Minutes of the Annual General Meeting for CMSA(Inc) 1997

Number present: 35 (as per attached list)

1. Apologies
   B. Neumann, B. McKay, P. Bonnington, D. Holton, D. Street, C. O'Keefe.
2. Confirmation of Minutes of 1996 AGM
   It was noted that there was a typographical error on page 3 Section 11 row 2 - 'Australasian'.
   It was also noted that it would not appear that Debbie's only duty for 1997 was 'to organise the Conference' - it was decided to change this to 'only duty for the CMSA'.
   There were no further questions arising from the minutes.
3. Reports
   Council report from the President Anne Street: CMSA was incorporated on 8th July, 1996.
   A transitional meeting was held by conference phone call on 22nd July, chaired by Ed Dawson (CMSA Treasurer), attended ex officio by Debbie Street (1995-6 Conference director), and attended by Sheila Williams, Helen Gustafson and Anne Street by invitation. The meeting confirmed the previous office bearers in their positions (Deborah Street as President, Helen Gustafson as Secretary and Ed Dawson as Treasurer).

   Since then, Brendan McKay has arranged for us to hold Council meetings by Telnet. Meetings of the Council were held in this way in September (when the new Council was nominated and confirmed), October, February and April. An attempted meeting in December lapsed for lack of a quorum. The final Council meeting for the year was held on Monday, 30th June, at the Conference.

   Business has included admission of members (including life members), discussions of planning for this Conference (especially financial planning), and of the Wet and Discrete Conference proposed to be held in Darwin in January, and consideration of the increases in HECS fees for mathematics students, which led to our setting up a subcommittee (Elizabeth Billington, Ian Roberts, Kevin McAvaney) to consider this problem further and to liaise with the Australian Mathematical Society on the subject.

   We congratulate two of our members, Cheryl Praeger and Brendan McKay, on their election as Fellows of the Australian Academy of Sciences during the past 12 months.

   Anne P. Street (President).

   Financial Report from the Treasurer Ed Dawson:
   

   Ed Dawson presented and summarised the financial report which has been audited by Sheppard and Associates, Certified Practising Accountants. Copies are available on request.

   Summary of main points:
   Total Income for year ..... $ 4,117.59
   Total Expenses for year.. $ 1,567.05
   Current Assets................ $15,558.07
   

   Motion: That CMSA(Inc) moves $3,000 from the short term account to the long term account. (Jennie Seberry/Ian Roberts - carried).

   Motion: That we thank the Treasurer for his report (Jennie Seberry/Kathy Horadam - carried).

   The 1996 financial statement of the 22ACCMCC was summarised.
   Motion: That CMSA(Inc) adopt the 1996 annual financial report. (Jennie Seberry/Elizabeth Billington - carried).

4. Election of members for Council 1997/8
   Motion: That Jennie Seberry be elected Returning Officer (Helen Gustafson/Elizabeth Billington - carried)

   Nominations:

   President - Anne Street
   (Kevin McAvaney/Elizabeth Billington) - elected unopposed

   Vice President - Paul Bonnington
   (Helen Gustafson/Peter Gibbons) - elected unopposed

   Secretary - Helen Gustafson
   (Kevin McAvaney/Elizabeth Billington) - elected unopposed

   Treasurer - Ed Dawson
   (Elizabeth Billington/Kathy Horadam) - elected unopposed

   Council members:
   Elizabeth Billington (Helen Gustafson/Ed Dawson)
   Lou Caccetta (Jia Ruizhong/Samy El-Batanouny)
   Kevin McAvaney (Ian Roberts/Kathy Horadam)
   Ian Roberts (Anne Street/Kevin McAvaney)
   Peter Gibbons (Mark Gysin/Ed Dawson)
   Brendan McKay (Anne Street/Kathy Horadam)
   Nick Wormald (Ian Roberts/Jia Ruizhong)
   All members were elected unopposed to Council.

