Minutes

Midwest Archaeological Conference
Annual Business Meeting
Notes
October 23, 2004
St. Louis, Missouri

1-2. CALL TO ORDER & MINUTES
The meeting was called to order at 12:04 CDT by President Bill Green.
The minutes of the prior meeting (posted on the web) were approved by acclamation.

3. SPECIAL PRESENTATION
President Green recognized Chuck Niquette, representing RPA, who awarded Chuck Cleland the RPA Presidential Recognition Award for his efforts in streamlining the register's documents. Niquette's statement appears as an appendix to these notes.

4. OFFICERS' REPORTS

A. PRESIDENT'S REPORT
President Green made a brief report on recent conference actions and activities, including the following:

• the achievement of MAC formal organization, which was hard work that went well thanks to the input and financial support of many members
• the recognition of MAC organizational successes such as the building, launching, and updating of the MAC website. He acknowledged the work of Scott Brish, webmaster, and outgoing MAC secretary Cheryl Munson re: the website success.
• acknowledgment of the work of Dean Higginbotham, who has done exceptional pro bono legal work on behalf of MAC
• the work of volunteers from U Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Michigan State University on behalf of the MAC organizational effort
• today's conference organizers (Tim Baumann, John Kelly, and all of the volunteer workers) who have managed large and successful conference

President Green then commented on the future of the MAC, specifically, the goal of using e-mail to establish semi-monthly circulars for members to publicize events and to build additional lines of communication. He called for volunteers to contribute to and support this effort. Other important projects for the future needing volunteers include a) the website, which soon needs a webmaster and b) a membership recruitment committee to use available mailing lists and other resources to enlist new members.

Finally, Pres. Green acknowledged the 2004 Nominating Committee of Mike Wiant, N'omi Greber, and Mike Nassaney, who found willing candidates for all vacant offices and board seats.

B. TREASURER'S REPORT
Treasurer Robert Jeske characterized the yearly report as uncomplicated, and the budget projections for FY 2005 as stressing conservative measures. The primary goal of fiscal solvency (i.e. getting out of debt) and to build other gains appears to be solidly underway. He encouraged the membership to continue with the use of PayPal or SPORG to submit dues. He also suggested that in the near future the group would have to face the need to pay for services so far covered in-kind to the MAC. Future needs include: a consideration of insurance for events and perhaps for officers, a need to encourage 501(c)(3) giving to the MAC, and the importance of growing membership to healthy levels (450 would be solid given current expenses). He reported that the current membership, including those members paid through 2005 and 2006, totaled 411.

C. EDITOR'S REPORT
MCJA Editor William Lovis announced that the spring issue of the journal is currently being mailed. He reported that the journal was on solid ground despite the woes of transition from the former publisher to AltaMira, which included some design changes and some miscommunication on ms-pages to print-pages conversion ratios. He asked for manuscript submittals, and reminded the group that a backlog of ca. 12 manuscripts would constitute a healthy margin for the journal, i.e. to insure that both a standard issue length and regular publication schedule could be met. Both content and the geographic spread of submitted articles were satisfactory, and he anticipated that the journal would be on time by the fall of 2005 and the hand-off to the incoming editor (Jan Brashler). The Fall 04 issue (29-2) is in the process of going to AltaMira and will appear in January 05. The Spring 05 issue is full and will appear in April 05, and the Fall 05 is now filling and will appear in October 05. He characterized the current manuscripts as high quality and presenting low editing demands. He called again for manuscript submittals, for peer reviewer volunteers, and for strict adherence to the Guidelines for manuscript preparation. He emphasized that these guidelines are rules rather than suggestions, asked for minimums of 600 dpi TIFF graphics, and suggested judicious use of figures.

D. SECRETARY'S REPORT
Secretary Cheryl Munson reviewed the charges to the office of MAC secretary: to conduct official communications, record correspondence and circulate/record the election ballots of the organization.

The following activities were accomplished this year:

Elections: with thanks to those who agreed to stand for election, Sect. Munson reported that 373 ballots were sent out and 161 returned (43%). There were 9 failed ballots.

Essential documents filed: included correspondence, reports of officers, and contracts.

Letterhead and logo: both a letterhead and logo were designed by Jamie Kelly. The logo, designed by Jamie Kelly, was selected by the vote of the membership at the 2003 meeting was added to the website. Secretary Munson designed the letterhead which incorporates the new logo.

