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Minutes
American
Reading Forum Board Meeting
Monday,
May 5, 2003
Peabody
Hotel Board Room
Present: Bass, Bullock,
Cochran, Fine, Kossack, Laine, Lewis, Moorman, Piper
1. Annoucement: Fine, ARF's chair, reported that she had met with NRC's officers, Lee Gunderson and Lea McGee and other
literacy organization representatives. The representatives agreed that there
was a need for the organizations to work together. It was suggested that there
be a board and that websites be linked so members have the benefit of access to
information about all of the organizations. It was agreed that ARF could easily
participate.
2. Agenda.
Approved with minor adjustments (addition of report from
International Committee).
3. Minutes
are posted on the ARFOnline website. Board members
are asked to review them and forward any changes or additions to Fine.
4. Treasurer’s Report. Dowhower reported a balance of $10,541. Bullock made a
motion (seconded by Lewis) to approve the Income Statement as accepted.
5. Committee Reports.
a.
Nominations/Elections committee will
compile a slate of officers to be presented to ARF Members. Suggestions were solited
are solicited from the Board.
b. Membership. Townsend’s report indicated the current ’03 membership
is 114. One hundred-six people
registered for the conference. Mailing
was conducted on-line. Forms were placed on the website and email message sent
on the ARF listserv. A postcard was mailed to members directing them to the
website. Committee volunteers were
compiled and forwarded to the committee chairs. The member master file (form
1987) was updated. Conference
information needs to be posted on the website soon, including a new letter from
the chair, draft of the Dec. ’03 conference, program, and information on hotel
registration information and airport transportation, Call to Forum books. These
should be sent by June 1, 2003. A
postcard reminder will be sent to members and presenters. An electronic transfer of funds to ARF’s bank account is planned, which would allow for email
registration to ARF membership chair. It
was mentioned that the old ARF website appears on searches. The chair will
request Dr. Marino to remove it from the UTenn.
Server (UT u.r.l is: http://www.explorers.tsuniv.edu/arf/)
c. Publications. Moorman was
commended for his work on ARFOnline, both the quality
of the work and the savings to the organization. Lewis suggested that perhaps
visuals could be added. She agreed to work with Moorman on a photo essay trial
for ARF ’03, which will include key photos of key ARF events, e.g., Keynote,
Call to Forum, Shrimp Fest, Beach Event, Mentoring session, and scholarship
recipients.
d. Publications. Moorman announced
that all Dec. ’01 accepted articles were
posted on the website. Proposed manuscripts (from Dec. ’02; 2 keynote
presentations, 30 papers and 1 reaction paper) have been sent out for
review. He recommended that the
editorial review Board hold more stringent standards for upcoming articles.
Moorman
reminded the Board that the approximately $3,400 online Yearbook costs
needs to be paid by December ‘03, as per vote of the membership, which is to
pay for a server, software, and other things specified in the proposal. The Board can anticipate further yearly
expenses of $2,120 per year for the next two years. He recommended that a sum be set aside to
supply a server and appropriate support for the team that continues the online
journal three years from now. This was approved
by the Board. He requested travel funds to the Dec. ’03 ARF for the graduate
assistant who has launched and maintained the ARF website. $500 was approved by the Board.
e. Editorial
Advisory. Moorman reported:
Paper
Submissions. Thirty
papers, 2 keynote addresses, and 1 reaction paper have been received and have
been sent out for review.
Copyright
permissions. An article submitted with classic art/visuals set the
parameters for attaining copyright permissions, which involved an impressive
expenditure of time and effort on the part of the author, Sarah Dowhower. Most sources agreed outright, others
requested feeds, and some could only be included with u.r.l.
link. Her work was of such benefit to ARF in terms of precedent and process,
that she will be paid a one-time fee of $78 for her contribution to the
editorial process. The bylaws committee
will draft a policy in cooperation with the review board to address this
issue. The concensus
of the Board stressed the importance of such a policy and leaned toward
including parameters for copyright, providing a form for securing copyright,
and making it the author’s responsibility (both actual and financial) for doing
so. Such guidelines will be drafted and will be included with the Call for Proposals.
f. Call to Forum. No report
g. Proposal Review. Laine reported that forty-one proposals have been
received for the ARF ’03 meeting, which have been sent out to the reviewers.
Presentation slots will be held for Graduate Student presentations, which are
due in September.
h. Graduate Student
Mentoring. Bass reported that there will
be a June mailing of mentoring forms.
i. Site Selection.
No report.
j. Public Relations. Cochran reported that over 60 ARF members attended the
Shrimp Dinner, which was under budget. There was $65.32 remaining, which will
be donated to the Graduate Student Scholarship Fund for ARF ‘03.
k. Bylaws/Parliamentarian. Laine reported that the bylaws
are being reviewed and suggestions will be considered at the next meeting.
l. Archives. Fine reported that the archives at FIU serve as a public
record for the organization.
m. International. Kossack’s report outlined
activities following the unanimous membership approval of the creation of an
International Committee at the Dec. ’03 meeting with two mandates: providing resources and training to international
literacy initiatives like those described in the proposal (Pan-Caribbean
Reading Initiative in, but not limited to, Trinidad/Tobago, Bahamas,
Guatemala).
Materials. This year, ARF
members have donated professional materials which will be distributed to these
literacy projects. Reference pages and taped books have been created and
submitted by students. A science student took an Alternative Spring Break in Abaco, Bahamas, to conduct
thermonuclear science projects
with the special education students (i.e., making ice cream in baggies
and cooking on a solar stove). ARF members will be asked to bring professional
materials and books to the Dec. ’03 meeting.
Training. ARF members
supported conferences in Mexico, Guatemala, and Trinidad/Tobago, which were
attended by conferees from throughout Central America and the Caribbean. An International Literacies Journal
which will provide a searchable database of Caribbean-related articles and
websites is being created. Caribbean
literacy sponsors are being gathered.
Currently Abaco’s Every Child Counts literacy
and special education project (http:// www.fiu.edu/ ~kossacks/Every_Child
_Counts), the Trinidad/Tobago and Guatemala Reading Associations have
agreed to sponsor. Websites are being made for these two projects. ARF members will be invited to make
presentations, submit manuscripts, and serve as reviewers for ILJ.
6. Old Business. None
7. New Business
a. Yearbook. Moorman urged the
Board to secure a dedicated u.r.l. (americanreadingforum.org),
which will cost $10/month to secure.
b. Conference program
’04.
Hendricks forwarded a packet from the Conference Planning Committee,
outlining the theme (A Silver Jubilee of Reading: Legacies, Realities, and Predictions) and
particulars.
c. Conference program
’05. Jo Ann and Randy Bass have agreed
to chair the 2005 program.
Respectfully submitted,
Sharon Kossack, Ph.D.
Florida International University
College of Education; Dept. of Curriculum and Instruction
Miami, FL 33199
305.348.2777
kossacks@fiu.edu