ACS NEWS
Council Approves Subscription Price Scheme, Acts on Other Matters Ernest L. Carpenter, C&EN Washington
The American Chemical Society Council took less than three hours to move through its agenda when it met earlier this month in Chicago. In that short span, led by ACS president Ellis K. Fields, councilors adopted a new procedure for setting subscription prices for the society's journals and magazines and recommitted a proposal to change how the number of councilors elected by each division is determined (C&EN, Sept. 16, page 4). Councilors also attended to many other business matters, including election of new members to the only three council committees whose members are not appointed—the Council Policy Committee, the Committee on Committees, and the Committee on Nominations & Elections. The new procedure for setting subscription prices for ACS journals will shift final approval of those prices from the council to the board of directors, which will act on recommendations from the Society Committee on Publications. (As a bylaw amendment, this procedure
Ellis Fields presides over council will become effective upon confirmation by the ACS Board, expected later this year.) That shift in the approval process will enable the following year's subscription rates to be set several months later than has been possible up to now, and that
Councilors listen to speakers during meeting 78
September 30, 1985 C&EN
will provide the opportunity to set rates based on accurate and more timely data. Under the present approval process, subscription prices are set by the board, but final approval by the council is required. Two factors influence the current schedule for setting those prices. First, prices must be known by early summer when libraries budget and plan acquisitions for the coming year. Second, because the council is charged with approving those prices, it must do so before early summer, which means at its spring meeting. As a result, prices must be calculated nearly a full year before they become effective, with the disadvantage that so far in advance sufficient information may not be available on which to base reliable projections of circulation, income, and expenses for the following year. Under the new scheme, with action by the entire council not required, final prices can be calculated in late spring for publications committee approval just before the June meeting of the board. The new procedure means a better business practice, better service to ACS member and nonmember subscribers, and still plenty of opportunity for councilor input not only in the publications committee itself but in various opportunities between the spring meeting and the June approval. The unsuccessful proposal dealing with division councilors was an attempt to help stabilize the number of each division's representatives on the council. That proposal stipulated that once the Council Policy Committee decided on new upper and lower cutoff limits of division membership—which are used to determine whether a division may elect one, two, three, or four coun-
cilors—-those limits would remain in effect until they became "mathematically unworkable." Under current bylaw provisions, such upper and lower limits can be changed each year, even if the previous year's limits continue to be "mathematically workable." And, according to some division representatives, those limits have been changed unnecessarily in recent years, with the result that divisional planning has been made difficult. (Mathematical workability refers to stipulations in the ACS constitution and bylaws on size and composition of the council.) Under current procedures, as well as with the unsuccessful proposal, upper and lower cutoff limits in division size are used to determine the number of a division's councilors. Divisions with fewer members than the lower limit are entitled to elect one councilor, and divisions with more members than the upper limit are entitled to elect four councilors. Those divisions whose membership is between the upper and lower limits share the remainder of the councilor positions allotted to divisions, with the larger of these each entitled to elect three councilors and the smaller ones each entitled to elect two councilors. The continuing questions remain: What cutoff limits are preferable? and H o w long s h o u l d they remain effective? Councilors chose neither to adopt nor defeat the proposal to change current procedures in this matter but instead sent it back for more committee work. They did so on recommendation of the council's Committee on Divisional Activities, which noted that the problem addressed by the proposal is part of a
Makeup of elected council committees for 1986 During their meeting, councilors elected five members to the Committee on Committees, four to the Council Policy Committee, and six to the Committee on Nominations & Elections, including one to serve a partial term to fill a vacancy. For 1986, these committees will be made up as follows: COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES 8
COUNCIL POLICY COMMITTEE"
COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS & ELECTIONS
Elected at Chicago Wallace S. Brey Richard W. J. Carney Sr. Agnes Ann Green Shirley B. Radding Joan E. Shields
Elected at Chicago Joseph A. Dixon Arno Heyn Oscar R. Rodig Arthur D. F. Toy
Elected at Chicago Susan S. Collier Herbert S. Gutowsky Joe W. Hightower Ramon A. Mount Elliot S. Pierce Julianne H. Pragerc
Continuing members Maureen G. Chan Natalie M. Foster Jack P. Gilbert Donald L. Kiser Nina I. McClelland E. Gerald Meyer Frederick H. Owens Harry R. Snyder David L. Venezky James R. Young
Continuing members James N. BeMiller Robert C. Brasted Milton H. Campbell I. Dwaine Eubanks William A. Nevill Seymour Siegel Jack H. Stocker Jay A. Young
Continuing members Roy H. Bible Jr. Mary K. Gall Samuel M. Gerber Roland F. Hirsch Henry F. Holtzclaw Jr. Herbert D. Kaesz C. Marvin Lang Sr. M. Clare Markham Eli M. Pearce
a The president-elect also is a member (ex officio) of this committee, b The president, president-elect, immediate past-president, and executive director also are members (ex officio) of this committee, c Elected to serve partial term to fill vacancy created by resignation of Lyell C. Behr.
