|
The
American Schools of Oriental Research |
PRESENT: Holly Andrews, Staff, Larry Geraty, President, Joe Seger, PE MacAllister, Chairman, Doug Clark (Ex Officio for CAMP), Nan Frederick, Rudy Dornemann, Executive Director, Ed Lugenbeal, Treasurer, Jim Strange, Secretary, Larry Herr (Ex Officio for COP), Austin Ritterspach, BJ Collins (Staff, Ex Officio for the Publications Office), Ed Gilbert, Martha Joukowsky, VP, Nan Frederick, B.W. Ruffner.
ABSENT: David McCreery
1. CTO 1:00 PM by P.E. MacAllister.
2. Approval of Minutes of the April 26, 2002 Executive Committee Meeting. Moved by Martha Joukowsky Seconded by Austin Ritterspach. APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
3. No report from the Chairman.
4. Report from the President—Lawrence T. Geraty: Dr. Geraty introduced La Sierra University and its history. He explained that it is a university with a strong Adventist orientation but an ecumenical outlook.
Larry explained that his goal was to visit with all committee chairs and all directors of the Middle East centers: Albright, ACOR, CAARI, as well as visit Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq.
On the question of the relation of ASOR and the Centers, the President proposed:
A. Promoting things they can
do with each other.
B. ASOR conduct lecture
tours for the Directors
C. Open Annual Meeting
to the public.
The President also suggested that he visit with Kent Richards to see how best to collaborate.
His first priority is to support CAP, COP, and CAMP as essential activities of ASOR.
President Geraty pointed out that the search for Rudy Dornemann’s successor will occupy us soon. Rudy currently plans to step down in December 2003 and assist in the transition of a new ED as needed until June 2004.
Larry Geraty can help with fundraising. He believes we should concentrate on the endowment. We need a President’s Circle for those who donate every year.
Larry Geraty announced a new institutional member, namely Steven Pfann for the University of the Holy Land, Watsonville, CA.
New Board Members on the board in the class of 2005 are the following:
Eric Cline (Individual member)
Beth Alpert Nakhai (Individual member)
Stuart Swiny (Individual member)
Timothy Harrison (Institutional member)
Joe Seger (Institutional member)
Bruce Routledge (Institutional member)
Lydie Shufro (Board member)
Eric Meyers (Board member)
Kent Bermingham (Board member)
Larry Geraty talked about potential Board members. Larry will talk with several about their possible interest. There are three NY contacts who might be amenable to work with the Board. P.E. has been in contact with David Rosenstein in Washington, DC about his possible interest. Austin Ritterspach added that there are other prominent people whom he knows who might help, a layperson in Denver and a Classics scholar in Honolulu. Larry Geraty suggests finding out if people are interested, getting a curriculum vitae, and then talk in Toronto.
***We moved to the COP report in order to watch a demo of iMIS systems software. Billie Jean Collins put the demonstration in place. The connection allowed real-time questions of the iMIS representative.***
We moved back to the President’s Report and a discussion of potential Board members. No action was taken.
Larry Geraty passed out handouts for New Business.
A. A proposal from Sy Gitin that ASOR lend support to a new pottery book to replace Amiran’s out-of-print volume.
B. A proposal that ASOR support web Fonts for Biblical Studies.
C. A proposal from Hershel Shanks that ASOR distributed the BAR Archive (CD’s).
D. A suggestion that ASOR start a Damascus or other Middle Eastern Center.
E. A letter from John Worrell who indicated Abu Issa at Balata needs a costly eye operation. Larry Herr asked if we could not put this notice on the ASOR List Serve.
Larry Geraty gave a word of thanks and appreciation to all those who worked so hard in the past.
5. Report from the Treasurer—Ed Lugenbeal. Ed spoke positively of the completion of the change over to accrual-based accounting for ASOR, especially for Publications. Ed indicated that Rudy Dornemann would give the budget report. Rudy mentioned that he had sent out the report to everyone in a packet. The auditors will be in Monday and try to wrap-up the audit next week. He also passed out the Summary page and a comparison of final budget to actual statement in two pages. He called attention to budget to actual, col. I shows approved budget. Col J is Budget without publications. Col H is the end of last year, representing some new figures. Some bills were never sent out and some checks did not arrive, and there was deferred income from NEA. Page two shows in Column H that the organization was in the black, publications was in the black, since all income is represented.
Ingrid had moved almost everything in the investment portfolio (Solomon Smith Barney) from Mutual Funds to money market funds within the Mutual Funds. As a result, we did not lose a great deal, nor have we made much. Several of the trust funds are partially invested in the Davis Fund for about 5% of portfolio. The Davis fund is invested in major companies, and we have been advised to sit tight and not get out. We need to have $5-6k to spend out of the Harris Fund, but we cannot do so this year. We purchased a Fannie Mae bond ($100k) to see income in April and a regular income of about 5 1/2% after that. The total of the portfolio was about $784,260 but ended closer to $764,366 not including the Nies fund. The cash flow this year is much better than last year. The best news is that institutional dues income has brought in $58,000 so far, about $5k under budget, which means we should go over by the end of the year. We need to raise $125k in annual fund to come out even at the end of the fiscal year.