5. Appointment of Auditor
   The treasurer, Ed Dawson, indicated that there has been an increase in auditor charges to $250 p.a. with Incorporation.
   Motion: That CMSA(Inc) keep Peter Jorgensen as auditor (Ed Dawson/Anne Street - carried)

6. Presentation of ICA Medal
   (Institute of Combinatorics and its Applications)

   The President gave introductory comments on the medal presentation:
   

   The Institute for Combinatorics and its Applications is an international body, in fact one of the groups helping to support this conference.

   ICA gives three kinds of medals, all for combinatorial research:
   Kirkman medals for research by people within three years of finishing a PhD;
   Hall medals for research by people under 40;
   Euler medals for a lifetime contribution to research.

   Members of the ICA Council are not eligible to receive ICA medals.

   Medals are presented when possible at the AGM of the ICA. Failing that, they are presented at a meeting of some other combinatorial society.
   Today we are presenting a Kirkman medal to Darryn Bryant.

   (Darryn is from the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia)

   Elizabeth Billington then read the citation.
   Elizabeth referred to the January bulletin of the ICA, which stated that Darryn has published over 40 papers in international journals.
   He has carried out his major work with Curt Lindner from Auburn, Alabama, USA. In this work Darryn settled a problem that has defied experts for years. He has also worked with Chris Rodger from Auburn (who is attending this Conference). Elizabeth corrected the ICA bulletin in that Darryn holds 3 (not 1) ARC large grants.

   Anne Street presented Darryn with the medal on behalf of the ICA.

   Darryn made a short acceptance speech, and thanked the following people for supporting his work:
   Sheila Williams, Anne Street, Chris Rodger, Curt Lindner, Peter Adams and Elizabeth Billington.

7. Future Conferences
   

   1. 23ACCMCC
      Elizabeth Billington presented an information sheet on the 23ACCMCC from 6 - 10 July 1998, to be held in Brisbane. She stated that 6-10 July is the 'common week' and that the AMS is moving its meeting to September 1998. The 23ACCMCC is being held jointly by the University of Queensland and the Queensland University of Technology. The main venue will be at the University of Queensland, with the Tuesday hosted by QUT, and plans are in the works for the Wednesday morning to be held jointly with the 14th Biennial Conference of the Australian Statistical Society at Jupiters Casino on the Gold Coast, followed by our Conference outing in the afternoon.

      The next circular and registration form will be sent out to all members in February 1998. Information is also available on the web page:
      http://www.maths.uq.edu.au/~ejb/conference.html
      Elizabeth's email address is: ejb@maths.uq.edu.au

   2. Wet and Discrete
      Ian Roberts has prepared an information sheet on the Wet and Discrete Conference from January 12 - 15, 1988 at NTU in Darwin and at Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory. Ian would appreciate contact from those interested in attending.
      Ian's email address is: robertsi@darwin.ntu.edu.au

   3. 1999 CMSA Conference
      We are planning on holding the 24ACCMCC in Darwin.
   4. 2000 CMSA Conference
      Discussion on holding this Conference in New Zealand. Robert Aldred will consult with Derek Holton.

8. General Business
   

   • Educational Subcommittee
     Council members forming this committee are Ian Roberts, Derek Holton and Kevin McAvaney. Ian Roberts explained that the aim of the committee is to promote education in areas of common interest. Ideas include setting up a web site related to educational matters, producing booklets of interest, and having an education component of relevant conferences. Other ideas are welcome.
   • Wet and Discrete Conference, Darwin, January 1998
     Discussed in Item 7 (above).
   • Membership Status
     The secretary, Helen Gustafson, presented a summary of membership according to country and last year of payment. In summary, there are 224 members on the list, of whom the membership status is: 57 life members; 8 with 1997 membership; 58 with 1996 membership; 39 with 1995 membership; and 62 with membership prior to 1995. Letters were sent in March to listed members whose payment status was pre 1995, requesting them to consider continuing membership payments. These letters were sent in regard to Section 8(4) of the Rules of CMSA(Inc), which states that members in arrears for one year or more may be removed from the membership list by the Council.