much broader problem on council size and representation, and it thus should be addressed more broadly, rather than just in this narrow aspect. Jack H. Stocker, chairman of a CPC subcommittee that is studying the problem of council size and representation, reported to the council that his group is contemplating several options relating to this situation and likely will have petitions ready for council consideration at the next national meeting, which is to be held in April in New York City. Among the subcommittee's probable recommendations, Stocker reveals, is that each division should continue to be allotted at least one councilor, no matter how
small the division, and that the council should remain very close to its present size—within, say, plus or m i n u s 4%. "Those are some things, at least, that might be reassuring/' Stocker says. Another sticky, but unrelated, problem was broached as councilors voted in favor of bringing the member population of the society's geographic Region II into bylaw compliance by t r a n s f e r r i n g the Indiana-Kentucky Border Section to that region from Region V. A similar attempt to adjust the member population of Region II failed at the council's previous meeting in Miami Beach; at that time it was proposed to transfer the Corning Section from Region I to Region II,
Council adopts one petition, recommits the other Proposed amendment
Major provisions
Council action
Setting of subscription prices
Bylaw III, Sec. 3(eX1XB)5 and Bylaw IV, Sec. 3
To shift final approval of prices for ACS journals from the council to the board of directors, which would act on recommendations from the Society Committee on Publications.
Carried
Councilors elected by divisions
Bylaw III, Sec. 1(b)(1) and (2)
To establish appropriate upper and lower cutoff limits of division membership used to determine whether a division may elect one, two, three, or four councilors and provide that those limits remain in effect until they become mathematically unworkable.
Recommitted
September 30, 1985 C&EN
79
ACS News
ACS Board of Directors takes actions in Chicago During its meeting in Chicago, the ACS Board of Directors took several actions related to the society's budget. For instance, it adopted as a single goal of the society that the ACS general fund budget for 1986—scheduled for approval in December—provide a return on revenues of 3 . 7 % . It approved a policy by which dues-related programs shall be operated to break even financially using a five-year rolling average as determinant. And it endorsed a 1986 capital budget for the society of $16.6 million to be augmented later by $10 million for a new office building in Washington, D.C. The board also adopted two statements relating to chemical employment. One of them was developed in response to questions raised with respect to recent multiple terminations at Hoffmann-La Roche. The statement reaffirms that "ACS has and will continue to assist in every way it can in the solution of problems created by multiple terminations. These efforts include conducting detailed investigations of multiple terminations, publishing C&EN reports, conducting reemployment workshops, and providing many other employment aids, such as free use of the ACS Employment Clearing House, access to the newspaper
but members of that section protested. An adjustment action was necessary at the Chicago meeting, because the bylaws mandate that by the beginning of next year all six geographic regions must have within their boundaries one sixth their total shared member population, give or take 10%. Region II's member population had fallen below the bottom limit. Acknowledging the disadvantages of frequent transfer of local sections, Committee on Nominations & Elections chairman C. Marvin Lang told councilors that the committee is working up a redistricting plan to restore better overall balance among regions so that frequent transfer of local sections won't be necessary to adjust region populations. CN&E expects to have such a plan ready for action at the next council meeting in New York City. 80
September 30, 1985 C&EN
clipping service, free placement of employment ads in C&EN, and courtesy registration in ACS Short Courses." The statement also says that, in the Roche case, "the possibility of filing an amicus curiae brief will be considered on conclusion of the trial phase of the case if an appeal is filed." In the other statement, involving the effect of corporate takeovers on R&D, the board notes that it is "greatly concerned that the current wave of hostile tender offers made for purposes of gaining controlling interests in large American corporations, many of which have extensive involvement in chemical research and development, might have a seriously unfavorable impact on these activities." It goes on to say: "[Although] the board recognizes that well-conceived, adequately financed corporate mergers are necessary and a vital part of our economic system, it is concerned that many of the recent proposals utilize highly speculative financing and look to the assets of the target company to service the resulting debt. Whether the takeover attempt is successful or not, the target company is often so burdened with debt that it is tempted to cut back on R&D activity, with resulting damage to the longterm future of that enterprise and of
