LACS-SHA Business Meeting

Louisville, 2009

 

1.       M. Childs opened the meeting.

2.       M. Childs gave a membership report.

a.       LACS is about ten years old and there are people who have participated every year. There are also transient members, including prize contestants and panel members.

b.      We need to work on making transients more permanent. The three-year rotation is a problem but SHA is being more flexible with us.

c.       Selling points include small size (compared to CLAH), inexpensive membership, friendly to graduate students.

d.       Current members reminded to pay section dues

e.      We want to increase membership but must be realistic. This is not most people’s primary organization, but we do a good job of using local resources in each town.

3.       S. Johnson reported as LACS representative to the SHA.

a.       SHA will be flexible on the three-year rotation rule.

b.      On the issue of the Minority Status Committee, I will be on a committee to rethink its mandate, focused for last twenty years on African-Americans, and am looking for input.

4.       M. LaRosa gave the Treasurer’s Report.

a.       $5000 in account.

b.      Membership by year:  27 in 2005; 32 in 2006; 52 in 2007; 29 in 2008; 60 in 2009

5.       A. McMichael spoke on 2009 program.   Attendance in sessions this year has been very good. Only one no-show despite being in Louisville.

6.       R. Brown gave the Program report.

a.       5 panels, one per session, which is normal.

b.      Slavery in the Atlantic World

c.       Family and Kinship in the Atlantic World

d.      Women, Performance and Politics of Biography

e.      Sport’s Agency: Sports as  a Creative Force in Latin America

f.        Politics, Politicians and the Political, in Authoritarian Brazil and Mexico

7.       M. Childs gave the Macleod book prize report

a.       30 books from a wide range submitted.

b.      Brian Owensby won for Empire’s Law and Indian Justice in Colonial Mexico (Stanford University Press, 2008).

c.       B. Owensby was present to accept he award.

d.      B. Vinson will chair the 2011 book prize committee for the Baltimore meeting.

8.       M. Childs gave article prize report.

a.       Prize will be named in honor of K. Hanger.

b.      Members are encouraged to donate for prize fund.

c.       David Carey won for "'Oficios de su raza y sexo' (Occupations Consistent with Her Race and Sex): Mayan Women and Expanding Gender Identities in Early Twentieth-Century Guatemala." Journal of Women's History vol. 20, no. 1 (Spring 2008): 114-48.

9.       M. Childs gave Woodward Prize report (for LACS graduate student presentations).  Sitela Álvarez of  Florida International University won for “Cuban Exiles’ Rejection of Imperialist Catholicism in Key West, 1870-1895.”

10.   M. Childs opened up the floor for Vice President nominations.

a.       The Executive Committee nominated J. Barr.

b.      There were no other nominations.

c.       A. McMichael moved to close nominations, R. Brown seconded.

d.      J. Barr was elected by acclimation in a voice vote.

11.   J. Landers opened the floor for nominations for Treasurer

a.       J. Landers nominated M. Childs.

b.      A. McMichael seconded.

c.       There were no other nominations.

d.      T. Corse moved to close nominations, R. Brown seconded.

e.      M. Childs was elected by acclimation in a voice vote.

12.   J. Landers encouraged people to volunteer for prize committees.

13.   M. Childs circulated a form for pledges for the Hanger article prize.

14.   R. Brown introduced the speaker, R.L. Woodward.

15.   R. L. Woodward spoke on the trajectory of his research career and took questions afterwards.

16.   J. Landers closed the meeting.

 

 

LACS-SHA Executive Council Meeting

Louisville, 2009

 

Attending:  M. Childs, T. Corse, R. Brown, J. Landers, S. Johnson, M. LaRosa, B. Ganson

 

1.       Childs opened the meeting

2.       Corse presented 2008 minutes. Landers and Johnson moved to approve. Minutes approved by acclimation.

3.       Childs stated there is over $5000 in account. Membership history:  2005, 27 members; 2006, 32 members; 2007, 52 members;  2008, 29 members; 2009, 55 members. European section has 180 members. We will probably never be that large but we could set a target and go for it, bout our situation is healthy. We have diehard members, transient members who join for prizes (though some of those have stayed) and other transients are panelists.

4.       Johnson stated that the SHA Executive Committee indicated that for small groups like LACS the will not enforce the three-year ban on giving papers after a presentation. The ban will not be enforced on LACS.

5.       Brown suggested we still have some rotation, possibly a two year one.

6.       Childs said that the SHA membership committee is willing to graft a Latin American group on. We would need a committee of three people to participate.

7.       Brown indicated he would send the membership form out separately from the newsletter

8.       A discussion of online submissions of membership forms followed. Johnson indicated that PayPal and credit card systems would be costly for us. Childs suggested that CLAH might be willing to graft us onto their system. Brown said that CLAH would be a more natural audience for us.  General discussion followed approving investigating the possibility of working with CLAH.

9.       Landers, Ganson, and Childs indicated willingness to participate in membership committee. Childs said he would continue that conversation by e-mail.

10.   Johnson reported on meeting with program committee. SHA is very happy with our presence, and said we were very active in recruiting graduate students. Graduate student price will remain at $10. Questions arose about the direction of the SHA Minority Presence Committee.  Johnson volunteered to join to join that committee. SHA is favor of naming article prize for Hanger. They are receptive to joint panels but logistics need to be worked out. The idea they are considering is to make the Hanger panel a joint panel. LACS and SHA panel committees would work together on it. Childs said that is SHA does this it could mean six panels for LACS.

11.   Johnson said that to 2015 meeting would be in Little Rock and the 2016 meeting would be in St. Petersburg.

12.   Childs opened discussion on who should be to 2011 panel committee chair. T. Rogers is the chair for 2010. After discussion, it was agreed that B. Vinson would be asked to chair for 2011.

13.   Childs reported on the prizes. 30 books were submitted, of which 25 were viable candidates. B. Ownsby won. D. Carrey won the article prize, and L. Gorman won the Woodward prize.

14.   Childs stated that it is a complicated process to verify if a prize applicant is a member. Suggested making the treasurer an ex-oficio non-voting member to simplify process. Brown moved to approve, Landers seconded. Approved by acclimation.

15.   Brown opened discussion on the possibility of separating the membership account from the prize account. Further discussion followed about raising money for Hanger article prize.  Childs indicated he would pass out form at business meeting to raise money for the prize.  Stated that the SHA investment person is willing to work with us on this. A discussion followed about increasing the book prize award to $250 and leaving the article prize at $100. Brown moved. Ganson seconded. Approved by acclimation.

16.   Childs suggested that LACS could afford to subsidize graduate students. After discussion, it was agreed that graduate students would pay no more than $10 for the next meeting, and the issue would be reexamined later.

17.   Landers opened discussion on nominations. It was agreed to nominate J. Barr for vice-president and Childs for treasurer.  It was further agreed to open discussion at the business meeting about possibility of voting by e-mail for future elections.

18.   Discussion followed about prize committee memberships. Johnson agreed to chair article prize committee. Corse, Brown and B. Van Norman.

19.   Brown discussed the newsletter. Two a year so far, would like to beef it up, perhaps with photos. March/September pattern will continue.

20.   LaRosa indicated that all membership dues had to go to SHA by June 1, and that he would send all materials to Childs and J. Buchenau.

21.   Landers said that L. Johnson had agreed to speak at the 2010 meeting.