The Southwestern Association of Naturalists
Minutes of the Business Meeting
Hays, Kansas
Friday, 20 April 2001
President Troy Best called the meeting to order at 10:25 am with a quorum
present.
The membership approved the Minutes of the 2000 Business Meeting as printed in Volume 45(4) of The Southwestern Naturalist.
The Secretary read a summary of the 2001 Meeting of the Board of Governors and Officers (BOG).
Brenda Clark gave the Treasurer's report, with copies of the written version to the BOG available. She reported income, expenses, and checkbook activity as provided in the written report and as summarized in the Minutes of the Meeting of the Board of Governors and Officers (BOG).
The Treasurer then reported on memberships, with details on 2000 and current memberships contained in the written report and summarized in the Minutes of the Meeting of the BOG on 19 April 2001. She also presented a roster of 121 new members for approval. There was a motion and second to approve the new members. The motion carried.
Clark then reported a summary of the 2002 proposed balanced budget of $66,700 approved at the Meeting of the BOG on 19 April 2001. The minutes of that meeting summarize her report. President Best called for questions on the budget, and there were none.
Best appointed the 4 Wilks Award presenters (Steven R. Hoofer, Linda M. Ilse, Raymond S. Matlack, and Cara Shillington) to act as tellers for the elections of Class of 2005 Governors and the President-Elect. Best, David L. McNeely, and the tellers conducted the election for President-Elect first. Four persons were nominated from the floor. The tellers retired to count the ballots, with the Class of 2005 Governors to be elected after the result was announced.
Jerry Choate reported for the Trustees that SWAN had a reasonably successful investment year, considering the behavior of the financial markets during the past year. Details are available in his written report and a summary in the Minutes of the Meeting of the BOG.
Phyllis Kennedy reported that due to the work of the Trustees and the Treasurer, SWAN finances are in good order and no inappropriate actions or serious questions have arisen.
The election tellers reported the result of the election for President-Elect to President Best, who announced that the person elected to that office was Edie Marsh-Matthews.
President Best then called for nominations from the floor for the Board of Governors Class of 2005. Fourteen persons were nominated, ballots were distributed, and the tellers were to report the results to President Best for announcement at the Banquet Friday evening.
Karen McBee reported that publication of the journal is progressing in a timely fashion, with all of Volume 45 and 46(1) published, 46(2) at press, and 46(3) being prepared. She also expressed satisfaction that the editorial board and the BOG have succeeded at reducing the time lag for publication. She further reported that there is a substantial rejection rate for manuscripts submitted, and that the quality of accepted papers remains high. Several editorial board changes were also announced, as reported in the Minutes of the Meeting of the BOG.
Anthony Echelle announced that 3 awards for the year 2001 were approved by the BOG this year, to be made at the banquet at the 2002 Annual Meeting in Cuernavaca, Mexico:
Robert L. Packard Outstanding Educator Award -- Robert J. Baker, Texas Tech University.
Meritorious Service Award -- David J. Schmidly, Texas Tech University.
W. Frank Blair Eminent Naturalist Award -- Hobart M. Smith, University of Colorado.
President Best reported for the Conservation Committee that the annual Conservation Award for a paper that contributes significantly to the conservation of Southwestern biota was to be presented at the banquet to Keith B. Gido, Jacob F. Schaefer, Kirsten Work, Philip W. Lienesch, Edie Marsh-Matthews, and William J. Matthews for their paper, "Effects of Red Shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) on Red River Pupfish (Cyprinodon rubrofluviatilis)," published in The Southwestern Naturalist 44(3):287-295.
Robert Sikes reported that the Public Relations Committee has made appropriate announcements to news and other media outlets concerning awards and activities by SWAN, and will do so with respect to actions taken at this meeting.
Phillip Sudman reported on the Membership Committee's activity over the past year in awarding 19 Student Membership Awards and producing a reminder to current and lapsed members and authors to join. He also solicited nominees for this year's Student Membership Awards.
