American Musicological Society

Rocky Mountain Chapter

 

Minutes of the Business Meeting

Saturday, April 10, 1999

 

Richard J. Agee called the meeting to order at precisely 1:00 p.m. Oliver Ellsworth immediately motioned adjournment after which the motion was tabled.

 

Richard Agee read a note from Emma Upton that informed the membership of the death of her husband, Jim Upton. By acclamation the membership approved a motion to send a note of condolence (Richard Agee will write and send it).

 

Minutes of the 1998 business meeting were read and approved.

 

The budget was presented by Michael D. Grace, Secretary/Treasurer for the chapter during 1998-9. The balance remains at $00.00.

 

John Brobeck, Chapter Representative to the AMS Council, then took the floor and brought up the issue of the location of next year’s meeting. Karen Bryan of ASU volunteered her institution for the year 2000 meeting in Tempe, while Harrison Powley asked that BYU host the 2001 meeting in Provo. There was general agreement among the membership that this scenario would be fine. For 2000, Karen Bryan was elected President/Chair and Amy Holbrook was elected Secretary/Treasurer.

 

John Brobeck then conducted elections for our second student representative. The term of Lezlie Bodkin, student representative to the national AMS Council, has expired. In her place Shawn Marie Keener of the University of Colorado, Boulder, was elected by acclamation for a two-year term. Karen Speed, also of the University of Colorado, Boulder, will serve until next year. Some discussion ensued over the relative lack of Ph.D. programs in our chapter (only CU and ASU), and that in the future we might elect a student in a master’s program knowing that after one year the student would need to be replaced. There was general agreement that this possibility troubled no one.

 

John Brobeck also brought up the subject of graduate students. In future meetings, we may dedicate an hour or so to problems faced by graduate students in the academic world and the job market. John also discussed financial aid to help graduate students attend the local chapter meetings. Richard Agee suggested that if 30 active members voluntarily gave only $10 apiece, that $300 would be available toward plane flights or housing. There was some concern over which graduate students to aid with this money, but the members seemed to think that aid should go to graduate students at institutions farthest away from the meeting place. Alan Luhring indicated that a tax number would be needed if a non-profit organization collected such funds. Again by acclamation, the membership authorized John Brobeck to explore the possibility of developing a Graduate Student Travel Fund.

 

With that, Richard Agee again brought up Oliver Ellsworth tabled motion to adjourn, which was passed unanimously. The meeting ended at 1:21.08, perhaps a record for the longest meeting ever held in the chapter, since no one could remember a longer one.