IASPRR Executive Board Meeting

104 Congress Center, Akademicka 15, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Lublin, Poland
5:30 pm Wednesday, July 10, 2002

Present: President Vipen Sawhney, Vice President David Mulcahy, Past President Mauro Cresti, Treasurer André van Lammeren, Secretary-General Scott Russell, Representative Yi-Qin Li, Representative G. Titova

The meeting was called to order at 6:16 pm EDT by President Vipen Sawhney.

  1. Approval of the minutes from April 2, 2000, meeting held in Banff (President Vipen Sawhney)
    • The minutes of the Executive Board meeting of April 2, 2000, in Banff Canada submitted by Secretary-Treasurer Russell were considered. Past President Mauro Cresti moved, Vice President David Mulcahy seconded approval of the minutes. Motion to accept Board minutes of April 2000 was carried.

  2. IASPRR award program for young scientists (President Vipen Sawhney)
    • President Sawhney recalled that the Board had considered adding a cash award to the normal awards given to young scientists at the biennial meetings sponsored by the IASPRR. He further suggested that the proceeds of the Banff meeting, which are now part of the IASPRR treasury be used to fund these awards. He asked a second motion to use that award to honor Professor Hans Ferdinand Linskens via a "Linskens award" for the best oral presentation by a young scientist.
    • Treasurer André van Lammeren noted that the fund from the Banff meeting is currently Euro ~21,000. This amount generates Euro ~700 annually in a bank savings account. Discussion ensued regarding the amount of the award, type of awards, eligibility and number of awards to be given.
    • David Mulcahy moved that three awards be given to young scientists presenting work through oral presentation or poster at the biennial meetings of the IASPRR. Eligibility requires that the young scientist: (1) be a member of the Society; (2) a graduate student or a presenter with less than 5 years after the doctoral degree; (3) be a principal research contributor in the research and (4) present the work at the meeting. One award is to be given for best oral presentation at the rate of Euro 200 and two awards be given for best poster presentations at Euro 100 (each). All awards will consist of a cash allotment and a certificate. Professor Mauro Cresti seconded the motion. Motion carried.
    • Representative Yi-Qin Li moved that the oral presentation be named the Linskens award. Treasurer André van Lammeren seconded. Motion carried.

  3. Lublin meeting report (Jozef Bednara and Renata Šnieżko) At this time Drs. Bednara and Šnieżko joined the meeting.
    • Although initial interest for the meeting was quite high, this decreased significantly as the date approached. For the 2002 meeting there are currently 167 pre-registered participants. Twenty have not yet come. Four Spanish, two French, some Russian and a number of Polish pre-registrants have not shown, but quite a few of the Polish participants are expected to arrive to present their own talks and posters in the next day. Twenty-eight participants had not paid at the time of the EC meeting. Renata Å nieżko indicated that the organizing committee thought that the finances for the meeting "would be very close". She indicated that there was still a significant shortage of funds.
    • For purposes of organizing the papers into a publication, Renata Å nieżko indicated that a laptop computer was needed for presentations and was very difficult to locate within the University. One was rented outside to meet this need for PowerPoint presentations. Professor Å nieżko requested an expenditure of 7000 zÅ‚oty for a laptop computer, citing the need to organize the submitted papers for publication.
    • Jozef Bednara and Renata Å nieżko were thanked for their report and at this time they left the meeting.
    • Past President Mauro Cresti moved that the Board not approve the request for the capital expenditure of a laptop computer. Vice President David Mulcahy seconded the motion. Motion carried.

  4. Young scientists awards for Lublin meeting 2002 (President Vipen Sawhney)
    • President Vipen Sawhney announced that the following had accepted to serve as judges: Mauro Cresti as Chair, Anna Koltunow, and Renata Å nieżko. This was accepted without vote.

  5. Treasurer’s Report
    • Treasurer van Lammeren distributed a summary statement of receipts and expenditures for 2000 and 2001, showing a large growth in the treasury after the Banff meeting, which was organized by President Sawhney and Dr. David Cass. The Board commended President Vipen Sawhney’s organizational skills, fiscal vigilance and entrepreneurial ability with the scientific and financial success of the Banff meeting.
    • Other funds of the IASPRR reported: Secretary Russell, who serves as North American regional coordinator, reported that the US treasury currently has US$1008.00.
    • President Vipen Sawhney proposed spending some of the growth in funds on travel grants. Treasurer van Lammeren indicated that up to Euro 1,500 might be used for this for each IASPRR meeting. Past President Mauro Cresti moved that three travel awards up to Euro 500 be given in connection with each congress to students enrolled in degree programs in sexual plant reproduction for the purpose of attending the IASPRR international congresses and presenting their results. Eligibility requires that the young scientist: (1) be a member of the Society; (2) serve as a principal participant in the research and (3) present the work at the meeting. Representative G. Titova seconded. Motion carried.
    • Past President Cresti moved approval of the treasurer’s report as amended. Representative G. Titova seconded the motion. Acceptance of the amended Treasurer’s Report was approved.

