The U.S. Federation for Culture Collections

Minutes of the Meeting of the Executive Board

May 17, 1998, Atlanta, Ga.

The 1998 Meeting of the Executive Board of the United States Federation for Culture Collections was called to order at 1:05 pm by Marianna Jackson, President. Other Executive Board members present were David Boone (Secretary), Barry Bochner, Bobby Brandon, George Huang, Gina Koenig, Steve Peterson, and Cynthia Wang. Karen Kealy and Calvin Qualset were represented by proxy. Sally Meyer and two representatives of the UK Federation of Culture Collections (UKFCC), Alan Doyle and David Smith, were also present.

Minute 1. Opening remarks. Marianna Jackson called the meeting to order at 1 pm on May 17, 1998, and welcomed the present board members and guests.

Minute 2. Description of UKFCC activity. Alan Doyle described activities of the European Culture Collection Organization (ECCO) and their coordination of European culture collection, with the establishment of a common database. The UKFCC surveyed collections in the UK and set up an advisory group to set up a monolithic database that contains information on the holdings of the member collections. Although the database is not kept completely up to date, the Federation holds annual meetings at which it works to coordinate the collections and make them more complementary. This led to the establishment of the Common Access Biotechnological Resources Information (CABRI), a website (URL: http://www.cabri.org.uk) with links to its member collections and information about quality standards. An on-line ordering system is being debated. The WFCC is holding its next meeting in Brisbane in 2000.

Minute 3. Approval of Minutes. The minutes of the 1997 Executive Board Meeting were approved unanimously.

Minute 4. Secretary's Report. David Boone reported that this summer he will move to a new position at Portland State University, and at that time the USFCC web pages will move there from their current server at the Oregon Graduate Institute (http://nagual.ese.ogi.edu/usfcc/).

The election results were also reported, with thanks to Jim Karwowski for acting as recorder. The following are the new officers elected for the term July 1, 1998, to June 30, 2000, and at-large members of the Board, elected for the terms specified:

• Frank Dugan (Executive Board, July 1, 1997, to June 30, 2000)
• George Huang (Executive Board, July 1, 1997, to June 30, 2000)
• Barry Bochner (Executive Board, July 1, 1998, to June 30, 2001)
• Kenneth Rainis (Executive Board, July 1, 1998, to June 30, 2001)
• Martha Beyazova (Treasurer)
• David Boone (Secretary)
• Jay Grimes (Vice President)
• Gina Koenig (President)

The business meeting of the USFCC was also announced, to be held on Thursday, May 21, 1998, in meeting room 313 at the Atlanta Convention Center.

Minute 5. President's Report. Marianna Jackson discussed our declining number of members, and said that Mary Meeker and Ellen Haak had agreed to solicit new corporate members.

Minute 6. Treasurer's Report. Bobbie Brandon reminded the Board that last year the Board had recommended finding some slightly less conservative investment opportunities for the Federation's funds. A motion was passed unanimously to move $15,000 from the bond fund into a conservative mutual fund, with Barry Bochner, Gina Koening, and Bobbie Brandon to decide to which fund to transfer the money. Because Bobbie Brandon is signator for the certificate of deposit, it should remain as it is until it matures this fall (October 28, 1998). At that time Bobbie Brandon will transfer the money to the new Treasurer (Martha Beyazova) for deposit in a new certificate of deposit.

Bobbie Brandon reported the following funds and investments on hand:

• Checking account $2,904.82
• CD $10,958.37
• Merryll Lynch Fund $30,063.00
• Total: $43,926.19

1997 Income:		1997 Expenses:
Advertisements	550.00	Bank charges	95.00
Affiliate dues	280.00	Meeting expenses	101.50
Members contributions	1573.06	Newsletter expenses	4516.58
Emeritus dues	210.00	Plant	59.50
Regular dues	1515.00	Porter Award	2812.61
Sustaining dues	1650.00
Total Income	5778.06	Total Expenses	7585.19
Net Total	-1,807.13

Bobbie Brandon also reported that we were delinquent in paying our IUMS dues, so a motion was passed unanimously instructing her to pay the dues through 1997. Another motion to accept the Treasurer's report was passed unanimously.

Minute 7. Program Committee. Gina Koenig announced the USFCC sponsored roundtable to take place this week at the 1998 meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). She described problems encountered with ASM in the selection and notification of speakers.

Minute 8. Editorial Committee. The editor of the Newsletter was not present at the meeting, and the Board discussed ways of easing the burden of Alma Dietz, who has worked so hard for so long on the Newsletter. It was suggested that the new president try to find one or two associate editors to help Alma with the Newsletter. Cynthia Wang suggested that we discuss with New Brunswick the possibility of a one-issue combination of the USFCC Newsletter with Biomass Digest. This would relieve us of some of the costs of the Newsletter publication and publicize the USFCC among the recipients of Biomass Disgest.

Minute 9. Archives Committee. A motion to transfer the USFCC's Archives to the ASM Archivist (Jeff Carr) was passed unanimously.

Minute 10. USFCC logo. A motion was passed unanimously to make a new attempt to find a logo for the USFCC. David Boone will collect ideas from members, discuss the ideas with graphical artists and refine them with the aim of presenting one or more ideas for consideration.

Minute 11. Chicago Meeting. It was proposed that the Society spend approximately $500 to hold a party for its members at its next meeting in Chicago, probably with the $500 used to buy food and with a cash bar.

Minute 13. Approval of the 1998 Budget. The motion to approve the following budget for 1998 was approved unanimously:

• $2,000 Porter Award expenses, including a $1,000 prize and travel expenses for the recipient;
• $5,000 Newsletter expenses (the current issue cost approximately $1,000 for 12 pages);
• $200 Arrangements for the Executive Board Meeting;
• $300 Affiliation dues and other costs;
• $100 Treasurer's office expenses;
• $100 Secretary's office expenses;
• $1,500 Expenses of the Program committee;
• $200 Endangered-collections committee;
• $250 Membership solicitations; and
• $100 Publicity.
• Total not to exceed $9,000.

A budget of $9,000 for 1998 was passed unanimously:

The meeting was adjourned at 4:58pm.