     Motion: That CMSA(Inc) authorise the Secretary to cross those members from the membership list whose payments ceased prior to 1995. The secretary is also authorised to send out a letter, to those whose memberships status is pre 1997, requesting them to update membership to 1998. (Jennie Seberry/Kathy Horadam - carried)

     3ICCMCC conference participants are given 1998 CMSA(Inc) membership.

   • Membership Fees
     Motion: To increase the annual fees to $20 p.a. and life membership to $240. This increase to start from 1999. (Ed Dawson)
     A discussion followed on annual income and expenses.
     Annual expenses:
     Government and Auditors fees due to Incorporation .... $280
     This year's International Conferences fees ................. $1,500
     Annual income:
     Approximately 40 annual memberships of $10 ............. $400
     Interest on bank accounts ................................................. $500

     Since this year's conference is an International one, then it is anticipated that the annual conference expenditure will be even less. Since there appears no immediate demand on the Society's savings, the treasurer agreed to withdraw the motion.

     The treasurer encouraged members to obtain life membership, as this is easier on the book-keeping. Cheques for membership payments are to be paid to 'CMSA(Inc)'.
     Motion: That the membership fees of CMSA(Inc) be AUS $10 p.a. and that life membership be AUS $120. (Ed Dawson/Jennie Seberry - carried)

   • Job Losses at Australian and New Zealand Universities
     It was agreed at the last CMSA(Inc) Council meeting that the President, Anne Street, will talk with Bill Caelli, Head of the School of Data Communications, Faculty of Information Technology, QUT, Brisbane, who is a member of ASTEC (Australian Science and Technology Council). The aim is to ask Bill to present a letter from CMSA(Inc) to this Council regarding the job losses.

     Jennie Seberry expressed concern about colleagues losing jobs:
     It appears that our discipline is being treated as unimportant. Jennie noted that the National Science Foundation in USA commits $2 million of its budget to Cryptography. The skills of discrete mathematics are essential, and not just in mathematics and computer science. The job losses are causing heavier teaching loads to those remaining, thus giving 'strain and pain'. Discrete maths is important for 'sunrise industries', such as maths in telecommunication, and it is a shame to see this short sightedness in job losses being implemented.

     Ian Roberts supported Jennie and requested that she be involved with the writing of the letter. He is sorry for those who have been losing jobs and encouraged mutual support in that we let members (especially those losing jobs) know of any jobs offering.

     The President noted that we do not have any mathematicians on Advisory Committees. We should attempt to get this done. We should help and share ideas, making use of website connections.

     Mark Gysin stated that we are all aware of the problems the cuts are causing. Is society aware of our problems and the consequences - shortsightedness and destruction of education?

     Motion: That Jennie Seberry and Anne Street to write a letter regarding job losses and give to Bill Caelli to table, on our behalf, to ASTEC. (Ed Dawson/Kevin McAvaney - carried)

     Kathy Horadam recommended a 'letter to the editor' - discussion of which paper. Kevin McAvaney recommended a freelance journalist, Geoff Maslen, who publishes in papers such as Campus Review. CMSA could talk to people like this in order to make public the plight of mathematics.

Meeting closed 5.30 p.m.

Attendance

Noga Alon, Elizabeth Billington, Lilyana Brankovic, Darryn Bryant Lou Caccetta, Li Caiheng, Ghulam Chaudhry, Marston Conder, Ed Dawson, Samy El-Batanouny, Lakoa Fitina, Peter Gibbons, Brenton Gray, Helen Gustafson, Marc Gysin, Nick Hamilton, Kathy Horadam, Adelle Howse, Rui Zhong Jia, Paulette Lieby, Kevin McAvaney, Michael Morley, Raju Peddada, Oudone Phanalasy, Ian Roberts, Chris Rodger, Jennie Seberry, Charles Semple, Slamin, Gunter Steinke, Anne Street, Martin Sutton, Nick Wormald, Xian-Mo Zhang, Sanming Zhou.

Helen Gustafson
Secretary CMSA(Inc).