Minutes of the Annual General Meeting,

Canadian Association for the Study of Language and Learning,

Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, May 10, 1998

PRESENT: Sandy Baardman, Marcy Bauman, Ann Beer, Nancy Carlman, Mary-Louise Craven, Susan Drain, Patricia Golubev, Michelle Forrest, Betty Holmes, Lynn Holmes, Russ Hunt, Mary Kooy, Nan Johnson, Jane Ledwell-Brown, Victoria Littman, Brock MacDonald, Kenna Manos, Jane Milton, Thom Parkhill, Margaret Procter, Pat Sadowy, Barbara Rose, Leslie Sanders, Tania Smith, Stan Straw, Dorothy Turner, Kathy Voltan.

1. Minutes: moved by Stan Straw, seconded by Mary-Louise Craven, and carried: to approve the minutes of the fourth annual general meeting (Geneva Park, Ontario, May 1997).

2. Election: Nominated as members-at-large for a three-year term: Margaret Procter, Patricia Golubev, Stan Straw, Mary Kooy. Moved by Russ Hunt and seconded by Ann Beer that Laura Atkinson be appointed returning officer for this election. The returning officer marked and counted the ballots. On finding votes for two candidates tied, she suggested that all four be accepted as members-at-large. Stan Straw moved acceptance of this suggestion, seconded by Kenna Manos; carried.

3. Reports:

1. Financial Officer (Kenna Manos): Kenna circulated a financial statement and reported that no funds had been spent this year because the University f Manitoba had subsidized the duplicating and mailing costs of the newsletter. After discussion, it was moved by Betty Holmes and seconded by Nancy Carlman that $1000 from the CASLL balance be set aside for distribution to subsidize attendance at the Inkshed 15 conference by graduate students and the underemployed, at the discretion of the financial officer, with applications to be made by June 1, 1998. Carried.
2. Inkshed Publications (Sandy Baardman): Sandy reported that no new publications have come out since 1997. Because the University of Manitoba no longer subsidizes the publications, there will be no new publications until the Inkshed Publications account (separate from the regular Inkshed/CASLL account) has built up enough money. The account currently stands at $3858.68. There are no immediate plans to issue a call for publications.
3. Inkshed Newsletter: Russ Hunt conveyed regrets from Amanda Goldrick-Jones and Janice Freeman that they could not be at the Inkshed 15 conference. He reported their message that they felt unable to produce more than three issues a year of the newsletter. They also raised the question whether they should delete from the membership list those who had not paid the CASLL membership fee for 1998. The former editor Mary-Louise Craven encouraged them to do so. Discussion ensued about the possibility of replacing the print form of the newsletter with an online electronic form. Members noted that although the Web site and the CASLL newsgroup were useful to publicize the conference call, a print form was still necessary to gain maximum attention from non-members. After considerable discussion, the "sense of the house" was that a September issue of the newsletter was needed to publicize the conference call. The conference organizers for 1999 offered to supply text for that call to the newsletter editors and help them put together the issue. It was also agreed that members should consider submitting print versions of their conference papers for inclusion in the newsletter, partly as a way of publicizing the nature of the conference. Russ Hunt offered to put together via e-mail a conference report about Inkshed 15, for which he would request responses and narratives.

4. Discussion of plans for the Inkshed 16 conference, May 1999: Jane Ledwell-Brown and Ann Beer announced to general acclaim that they would plan to host the 1999 conference in or near Montreal on a theme such as "Cultural Interfaces: Written, Oral, Visual." The conference would also continue the ethics theme from this year's conference. In discussion, members suggested that the organization should try to overcome its own lack of diversity in membership, and might consider the topic of how English is taught in other parts of the world in order to attract international and first-nation participants. A request was made for more reading time within the conference, with the suggestion that people should include a brief note to introduce the readings they brought. A suggestion was also made that potential participants should realize they did not have to present. Poster papers or five-minute presentations might be encouraged. Members also suggested ways to explain to new participants what Inkshed conferences are about.

Discussion arose about the possibility of joining with the Canadian Association of Teachers of Technical Writing and the Canadian Society for the Study of Rhetoric for a future conference, as suggested in the Canadian caucus of the Conference on College Composition and Communication. Members expressed only moderate enthusiasm, citing the importance of maintaining inkshedding as central to the conference.

6. Thanks and a standing ovation were offered to the conference organizers for Inkshed 15: Susan Drain, Jane Milton, and Kenna Manos.

7. Motion to adjourn: moved by Susan Drain, seconded by Stan Straw; carried.

(Minutes taken by Margaret Procter)