Society Meetings

The Society sponsors sessions concurrent with annual meeting of the Eastern Division of the American Philosophical Association. Periodically, it also
sponsors sessions at such conferences as Kalamazoo, the American Catholic Philosophical Association, the annual meeting of the Renaissance Society of America, Villanova¹s Patristic, Medieval, and Renaissance Conference, and the Central Division of the American Philosophical Association

Minutes of the Executive Committee Meeting of the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy, APA Eastern Division Meeting, 10:30. a.m., December 28, 2009, at the New York Marriott Marquis

The President Helen Lang called the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Society for Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy to order at 10:33, December 28, 2009. In attendance were Professors Bolyard, Cross, Duclow, Klein, Lang, McGinnis, Noone, South, Sylla, and Sweeney.

Professor McGinnis reported that the Society’s total assets presently stand at $27, 655.02. It was noted that revenues received from dues this past year were lower than they were last year (by approximately $1000).

The Membership Committee then proposed eleven new members. Additionally, three regular members became life members this past year. Professor McGinnis also noted, with great delight, that a new Paypal option is now available on the Society’s website, which will allow member to pay their dues by credit card.

The Program Committee Chair, Professor Duclow, announced that the Society has sponsored four sessions in 2009: two at the APA Eastern division conference and two jointly with the Renaissance Society of America at their annual meeting in Los Angeles. This venture with the Renaissance Society of America represents the first joint sessions with them ever by us. He further noted that in April of 2010, the SMRP will again have two sessions with the Renaissance Society, this time in Venice.
Professor Klein in turn announced that Robert J. Matava and his paper “Domingo Báñez on Auxilium: An Early Modern Conception of Divine-Human Cooperation” is this year’s recipient of the Society’s $500 award for the best paper by a young scholar. The Executive Committee also voted to change the name of that award to the “SMRP Founders Award” in honor of the Society’s founding members.

The Newsletter Committee reports that this year saw more Europeans submitting bibliographical information and announcements to be included within the Newsletter than in years past, perhaps owing to our closer relation with SIEMP (Société International pour l’Étude de la Philosophie Médiévale).

This year’s nominations for Executive Committee officers and members at large include Jon McGinnis for Secretary-Treasurer, and Professors Charles Bolyard, Robert Pasnau, and Allan Bäck for members at large on the Executive Committee.

Professor Bolyard gave the Publications Committee report. The question was raised about the future of the Society’s Sponsored Monograph Series, which since its inception in 1983 has published only one monograph. Following a general discussion, a motion passed to cancel the Sponsored Monograph Series after a fully functional subvention program is created to replace it, with July 1, 2010 as our target deadline to begin that program.

Professor Bolyard then presented the report of the Website Committee, and recommended that our own Jean-Luc Solère take over the responsibilities of maintaining the Society’s website. This recommendation was accepted by the Executive Committee, and Professor Solère, we are happy to say, will begin immediately.

Professor McGinnis then presented the budget for 2010, which totaled $3350 and is slightly less than last year’s budget.

Under New Business President Lang thanked Don Duclow for his hard work as Program Chair, which was greeted with a hearty round of applause from the all of the Executive Committee members. She then appointed Julie Klein to be our new Program Chair, who will take over that position this next year.

It was then moved that the meeting be adjourned, which was greeted with acclamation.

Respectfully submitted Jon McGinnis.

A royal game of chess; frontspiece to Cessolis, Libro di Giuco di Scacchi, Florence 1493-94.