CANADIAN ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
SOCIÉTÉ CANADIENNE D'ASTRONOMIE
Minutes of the thirtieth
Annual General Meeting
June 28 1999, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Michael De Robertis, President of the Society, calls the meeting to order with some 40 members present.

1. Adoption of the proposed agenda

Motion 1 Moved by Peter Dawson, seconded by Jaymie Matthews that:
The agenda as circulated be approved.

Carried The approved agenda reads as following:

  1. Adoption of agenda / Approbation de l'ordre du jour
  2. Adoption of minutes of the 1998 AGM / Approbation du procès-verbal de la RGA de 1998
  3. Call for nomination to the Nominating committee/ Appel de nominations pour le comité de Nomination
  4. Business arising from the minutes / Suites à donner
  5. Appointment of Scrutineers / Nomination des scrutateurs
  6. President's Report / Rapport du président
  7. Secretary's Report / Rapport du secrétaire
  8. Treasurer's Report / Rapport du trésorier
    Appointment of Auditor for 1999-00/ Nomination de l'auditeur pour 1999-00
    Due Increase / Augmentation des frais annuels
  9. Reports / Rapports
  10. Motions from the floor / Propositions des membres
  11. Future CASCA meetings / Réunions futures de la CASCA University of British Columbia, 2000 McMaster University, 2001 DRAO, Penticton, 2002
  12. Report of scrutineers/ Rapport des scrutateurs
  13. Call for nominations to the Nominating Committee/ Appel de nominations pour le comité de Nomination
  14. Other business / Autres questions
  15. Adjournment /Levée de l'assemblée

2. Adoption of minutes of the 1998 AGM

Motion 2 Moved by James Hesser, seconded by John Landstreet, that:
The minutes of the 1998 Annual General Meeting be adopted.

Carried

3. Call for Nominations to Nominating Committee

The President explains that the Society must, each year within 30 days of its business meeting, elect two members of the Nominating Committee. He asks members present to think of candidates who can be nominated later during the meeting.

4. Business Arising from the minutes

There are no business arising.

5. Appointment of Scrutineers

Two scrutineers, Gregg Wade and Tom Landecker, are appointed to count the ballots.

6. President's Report

De Robertis first introduces the Board members and thanks those whose term of office ends with this meeting. He congratulates the Graduate Student Committee and OIRAC for the very interesting workshop organized the day before the meeting. The passing away of Gerhard Herzberg is noted by a minute of silence. The President mentions several new initiatives taken by the Society during the last year:

1) The Society, along with NRC, is preparing a bid for the 2006 IAU General Assembly in Calgary.

2) The Society has created the position of Publicity Officer. Robert Lamontagne has accepted this position.

3) CASCA has joined the Canadian Consortium for Research in Ottawa. Ian Halliday is our representative in Ottawa.

4) CASCA is currently discussing possible collaborations with CAP.

5) Following the preliminary report of the LRPP, the Society intends to setup a series of lectures, somewhat similar to the AAS Shapley Lectures. The Society is exploring, for this project, a collaboration with the RASC. It is hoped to have the program within one year.

6) The Graduate Student Committee will revamp the web site of the Society. Several questions related to the public outreach efforts of the Society are raised. It is recognized that there are not enough astronomy news items originating in Canada. The President calls for volunteers to participate to the organization of the future IAU 2006. He presents details of the proposed organization and describes how several committees will have to be formed.

7. Secretary's Report

The Secretary reports that since our last meeting, nine persons have become regular members:

Three members have asked to change their status, from student to regular member:

Eleven students have become members: Eight members resigned from the Society:

Thirteen members had their membership terminated because of unpaid dues.

8. Treasurer's Report

P. Dawson shows and explains this year budget. He also presents CASCATrust's budget and comments on the fact that the audit of our trust takes a good chunk of our annual income.

Appointment of Auditor for 1999 - 2000

Motion 3 Moved by Peter Dawson, seconded by Jim Hesser, that:

The firm of Shurdeff & Savage be appointed as auditor

Carried, with 2 abstentions and one objection

Due increase

The Treasurer explains the reasons why the Society is forced to propose a due increase for next year. They are: The public outreach activities of the Society and the creation of a new web site. Don Morton asks if the increase will reach the limit for payment of GST. Dawson answers that we are still far from the $30,000 limit.

Motion 4 Moved by Peter Dawson, seconded by Jacques Vallée, that:

The annual dues of the Society be increased from $45 to $60 for regular members and from $20 to $25 for students.

Carried, with two objections

9. Reports

The President asks members if there are any questions regarding the committee reports that have been posted in the poster room. Ralph Pudritz stresses that the JSSA represents CASCA in the eyes of the Canadian Space Agency and must be considered the most important committee of CASCA. He points that there is lots of money involved in the astronomical projects of CSA, that money must be spent wisely.

The President gives the floor to Robert Lamontagne, the Publicity Officer of the Society, who briefly reports on his activities of the previous months. Members suggest projects related to the publicity of astronomy in Canada: List of the top ten discoveries of the century; the publication of a calendar of astronomical events of the century.

The President introduces Ken Tapping, CASCA Spectral Manager, who explains his role within NRC to oppose the radio pollution of the sky by communication satellites. He seeks experts in the mm and sub mm wave bands to assist him in the future because these bands will be in demand after 2002. He reiterates that astronomers need to develop a strategy to convince politicians.

10. Motions from the floor

Michael De Robertis asks if there are any motions from the floor. Brenda Matthews says that the Graduate Student committee would like to bring a motion concerning the number of communications that can be presented at the annual meeting. The President explains that the Society was already permitting two contributions when one of them was in the Education session or one of them was describing Space instrumentation. Members recognize that this is a way to give more visibility to the research of student members who need all the publicity they can get.

Motion 5 Moved by Brenda Matthews, seconded by Wayne Barkehouse that:

All CASCA members be allowed to present one oral and one poster communications if they so wish, if time permit and at the discretion of the Local Organizing Committee.
Carried, with 2 abstentions and one objection.

11. Future CASCA meetings

Jaymie Matthews and Mark Halpern invite CASCA Members to UBC next year. The meeting will be held from May 25th to May 28th 2000. A science workshop will be scheduled near the CASCA meeting. The President mentions that the Society has already accepted the invitation of McMaster University for 2001 and of the DRAO for 2002.

12. Report from Scrutineers

Michael West and Jayane English are elected new Directors of CASCA. They replace Judith Irwin and Christine Wilson whose term expires. The President congratulates the new Board members.

Motion 6 Moved by Sean Dougherty, seconded by Tom Landecker that:

The ballots be destroyed.
Carried

13. Call for nomination to the Nominating Committee

The President reiterates the call for nominations. These nominations must be in writing and reach the Secretary before July 30th.

14. Other Business

There is no other business.

15. Adjournment

The Annual General Meeting is adjourned.

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