Conference mailings and ballot mailings: cost $570. The Secretary suggested that the group find ways to reduce these costs.

Finally, the Secretary thanked Indiana University students Scott Brish, Alicia Edwards, and Drew McGill for their work on behalf of the MAC.

5. INTRODUCTION OF NEW OFFICERS
Out-going President Green announced the election results:
President-Elect: Bonnie Styles
Secretary: Susan Martin
Treasurer-Elect: Tim Baumann
Editor-Elect: Jan Brashler
Executive Officer: George Milner

Incoming President Lynne Goldstein then presided over the rest of the meeting.

6. MEETINGS

A. 2004 Organizer's Report
Tim Baumann presented a report on the 2004 meeting. There were 317 presented papers and 31 posters, a total of 784 registrants, and the break-even point on costs had been met. He thanked all those who had helped as volunteers, through donations, and encouraged us to enjoy the afternoon tours and barbecue.

B. 2005 Meeting
The meeting has been invited by the University of Dayton, with leadership from Lisa Simonelli, Bob Riordan, and Bill Kennedy. Proposed dates are October 20-23 at the Crown Plaza Hotel. Plans for the evenings of the meeting were described. There was a discussion about the rental costs of LCD projectors, which were described as excessive.

C. President Lynne Goldstein thanked the Dayton organizers for their invitation, and announced that an invitation had been received for the 2006 meeting, organized by Tim Pauketat and Tom Emerson, to be held at the University of Illinois/Champaign-Urbana. The 2007 meeting has been invited to the University of Notre Dame during October 4-7, 2007 with Mark Scheurer as organizer.

7. COMMITTEE REPORTS

A. Membership Committee: a membership committee is forming and needs volunteers. B. Green and C. Munson are involved in this effort.

B. Development Committee: the goal of the committee is to raise funds for financial security and special publications. Such a committee seeks leadership and volunteers.

8. MAC WEBSITE
Outgoing Secretary Cheryl Munson reported that the MAC website now has a new domain name, and may be found at www.midwestarchaeology.org. The website project is in need of a replacement webmaster. All members are encouraged to use the site and to contribute content to the site in the form of features, abstracts of theses/dissertations, and to help add the remaining volumes of the MCJA to the on-line article abstracts.

9-10. OTHER BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS

A. President Goldstein proposed two resolutions: a thank-you to the members leaving the board (Green, C. Munson, and Cricket Kelly), who were instrumental in the hard work of transition to full organization of the MAC, laying a ground plan for its future and moving it forward. The members were recognized with a round of applause. The second resolution thanked Tim Baumann, John Kelly, and their volunteers for organizing and carrying off a successful MAC/SEAC annual meeting. The members were recognized with a round of applause.

B. PROPOSALS
Bill Lovis proposed that the MAC designate an award for recognition of outstanding services to the MAC. Approval by acclamation.

Larry Conrad proposed that the MAC designate an award for a student paper competition and prize, using the SEAC and/or Plains Conference awards as models. There was general discussion about the type and scale of prize, and general agreement that such an award was a good idea, but no formal action was taken.

11. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at ca. 12:45 pm (motion by W. Lovis, support by J. Brown).

Respectfully submitted,

Susan R. Martin
1/3/05

Appendix:

Statement by Charles Niquette RPA
Prepared comments on Chuck Cleland's receipt of the RPA Presidential Recognition Award

"Any organization or society is a reflection of its constituency and he Register of Professional Archaeologists is no exception. Whatever success we have in meeting our objectives depends upon the willingness of individuals to step up to the plate, to serve as officers, members of the board, as committee members and other support roles. The Register is fortunate to have among its numbers a man such as Chuck Cleland who sets an example for all of us.

Chuck has been the Chair of the Watchword Committee since the Register was formed. In this capacity. his charge has been to "watch the words." Stated another way, his task has been to streamline, rewrite, and provide consistency in the Register’s organizational documents. He has
done an outstanding job with the By-laws, the Grievance Manual, the Disciplinary Procedures and is currently providing assistance to Chip McGimsey in the development of a Standards Board Manual. This has not been an easy task and many people would not have Chuck’s eye for detail. I am pleased to recognize Chuck’s long-term commitment to the past and future of the Register by presenting him with this Presidential Recognition Award. Thank you Chuck. You have been - and continue to be - an asset to the Register of Professional Archaeologists.