Society of Georgia Archivists
Business Meeting
Savannah, GA
5 November 2009

Called to order by President Christine de Catanzaro at 12:15 p.m.

Christine de Catanzaro welcomed everyone to the 2009 Annual Meeting. She recognized the 2009 Board for their work and introduced the incoming and outgoing officers and committee chairs. She also thanked Annual Meeting speakers and moderators and all SGA committee members who organized, promoted and participated in the Annual Meeting.

Special thanks went to Teresa Burk and her Local Arrangements Committee and to Lynette Stoudt and her Program Committee for their wonderful work on the Annual Meeting. Also recognized was Susan Potts McDonald, a former SGA president who chaired the 40^th Anniversary Committee and planned the evening reception. Her committee was also thanked for their work.

Christine de Catanzaro introduced three of the four first SGA presidents who were present: Ed Weldon (1^st president, 1969-70), David Gracy (3^rd president, 1972-73) and Gale Peters (4^th president, 1974-75). Richard Eltzroth (2^nd president, 1971) has passed away, and Christine de Catanzaro recognized his work for SGA.

Attention was directed to copies of written reports distributed by Board members not presenting at this meeting: Archivist Suzanne Durham, Administrative Assistant Mandi Johnson, SGA Newsletter Editor Caroline Hopkinson, Website Editors Abby Griner and Brittany Bennett Parris (Abby Griner also submitted the Listserv report), Subscriptions Manager Traci JoLeigh Drummond, Education Committee Chair Elizabeth Russey, Outreach Committee Co-Chair Christine de Catanzaro, Program Committee Chair Lynette Stoudt, Local Arrangements Chair Teresa Burk, Nominating Committee Chair Morna Gerrard and Archives Month Co-Chair Kat Shirley. Read these reports.

OFFICERS' REPORTS

President:
President Christine de Catanzaro highlighted accomplishments of the SGA Board overall:

•       High Annual Meeting attendance

•       Highest SGA membership of all time (240 members)

•       Full conversion to Wild Apricot: can pay, register and renew online.

•       Members can now vote online through Survey Monkey.

•       Thanks to SGA member efforts, four Georgia Representatives are co-sponsoring PAHR legislation. Georgia is the third-highest represented state in the list of co-sponsors.

•       SGA Mentor Program is being instituted.

•       SGA logo is being designed. Members could vote in the lobby on preference of three logos. Christine de Catanzaro thanked her colleague Kirk Henderson for his design work.

•       SGA Fellows will be recognized at the evening reception.

Christine de Catanzaro asked members to let Administrative Assistant Mandi Johnson know if they wish to retain mail option for voting and payments.

Treasurer:
Treasurer Jamal Booker reported that SGA is in good financial shape with its highest membership ever. After the first full year of the SGA Paypal account, almost 70% of SGA membership and registration payments are now online.

Booker described two initiatives under consideration in order to manage SGA funds strategically:

1.      Setting up a SGA Investments Committee. Booker asked for volunteers who have investment experience and are interested in joining the committee.

2.      Raising membership fees. SGA members will have more information soon and will be asked for input.

PUBLICATIONS REPORTS

Provenance:
Managing Editor Susan Hoffius reported for Editor Brian Wilson, who was unable to attend:

•         The 2008 issue of Provenance is out.

•         Working on the 2009 issue, but it will probably be out in early 2010.

•         Some changes in the editorial board.

•         Still looking for a managing editor.

Hoffius added that over the past ten years, it has been a problem getting the issues out on schedule with the difficulty in finding articles. She challenged SGA members to ask themselves: do you have writing or know someone who has writing that can be published. She noted that submissions do not have to be perfect writing, because Provenance has a great editorial staff. She also requested SGA members to let the Provenance Board know when they attend conferences and hear a great paper.

David Gracy, Provenance founder and first editor, rose at this point and energetically seconded Susan Hoffius’ comments: “Go for it; this is a great journal--write!” President Christine de Catanzaro said to go online to the Provenance page on the SGA website for submissions information.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Scholarship:
Scholarship Committee Chair Courtney Chartier reported that SGA awarded five scholarships in 2009. She recognized the recipients:

•         Carroll Hart Scholarship was awarded to Donnie Summerlin, Digital Library of Georgia, University of Georgia.

•         Brenda S. Banks Educational Workshop Scholarship was awarded to Carol Waggoner-Angleton, Reese Library, Augusta State University.

