Minutes-AGM Rhodes 2009
Monday, 18 January 2010 13:43
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MINUTES
Annual General Meeting: Rhodes, Greece
16th September 2009
In attendance: 9 members of the committee and 49 ordinary members
The Minutes of the AGM meeting held in Geneva were approved.
Treasurer’s report (Melly Oitzl)
Accounts
MO presented the audited accounts of the society (paper on file) and noted that the balance was healthy and, notwithstanding low interest rates, had increased over the previous year.
Discussion considered the appropriate level of reserves. Investing in travel awards for young people was supported. The President invited members to make suggestions to the committee for new initiatives that would further the aims of the society.
Membership
Membership had increased slightly to 421. The proportion of members not paying was low.
Website
MO announced that the new website had been launched, with the address remaining the same (www.ebbs-science.org). The new site had cost €800 for development and there was a €180 annual charge for maintenance.
Apart from an improved look and layout, the functionality was also much improved, including a protected ‘members only’ area; the possibility to send e-mail to all the membership; and the ability to hold on-line ballots. The committee recommended – and the meeting approved – that we investigate the requisite changes to the by-laws to enable online elections. Changes would be presented to the AGM for approval in Amsterdam 2010.
Members were encouraged to look at the website and provide feedback.
Secretary’s report (Verity Brown)
Election results
A vote of thanks was given to Shane O’Mara and Fotini Stylianopoulou for their work on the committee now that their terms of office have ended. Fotini Stylianopoulou was co-opted back onto the committee, pending the final report and budget from the Rhodes AGM.
The result of the Presidential election was announced: Carmen Sandi will serve for one year as President-Elect before beginning her two-year term of office at the AGM in Amsterdam 2010.
The result of the election for membership of the committee were announced: Nicky Clayton and Mathias Schmidt will attend their first committee meeting in January 2010.
Next Election
The next election will be announced after the January 2010 committee meeting, to replace one ordinary member of the committee (the term of office of Nicole von Steinbuchel will end in at the AGM in Amsterdam, 2010). In addition, the position of Treasurer will open for election in 2010. The membership were invited to consider nominating people for election.
International Speakers
The membership were reminded of the scheme to support local meetings and workshops by providing the additional expenses of an international speaker. Two bids had been funded this summer – in Warsaw and in Dublin. The committee had decided to announce a deadline of late December 2009 for support in 2010. Decisions would be announced in late January
Social at SfN, Chicago
Elsevier would be sponsoring an EBBS social at SfN, through Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. The social would be held from 6.15 on Sunday October 18th at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago. All members were encouraged to attend if they were in Chicago.
The theme of the social will be “Cognitive Enhancement”, with invited guests being Sam Deadwyler, Hugh Marston, Deanne Barch and Steve Potkin. Elsevier would provide a glass of wine per person and nibbles, and there would be a cash bar. Elsevier was promoting the event on flyers, including those distributed in the packs at the Rhodes meeting.
President’s report (Richard Frackowiak)
Plenary lectures
The President reported that it had been bought to his attention that the plenary lectures were disproportionately given by men. He indicated that this had been discussed by the committee, who were keen to see an appropriate balance in the program. He noted that it was important for all of us to identify and nominate people, on the basis of the excellence of their science but with consideration to diversity and appropriate balance, to give plenary lectures at the next EBBS meeting in Seville.
Report on the AGM (Fotini Stylianopoulou)
FS reported that there were about 500 registered participants at the meeting, approximately 10% of whom were from Greece. FS suggested that this very good attendance was due in part to the attractive location. In addition, the LOC had been proactive in promoting the meeting.
No financial report was available at this time, but all indications suggested that the meeting would break even and perhaps make a small profit.
20 Awards – 10 EBBS Rhodes Awards and 10 Martinos Awards – had been offered, although not all of these had been taken up and some students who indicated that they would accept the award had not collected them.
Date of next meeting: AGM in Amsterdam, 2010 (date and location to be advised)
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