  6. Membership drive (President Vipen Sawhney)
    • President Sawhney noted that a membership drive was needed to rejuvenate the membership roles. Treasurer André van Lammeren reported that he and Professor Willemse had positioned a table strategically in the refreshment area to capture potential new/renewing members during coffee breaks.

  7. Meeting 2004 progress report (Representative Yi-Qin Li)
    • Representative Yi-Qin Li expressed that there were weather concerns for Beijing and that an April meeting, as originally planned, might not be feasible because of the likelihood of dust storms or other weather problems at that time of year. Instead, she recommended that the end of August or October might be more suitable. Discussion ensued about the best times to schedule the meeting and the timing of job responsibilities for academic participants. Secretary-General Scott Russell indicated that Professor Yi-Qin Li should have full freedom to determine the dates.
    • Professor Li requested input about registration fees. Treasurer Van Lammeren recommended that registration fees should reflect all costs of participation, and that a variety of likely scenarios for number of participants be considered and adjusted upon expressions of interest.
    • President Sawhney recommended that potential participants be contacted as soon as meeting dates are determined. For mailings, President Sawhney offered addresses of participants from the Banff conference and that Professor Li contact the current organizers for addresses of participants from the current meeting.
    • As noted before, the venue will be Tsinghua University in Beijing.

  8. Meeting 2006 proposals (President Vipen Sawhney)
    • Two proposals were presented. The first offer was by Dr. Simon Hiscock of Bristol University for a meeting at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. A second offer was by Professor Beata Barnabus, Agricultural Research Institute, Martonvašar, Hungary for a meeting in Budapest. Discussion ensued about meetings costs and logistics in each respective location. There was considerable concern about the costs of holding a meeting at Oxford University.
    • Representative G. Titova moved that offer of Professor Beata Barnábus to hold the meeting in Hungary be accepted. Treasurer André van Lammeren seconded. Motion was unanimously approved.

  9. Nominations for officers of the IASPRR, 2002-2006 (President Vipen Sawhney)
    • President Sawhney reported that the procedure for determining nominations for the new officers of the IASPRR was delayed because of commitments to other activities and that contact by mail and email were not practical because of the late time and poor contact information. He suggested that we allow the General Assembly to waive the requirements under the Bylaws, request additional nominations from the General Assembly and then consider the candidates at the General Assembly on Thursday, July 11. According to the constitution and bylaws, the terms of the current officers expire at the close of this meeting and that new officers need to take office.
    • According to the constitution and bylaws, President Sawhney requested nominations for new officers from the current Officers of the IASPRR. The following persons have accepted:
    • Presidential nominations: Titti Mariani and Anna Koltunow. Titti seemed somewhat reluctant about serving and was not in attendance at the current meeting. Anna Koltunow, in contrast, was interested in serving as President of the IASPRR and expressed enthusiasm for serving in this capacity. The Board agreed that Anna Koltunow’s name be put into nomination at the General Assembly.
    • Vice Presidential nomination: Scott D. Russell
    • Treasurer nomination: Christian J. Keijer
    • Secretary-General nomination: Ewa Szczuka
    • Past President Mauro Cresti moved, Vice President David Mulcahy seconded that the slate of nominees presented above be presented to the General Assembly. Motion carried.

  10. Award for Distinguished Scientists (President Vipen Sawhney)
    • President Sawhney proposed that the IASPRR institute a new award/medal to honor a senior scientist who has made significant contributions to the field of sexual plant reproduction and/or to IASPRR. He suggested that this recognition be in the form of a medal. Vice President David Mulcahy moved that "the Board recommends the establishment of an award for a distinguished scientist to be given at the meetings of the IASPRR on an irregular basis as the honor is earned, for outstanding contributions in the area of sexual plant reproduction." Past President Mauro Cresti seconded the motion. Motion carried.

  11. Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at 8:42 p.m.