•         Edward Weldon Scholarship was awarded to Nora Lewis, Georgia Historical Society.

•         Larry Gulley Scholarship and the Anthony R. Dees Educational Workshop Scholarship were both awarded to Jan Levinson, Richard B. Russell Library for Political and Research Studies, University of Georgia.

Chartier presented certificates to Nora Lewis and Jan Levinson, the two recipients attending the Annual Meeting. She also asked everyone to bid on the evening’s auction to raise scholarship funds and encouraged applications for scholarships, noting that you do not have to be a student to apply. She also asked everyone to donate online to the scholarship fund: “We take small and large gifts. Let’s keep our scholarship program strong.”

David Gracy issued a fundraising challenge at the meeting, and later clarified his challenge in writing:

"To support and encourage the SGA’s enterprise in publishing Provenance, I pledge $1,000 to match dollar for dollar new gifts of up to $1,000 given before March 1, 2010, toward endowment of the award made for the best article in each volume of Provenance. Through publication of Provenance, the SGA makes a very special contribution to the archival profession in general and our membership in particular. Launched in 1972 as Georgia Archive, our journal was the first professional journal of archival scholarship published by a state or regional organization in America and only the fourth such journal published in English in the world. I make this pledge with the goal of ensuring the long and useful life of SGA’s Provenance."

Membership:
Membership Committee Chair Jody Thompson gave an update on the SGA Mentor Program. Applications will be online soon. The committee is working hard to make sure there are good mentor/mentee matches: every 3, 6 and 12 months will reassess matches. If any matches are not working, there will be a no-fault termination.

Thompson asked those interested to attend the Mentor Program Roundtable held later that day. She also asked for volunteers to join the committee. You do not have to be a mentor/mentee to be on the committee.

Nominating:
Nominating Committee Chair Morna Gerrard recognized the work of the Nominating Committee. She also thanked Jill Severn for her help with Survey Monkey.

She then announced the SGA election results:

Christine Wiseman as Vice President/President Elect

Sheila McAlister as Treasurer

Katherine Stein as First Year Director

Two members of the Nominating Committee: Wesley Chenault and Jill Severn

Morna Gerrard also thanked those who submitted nominations for the first SGA Fellows, who were to be recognized at the evening reception.

Christine de Catanzaro then recognized all appointments to the Board for 2010:

Scholarship Committee Chair Kristy Dixon

Education Committee Chair Renna Tuten

Outreach Committee Chair Courtney Chartier

Newsletter Editor Caroline Hopkinson

Assistant Newsletter Editor Meredith Torre

Website Manager Brittany Parris

Assistant Website Manager Kevin Fleming

OLD BUSINESS
There was no old business to discuss.

NEW BUSINESS
Proposed Changes to Bylaws

Christine de Catanzaro announced two changes proposed in the Bylaws:

•       Amend Section 3 Membership and Section 12 Admendents to Bylaws to allow voting on bylaws changes by the full membership instead of just by those present at the business meetings.     See details.

•       If these changes approved, future voting will be online, but members will also have the option to vote by mail after making special arrangements with Administrative Assistant Mandi Johnson.

Short discussion followed. One concern was raised: that when voting is online there will be no option for discussion. Christine de Catanzaro replied that we will allow 30 days for discussion before a vote and follow Roberts Rules of Order.

Christine de Catanzaro made a motion to approve the proposed changes to the bylaws. Courtney Chartier seconded. Paper ballots were distributed to SGA members present. Completed ballots were submitted to Mandi Johnson for tallying. The change to the bylaws was approved by a vote of 71 in favor, 2 against.

2010 Annual Meeting

Annual Meeting Director Lynette Stoudt announced that the 2010 Annual Meeting will be a joint meeting with the South Carolina Archival Association.

•         Location: Augusta, Georgia

•         Dates: October 27-29, 2010.

Discussion from the audience determined that this will be SGA’s second joint meeting. The first was with the Alabama archivists in 1979.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
On behalf of the 40^th Anniversary Committee, Susan Potts McDonald invited everyone to the 40^th Anniversary evening reception. Activities to include: recognizing past presidents and SGA Fellows, cutting the anniversary cake and holding the scholarship auction.

Christine de Catanzaro also asked original and longtime members to let Archivist Suzanne Durham know if they have old photos of SGA events.

ADJOURNMENT
There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:10 pm.

Respectfully submitted on December 3, 2009.

Marie Force
SGA Secretary