Anthony Echelle announced that the Development Committee undertook no new activity during the past year. President Best asked for additional volunteers to serve in this committee.
Meredith J. Hamilton, Historian, asked for SWAN materials for the Archives, particularly from past meetings. She reported that the Historian has undertaken no new activities since last year's meeting.
Bruce Stewart reported for the ad hoc Committee on International Relations. He reminded the membership that the meeting in Monterrey 2 years ago was a resounding success, and reported on the plans for the 2002 meeting in Cuernavaca. Stewart also reminded the membership of border crossing difficulties if careful preparation is not made, and promised that he would prepare and place on the SWAN web page information helpful to members who plan to drive to Cuernavaca.
President Best reported that the ad hoc Committee for Botanical Concerns had no new information to report, and he pointed out the success of the committee at regenerating botanical interest and activity in SWAN.
Robert Dowler, reporting for the ad hoc Committee for Disposal of Back Issues, announced that the committee has been successful in disposing of back issues, and that remaining issues may still be ordered. Robert Owen asked if SWAN is still donating back issues to needy libraries, Dowler answered affirmatively, but that logistics of getting the issues to the libraries hamper the donation. Owen offered to carry issues to libraries he visits in Latin America.
Dwight Moore reported that the SWAN web site is active with large numbers of "hits" having accumulated.
Bryon Clark reported on planning for the 2003 50th anniversary. He announced that (1) the planning committee has anniversary pins available, and members can receive them in return for a $50 donation to the Howard McCarley Student Research Fund; (2) Marion McCarley donated $1,000 to the Howard McCarley Student Research Fund; (3) members may sign up at this meeting to donate materials for a multi-media presentation at the 2003 meeting on past SWAN activities; (4) the committee needs an organizer for a symposium and journal article on SWAN history or biotic change of the Southwest. Following Clark's report, Paula Williamson announced that Earl Zimmerman, of The University of North Texas has volunteered to organize and chair the symposium.
Ronald Van Den Bussche announced that meetings are set for 2002 (Cuernavaca, Mexico) and 2003 (Norman, Oklahoma). He also asked for invitations and suggestions for future meetings.
Bruce Stewart reported further on planning for the 2002 meeting in Cuernavaca. The meeting dates will be 25 - 27 April. Stewart emphasized the geologic and biotic diversity of the location of the meeting in the state of Morelos, and the modern facilities of the host institution, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, as well as the easy options for local transportation in the area.
President Best then called for New Business.
Clark Hubbs presented the following resolution and made a
motion for its approval:
Whereas, the School of Biological Sciences of The University of Texas at Austin has petitioned the administration to name the Breckinridge Field Laboratory Building after W. Frank Blair, be it
resolved that the Southwestern
Association of Naturalists supports that petition.
The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.
Frank Judd announced the death of long-time active SWAN member and naturalist Walter W. Dalquest. President Best pointed out the magnitude of Dr. Dalquest's contribution to biological knowledge of the Southwest, Latin America, and elsewhere.
The following actions were taken at the Banquet on the
evening of Friday 20 April 2001:
President Best announced that David Edds, Robert D. Owen, Philip Sudman, and Caryn Vaughn were elected to 3-year terms as Governors.
Jennifer Frey presented the George Miksch Sutton Award for Conservation Research to Keith B. Gido, Jacob F. Schaefer, Kirsten Work, Philip W. Lienesch, Edie Marsh-Matthews, and William J. Matthews.
Edie Marsh-Matthews presented the Clark Hubbs Student Poster Award to Andrew G. Hope of Eastern New Mexico University for his poster: "Biogeographic Nestedness and Conservation of Boreal Mammals in the Western Contiguous United States." The poster was coauthored with Jennifer K. Frey. She also announced 2 Honorable Mention awards in the poster contest as follows: Andrew E. Ernst and Nick C. Parker, Texas Tech University for "Changes in Black-tailed Prairie Dog Towns of the Texas Panhandle as Determined by GIS," and Michael S. Husak and Amanda L. Husak of Mississippi State University for "Latitudinal Patterns in Range Sizes of New World Woodpeckers."
