Minutes of the Business Meeting of
The South-Central Renaissance Conference

4 March 2005

SCRC President Raymond Frontain called the meeting to order at 8:05 a.m. President Frontain moved to approve last year's minutes as submitted; seconded, the motion passed.

The Secretary-Treasurer, Sean Benson, reported on the organization's healthy finances (currently at $30,000), a result of increased membership and an expanded dues schedule. He informed the membership that the executive board had approved up to $1000/issue, or $2000/year, as compensation to Angelia Northrip, Tita French Baumlin's editorial assistant, for Explorations in Renaissance Culture. He also noted that that the board had voted to replace the Martz Prize competition with an endowed lecture for $1000 that will rotate annually among the various SCRC affiliate organizations. For 2006, the Queen Elizabeth I Society will receive the lectureship funds.

President Frontain praised Phoebe Spinrad, the immediate past editor of Discoveries, for her extraordinary dedication to the journal. He noted that Jim and Tita Baumlin had agreed to purchase a gift for Phoebe Spinrad as an expression of the Board's gratitude for her unflagging service to SCRC and Discoveries.

Next, David Reinheimer, current editor of Discoveries, discussed his sense of direction for Discoveries, and indicated his wish that Discoveries become exclusively an electronic journal. After hearing one concern about the desirability of having hard copies for promotional purposes, President Frontain noted the high cost of printing Discoveries. He and David Reinheimer related that the cost of electronic publication will be much less than that of a print run, and the electronic version will be easier to archive as well. David Reinheimer also suggested that the digital format might be particularly attractive to a new generation of scholars. He also notes that Discoveries will continue to accept short articles, book notes, and the like.

President Frontain noted that the SCRC Publications Committee will determine the cost of an annual run of three issue of Explorations as well as the need to find a new institutional host and editor once a replacement for Tita French Baumlin, the current editor, can be found. President Frontain commended Tita Baumlin for her service and dedication to SCRC and Explorations. Upcoming special issues of Explorations include one edited by Norman Land on art history, and another on the work of SCRC member John T. Shawcross.

Immediate Past President Donald Stump brought forth nominations to the board, the first that of Megan Conway (University of Louisiana at Shreveport--2-year term) to replace Maurice Hunt, who has been appointed as the 2006 Program Chair. He also brought forth for three-year terms the names of Thomas Herron (Hampden-Sidney College) and Donald Dickson (Texas A&M). The nominations were seconded and approved.

Irving Kelter reported on the exciting prospects for our 2006 meeting, scheduled for 9-11 March 2006, hosted by St. Thomas with the support of Baylor University. The meeting will convene at The Downtown Doubletree Hotel. Maurice Hunt will serve as Program Chair, Irving Kelter as Local Arrangements Chair. In addition to the QEIS and the Andrew Marvell Society, we will again be joined by the Society for Early Modern Women (SEMW) and the Society for Renaissance Art Historians (SRAH).

Finally, Donald Stump announced, in light of her service to the SCRC, the nomination of Phoebe Spinrad as "editor emerita," which will carry with it a lifetime membership. The motion was seconded and passed with a unanimous voice vote of the membership.

Hearing no further business, President Frontain declared the meeting adjourned at 8:35 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sean Benson
SCRC Secretary-Treasurer