6. Development Report was given in earlier Development Committee meeting at 10am.
7. No CAP report.
8. Report on Annual Meeting and Program (distributed)—Douglas Clark. The hotel location is closer to downtown area in the upcoming conferences. We have a contract for San Antonio 2004 signed, the Weston Riverwalk. Jane Grutz has volunteered to help with publicity for the program in Toronto concentrating on the public lecture. She is writing PR pieces for media outlets in Toronto. Part of this is to garner members. Larry Geraty will give a lecture welcoming and raising the issue of membership. He emphasized that the program is full, with 237 presentations. He pointed out the international character of the ASOR Annual Meeting. We are not doing the Teacher Workshop. This has been transferred to regional meetings. Suzanne Richard has found about eleven regional SBL/AAR groups with ASOR ties. She has a put together a set of issues for CAMP to consider, so as to collect new members. Doug encourages food functions at the Annual Meeting, as more money spent on food & beverage at the hotels helps to lower the room rates.
9. COP Report (distributed) Larry Herr notes that COP is looking to make ASOR affiliation more attractive by facilitating marketing of ASOR affiliated dig publications. He hopes to raise the status of NEA.
Billie Jean Collins: Ted has been struggling to catch up, but with a short queue of manuscripts. In about three months she hopes we will be putting out more. She passed around copies of recent publications: A re-issue of Oded Borowski’s book on agriculture in ancient Israel, Shechem publications III, and Bolger and Serwint Engendering Aphrodite. About 25% of our sales in the last quarter were achieved through Oxbow in England. Sales across the board are good and the publication budget is in the black. Projections are that publications should also be in the black FY03.
COP Motions to the Finance Committee were distributed: No. l has been moved after the Motions from COP to the Executive Committee.
BE IT RESOLVED to accept the COP budget revisions due to the proposed move of fulfillment services. 1a and 1b PASSED WITH ONE ABSTENTION.
BE IT RESOLVED (Item 1c) the Executive Committee amend the request that the EC authorize a second full-time position within the Publications office and to accept Emory’s willingness to waive the requirement for search and selection of a candidate for that position. Moved by Nan Frederick. Failed for want of a Second.
BE IT RESOLVED that we conduct an internal search for staff to operate the in-house fulfillment service. Moved by Joe Seger and seconded by Austin Ritterspach.
BE IT RESOLVED that we amend the previous motion to include the Authorization of the position so that there are two fulltime positions for the Publications staff. Moved by Nan Frederick and seconded by Austin Ritterspach. AMENDMENT PASSED WITH ONE ABSTENTION. THE Amended motion passed with one Abstention.
BE IT RESOLVED (ITEM 1d shortened): “To accept the revised COP budget.” There was some discussion between Ed Lugenbeal and Rudy Dornemann about the implications of such an acceptance, but they approved when they realized that the COP budget would remain in the black. PASSED with one abstention.
COP withdrew item 2
BE IT RESOLVED (Item 3.) that ASOR accept the idea of travel tour as a fundraising project for publications (with Austin Ritterspach) subject to approval by ASOR legal council of any final contract governing the tour. PASSED with one abstention.
Rudy Dornemann reinforced the mention of involving Julene Miller’s travel company to be sure that the insurance, unrelated business, and other questions were handled properly and without risk to ASOR.
COP withdraws item 4.
Larry Geraty suggests that COP study the question and bring it back in one year.
10. The President elected to move to New Business:
On the matter of the request from the Biblical Archaeology Society to distribute the CD archive:
BE IT RESOLVED that ASOR declines the offer as put forth by Hershel Shanks. Moved by Martha Joukowsky; Seconded by Nan Frederick. PASSED with all “YES” and one “NO” on the ground that the carrying of ads for those who sell antiquities on the part of BAR violates ASOR’s ethical position.
There was discussion of underwriting the publication of The Ancient Pottery of Israel and its Neighbors. Larry Geraty suggested that one might move that ASOR wishes to become a member, if a donor can be found. Larry Herr pointed out that there might be items from illegal digs included.
BE IT RESOLVED THAT we respectfully decline Sy Gitin’s appeal for subsidy of The Ancient Pottery of Israel and its Neighbors. Moved by Larry Herr; Seconded by Nan Frederick. PASSED unanimously. Nan suggests that we communicate the concerns discussed in this meeting to Sy Gitin.
On the matter of the proposal from Kent Richards to produce “Fonts for Biblical Studies”
BE IT RESOLVED THAT ASOR agrees to underwrite the font project, subject to finding funding. Moved by P.E. MacAllister, Seconded by Douglas Clark PASSED unanimously.
The Executive Committee discussed the issue of eye surgery for Abu Issa. It was suggested that we respond in a different manner rather than with a formal motion, namely, but first posting to the ASOR List Serve.
11. Report from the Personnel Committee--Nan Frederick passed out the ASOR Policies and Procedures Manual revision, the section on publications. Nan pointed out that there needs to be an Emory University-ASOR agreement on personnel for publications such as our agreement with Boston University. Nan will work up a qualifications document for the committee seeking the new Executive Director.
P.E. MacAllister asked for consent to appoint a search committee and a farewell party for Rudy. No action, but the Secretary pointed out that it is in the Chairman’s power to appoint any ad hoc committee as Chairman, subject to Board approval after the fact of appointment.
12. Report from the Executive Director -- Rudy mentioned the Saudi Arabia Committee and David Graf. He has sent copies of David’s report of his visit last March. All can have a copy. David would like to move it along. We need to look at the concern of doing a tour in Saudi Arabia next March. Second, we have a question about the iMIS software and how we do the banking implicit with that relationship. He suggests that he, working with COP, come to the EC with a recommendation. Ed adds that there are some options with this software, and we will ultimately need to make a decision about how this should work. In dealing with Academic Services we may need a set timeline when we cut off our relationship.
14. Move to Adjourn at 5:32 pm.
PASSED UNANIMOUSLY.
Respectfully submitted,
James Strange, Secretary