Paula Williamson presented the Wilks Award for the best paper authored by a student to Linda M. Ilse of Oklahoma State University for her presentation titled, "Porcupines, Pinyon Pines, and Pine Engravers: What's the Connection?"
Anthony A. Echelle presented 2000 Distinguished Awards as follows: W. Frank Blair Eminent Naturalist Award: David E. Brown, who is retired from the Arizona Game and Fish Department and is now an Adjunct Professor of Biology at Arizona State University. Brown was unable to receive the award in person, and was to be sent the plaque and certificates by mail.
Robert L. Packard Outstanding Educator Award: Edie Marsh-Matthews of the University of Oklahoma. Meritorious Service Award: Michael L. Kennedy and Phyllis Kennedy of the University of Memphis.
Phillip Sudman read and the membership adopted the following resolution:
WHEREAS, the 48th Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Association of Naturalists was held at the Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas on 19-21 April 2001; and
WHEREAS, repeated sampling over 48 years has demonstrated that Hays is the northernmost SWAN outpost and is positively correlated with the maximum daily cruising range of southwestern biologists; and
WHEREAS, there was a gentle southerly breeze; and
WHEREAS, Zugunruhe activities were held at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History under the watchful eye of a T. Rex named Sue, thereby insuring that all participants behaved in a manner befitting our lower relative rank on the food chain; and
WHEREAS, our relative position on the food chain was further emphasized as participants were awakened by the early morning bovid perfume of next week's steaks; and
WHEREAS, the southerly breeze blew a bit harder; and
WHEREAS, viewing of the Wilks Award presentations was selectively limited to those sitting in the first 5 rows of the auditorium, forcing the rest of us to actually listen for a change; and
WHEREAS, the mental image of a tarantula, on a treadmill, with a hole in its cephalothorax, towing a thermocouple cord, will remain with us for weeks to come; and
WHEREAS, the southerly breeze turned into a true wind; and
WHEREAS, Robert Baker warned Tony Echelle that if he did not follow Parliamentary Procedures during the business meeting, he would be forced to bring Bobbie Knight to serve as Sergeant at Arms, perhaps resulting in the dismissal of several participants from the team; and
WHEREAS, the local committee supplied us with everything needed for a successful meeting, including tickets for adequate libations; a well-orchestrated, ushered lunch; beautiful, newly renovated meeting facilities; and a stimulating intellectual environment - however, we are still waiting for our sequined red shoes to transport us back home from the "Land of Ahs," as all southward travel has been suspended; and
WHEREAS, the log chain/wind gage began to sway, combined with several munchkin sightings; and
WHEREAS, as per a directive from the Kansas State Legislature, the word "Evolution" was not used in a single presentation or poster title; and
WHEREAS, several members swear that they saw Bob Dole and Brittany Spears exiting the Walgreens Drug Store with a bottle of Viagra; and
WHEREAS, the log chain/wind gage was last seen in the vicinity of Phillipsburg, proving that either Nebraska sucks or Oklahoma blows; and
WHEREAS, the local committee worked overtime to provide us with wide-open, panoramic views free from obstructions like trees or buildings;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that all
those in attendance at the 48th Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Association
of Naturalists, express our sincere thanks to Fort Hays State University,
members of the local committee, and especially Bill Stark and Jerry Choate for
a successful, stimulating, tornado-free meeting highlighting biological
research within the North American Southwest.
Following a motion to do so, a second, and approval, the Business Meeting adjourned at 11:47 a.m.
Respectfully submitted by David L. McNeely, Secretary
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your suggestions and comments to swan03@ou.edu
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