Report of the Committee on Meetings for the Year Ending June 30, 1999

The Committee on Meetings deliberated during the month of July 1998 to consider the long term planning for future sites of the Annual Meeting and Forum. Committee members participating in the deliberation were George Bugliarello, David Cudaback, , Peggie Hollingsworth, John H. Moore, Virginia L. Trimble, and Susan Weiler.

The committee received a summary and detailed analysis of prospective sites from Dee Windley of the Sigma Xi staff. In recent years, identifying available hotels that meet our specific requirements for facilities, service, and cost has become more challenging. As a result, the staff has revisited and intensified the approach to researching prospective meeting sites. In addition to reviewing competitive hotel cost, availability, and air fares in cities with good air service, more research has become necessary regarding alternative facilities (i.e., secondary hotel arrangements), possibilities for more connections with "local host" Sigma Xi chapters (which helps with such activities as field trips, poster sessions, and our increasing demands for telecommunications facilities at the meeting), and consideration of the topic of the Forum scheduled for that year. For example, this is in part why the subject of the Vancouver Forum in November 1998, the first annual meeting/forum convened outside the U.S. in many years, was on the topic of international collaboration in science and technology. Finally, in its deliberations, the Committee continued the general practice of seeking geographic diversity in a historical order of West, Middle, and East then back to West, with exceptions for special circumstances that might arise.

In July 1998, the committee approved the following sites for the Society’s forum and annual meetings: Minneapolis for 1999, Albuquerque for 2000, and Raleigh for 2001. Deliberations in FY2000 will focus on the sites for the 2002, 2003, and 2004 meetings which, following the historical pattern, would be in mid-continent, eastern, and western cities, respectively. In addition, the Committee is expected to undertake a review of the resolution from the Ottawa Chapter that was referred to it by the 1998 Assembly of Delegates. This resolution dealt with the format of the forum and annual meeting and the overall program for the annual meeting.

Peter D. Blair, Chair
George Bugliarello
David D. Cudaback
Peggie J. Hollingsworth
John H. Moore
Virginia L. Trimble
C. Susan Weiler