Section President George Watson called the business meeting to order at 1:15 PM.

Minutes of the Fall 2000 business meeting were distributed by Secretary Bill Warren and approved as written.

The Treasurers Report was given by David Schaffer (attached).

 The following winners were announced:

• Michael Vineyard, Frank Haig Prize for best paper from a four-year college or University;       
• Ahmad Halim, John Newman Prize for best paper from a high school;
• Timothy Nagle, best student paper.

George suggested that members think about a name for the student paper prize.

The need for pre-registration at section meetings was discussed. This is necessary for the banquet and helpful for the workshops. Pre-registration for the Saturday lunch is needed if lunch arrangements are being made by the local host. A request for pre-registration will be prominently displayed on future “Call for Papers” announcements on the section web page and in paper mailings. The possibility of a lower registration fee for those who pre-register was discussed and generally agreed to.

The large number of individuals included on the section mailing lists who have not paid dues and do not attend meetings was discussed. There are currently about 175 names on the e-mail list and 260 on the paper mail list. Some suggestions were made as to how to encourage payment of dues and active membership. These included advance payment for several years at a time at a lower rate, and reduced registration fees for dues-paying members. A survey of members about meeting attendance was suggested. The need for a way for those who do not wish to remain on the e-mail list to remove their names was brought up. George agreed to look into a means of implementing this.

George mentioned correspondence with the Southeastern Pennsylvania Section about a possible joint meeting.

The possibility of increased attendance by high school teachers at the next Fall meeting was welcomed. This is expected due to local host Adam Niculescu’s work with high school teachers.

The Fall meeting will be held on Nov. 16-17 at Virginia Commonwealth University and the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond.