a social media presence
    2. The idea was discussed and approved. Corse agreed to set things up.
15. Van Norman closed the meeting,