Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the

Canadian Association of Slavists

May 28, 2006. York University, Toronto

 

1. Chair

The meeting came to order at 3:32 PM with 37 members present.

Robert Karpiak chaired the meeting.

 

2. Memory of Slavists who have passed away

The chair called for a moment of silence to honour the memory of Slavists who had passed away in the previous year:

Fred Stambrook, historian, Vice-President, Academic, University of Manitoba, a great friend of CAS and the husband of CAS former president Stella Hryniuk

Robert Johnston, historian, McMaster University

Sylvia Russell, historian, Okanagan University College

Jan Adam, economist, University of Calgary and Charles University, Prague.

 

3. Agenda.

Zina Gimpelevich moved (m) and Natalia Kononenko seconded (s) that the agenda, distributed at the meeting, be approved. Carried.

 

4. Minutes of 2005 AGM

Gust Olson (m), Natalia Pylypiuk (s) that the minutes of the May 31, 2005 CAS AGM at the University of Western Ontario, which were published on the internet at the CAS website and distributed at the meeting, be approved. Carried with 1 abstention.

 

5. Executive Reports

The President, Maxim Tarnawsky, summarized his written report, which had been published to the CAS website and distributed at the meeting. He emphasized that the core functions of CAS, the journal and the annual conference were doing well. He reported on the CAS essay prize and he called for suggestions for overcoming the difficulties in graduate student representation on the executive of CAS. Taras Koznarsky (m), Natalia Pylypiuk (s) that the report be approved. Carried.

The Secretary-Treasurer, Zina Gimpelevich, summarized her written report, which had been published to the CAS website and distributed at the meeting. She reported that the tax-exempt status of the CAS Fund was almost settled, and that finances were in order and stable, relative to previous years. She reminded members that dues are tied to calendar years. She focused on the inclusion of a tax deductible contribution to CAS that will be added as a suggestion on CAS renewal forms. Zina Gimpelevich (m), Arkadi Klioutchanski (s) that the report be approved. Carried.

Oleh Ilnytzkyj, the editor of our journal, Canadian Slavonic Papers, summarized his written report, which had been published to the CAS website and distributed at the meeting. He noted that the journal was on time, its finances were good and the quality of submissions was excellent. He demonstrated a preliminary version of an electronic archive of the journal that he and his staff were preparing.

Bohdan Harasymiw asked if the journal would return to publishing single quarterly issues (recently, only double issues have appeared). The editor replied that double issues save postage costs and economize the editor’s time and that of his assistant. Hopefully, however, the journal might return to single issues before too long. Oleh Ilnytzkyj (m), Zina Gimpelevich (s) that the report of the Editor be approved. Carried.

The chair of the Programme Committee, Taras Koznarsky, reported that the Conference was proceeding smoothly with 110 registered participants, a banquet without financial loss, and a joint panel with the Historical Association. A discussion ensued with various members participating and advancing various suggestions to the incoming programme chair for Saskatoon. The suggestions included: encouraging thematic panels that spanned national and linguistic boundaries; not starting at 9:00 AM; avoiding time conflicts with other associations; lengthening breaks between sessions; circulating papers among panelists, discussants, and chairs in advance; printing summaries; not printing summaries; holding one or more plenary sessions; inviting speakers at the banquet; and trusting the programme chair to make balanced and responsible decisions. The requirement that presenters be members of CAS was also discussed. Maxim Tarnawsky (m), Zina Gimpelevich (s) that the report of the programme chair be approved and that the membership thank and congratulate the chair for a job well done. Carried.

In the absence of a graduate student representative and of the International Affairs Committee Chair, no reports were presented on these aspects of the Association’s activities.

The chair of the Nominating Committee presented the choice of the executive committee for honourary president of CAS for 2006–2007:

       Honorary President

       Gunter Schaarschmidt, Professor Emeritus University of Victoria

       The chair of the Nominating Committee further presented the following slate of candidates for election:

 

President (2006-08)

Maxim Tarnawsky

University of Toronto

 

Vice Presidents

Taras Koznarsky, University of Toronto

Megan Swift, University of Victoria

 

Programme Committee

Elena Baraban (chair), University of Manitoba

Serhiy Kostyuk (local coordinator), University of Saskatchewan

Bozena Karwowska, University of British Columbia

Managing Editor, Canadian Slavonic Papers (2006-2011)

Oleh Ilnyztkyj, University of Alberta

 

Members-at-large

Gust Olson, (Wisconsin)

Donna Orwin, University of Toronto

Alan P. Reid, University of New Brunswick

Marina Sabanadze, Carleton University

Jeff Sahadeo, Carleton University

David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye, Brock University

 

Nominating Committee Members

Past President, Natalia Pylypiuk, University of Alberta, ex-officio, chair

Heather Coleman, University of Alberta

Alison Rowley, Concordia University

 

The following additional nominations for Members-at-large were submitted from the floor:

       Inna Isichenko Tigountsova

       Arkadi Klioutchanski, University of Toronto

       Natalia Pylypiuk (m), Zina Gimpelevich (s) that the report of the nominating committee be approved. Carried.

 

6. Elections

In the absence of other nominations, the chair declared all candidates running unopposed as elected by acclamation. An election was held for the four Member-at-large positions. Natalia Pylypiuk and Zina Gimpelevich tabulated the ballots and declared the following elected:

Gust Olson, (Wisconsin)

Donna Orwin, University of Toronto

Alan P. Reid, University of New Brunswick

Arkadi Klioutchanski, University of Toronto

 

7. On behalf of the membership, the chair, Robert Karpiak, expressed gratitude to the members of the outgoing executive.

 

8. Business Arising

The membership listened attentively to a presentation by representatives of the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. The meeting was addressed by Paul Ledwell, Executive Director; Dr. Jim Frideres, Chairperson, ASPP Management Board; and Diane Belanger, Membership Liaison Officer. They focused on the activity of the Federation and the upcoming Congress in Saskatoon. The tentative dates for CAS meetings were announced as Saturday, May 26 through Monday May 28, 2007.

Bohdan Harasymiw suggested that CAS examine the possibility of allowing proxy voting at the AGM. A straw poll of the members in attendance showed no support for the idea and there was no further discussion.

Zina Gimpelevich thanked members for their support for dissenters during the recent elections in Belarus.

 

9. With no further business arising, Maxim Tarnawsky (m), Taras Koznarsky (s) that the meeting be adjourned with thanks to Robert Karpiak for chairing the meeting. Carried at 5:25 PM.

 Recording secretary: Maxim Tarnawsky

Members of the new CAS Executive at the 2006 AGM. Left to right, 1^st row: Donna Orwin, Zina Gimpelevich, Natalia Pylypiuk, Svitlana Pavlunik (CSP Editorial Assistant); 2^nd row: Oleh Ilnytzkyj, Gust Olson, Taras Koznarsky, Arkadi Klioutchanski, Maxim Tarnawsky.