Report of the Committee on Meetings
for the Year ending June 30, 2001

The Committee on Meetings deliberated by email during the month of July 2000 to consider the long term planning for future sites of the Annual Meeting and Forum. Committee members participating in the deliberation were George Bugliarello, Polytechnic University, Raymond E. Fornes, North Carolina State University, Marye Ann Fox, North Carolina State University, W. Franklin Gilmore, Montana Tech of the University of Montana, David Jensen, University of Massachusetts, and Virginia L. Trimble, University of California & University of Maryland.

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 Òlocal hostÓ 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 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 2000, the committee members re-affirmed earlier approval of the following sites: Raleigh, NC for 2001, Galvaston, TX for 2002, and southern California for 2003. Deliberations in FY2002 will focus on finalizing the 2003 site and considering sites for the 2004, 2005, and 2006 meetings, which, following the historical pattern, would be in mid-continent, eastern, and western cities, respectively.

Peter D. Blair, Chair
George Bugliarello
Raymond E. Fornes
Marye Anne Fox
W. Franklin Gilmore
David Jensen
Virginia L. Trimble