Councilors also approved two recommendations to the ACS Board concerning meetings. One is that the current advance member registration fee remain at $90 for both 1986 national meetings. And the other is that ACS cosponsor, along with the Chemical Institute of Canada and the Chemical Society of Japan, the proposed 1989 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies, to be held in Honolulu Dec. 17-22,1989. During the meeting, the council honored many of its members in recognition of various types of service with the council. Among these, it recognized members for serving to the statutory limit on an ACS committee or as a committee chairman, and for extended periods of service on the council. In addition, awards for outstanding performance during 1984 by lo-
the American economy. The board deplores the unfavorable effects on chemical R&D that can result from poorly conceived and poorly financed takeover attempts, whether or not these attempts are successful." In addition, the board took action on a variety of other matters, including: • To add $10,000 to the annual ACS contribution to the Center for History of Chemistry (boosting the 1986 contribution to $68,000), contingent on corresponding increases from the other supporting organizations, to be used primarily to rent additional space for the facility. • To change the status of the Henry H. Storch Award in Fuel Chemistry from a division award to a national ACS award, to be sponsored by Exxon Research & Engineering, beginning in 1987. Currently the award is administered and sponsored by the Division of Fuel Chemistry. • To inaugurate a new program aimed at communicating benefits and risks of chemistry to the public. • To provide funding for a task force to implement recommendations of the society's "Tomorrow" report on chemistry education in the U.S. • To fund a new venture in developing teleconference programs of AGS Short Courses, reflecting successful results of a trial program in this area.
cal sections and divisions were announced. For sections, the awards go to the North Jersey Section in the large-size category; Cincinnati Section, m e d i u m - l a r g e ; Central North Carolina Section, medium; Corning Section and Puerto Rico Section (tied), medium-small; and Wichita Falls-Duncan Section, small. For divisions, the awards go to the Division of Polymer Chemistry in the large-size category; the Division of Colloid & Surface Chemistry, medium; and the Division of Geochemistry, small. Also at the meeting, formation of an ACS Biotechnology Secretariat was disclosed. Already attracting nine participating divisions, the new secretariat has scheduled its inaugural program at next September's national meeting in Anaheim—a symposium on the impact of chemistry on biotechnology. •
Guide to October local section meetings featuring ACS tour speakers As a service to society members and the public, C&EN publishes from fail to spring monthly guides to ACS tour speaker appearances at upcoming local section meetings. For general information about these events, which are open Meeting city Local section
Date (Oct·) Topic code
Meeting city Local section
Date (Oct). Topic code
to all interested persons, consult the alphabetical listing of cities and their corresponding local sections along with the topic/speaker key. For additional information, contact the local section or the ACS Speaker Service at (202) 872*4613, Meeting city Local section
Albany, Ga. Southwest Georgia
24/P
Dayton Dayton
Amarillo, Tex. Panhandle Plains
12/E
Decatur, III. Decatur-Springfield
17/LL
take Charles, La. Southwest Louisiana
Deluth, Minn. take Superior
24/C
tas Vegas Boulder Dam
Appleton, Wis. Northeast Wisconsin Asheville, N.C. Western Carolinas Ashtabula, Ohio Erie Athens, Ga. Northeast Georgia
24/MM
21/G
Duncan, Okla. Wichita Falls-Duncan
11/Y
21/CC
Kansas City, Mo. Kansas City
24/BB
15/N
30/EE
Date (Oct). Tojaie code
Providence, R.i. Rhode Island
18/HH
Prove, Utah Wyoming
10/L
Raleigh, N.C. North Carolina
15/R
18/X
Rolia, Mo. South Central Missouri
22/JJ
8/F
Ei Paso, Tex. Rio Grande Valley
14/D
Lexington, Va. Virginia Blue Ridge
18/0
San Antonio San Antonio
22/P
Elkhart, Ind. St, Joseph Valley
23/S
Little Bock, Ark. Central Arkansas
15/0
Santa Fe, N.M. Central New Mexico
11/E
17/A
Shawnee, Okla. Oklahoma
22/K
Shreveport Northwest Louisiana
17/0
23/W
Evansville, Ind. Indiana-Kentucky Border
16/A
Louisville Louisville
Austin, Tex. Central Texas
24/H
Fargo, N.0. Bed River Valley
25/C
Macomb, III. Quincy-Keokuk
18/1
29/EE
Fayetteviile, Ark. University of Arkansas
15/FF
Bartlesviiie, Okie. Northeast Oklahoma
25/K
Findiay, Ohio Northwest Central Ohio
10/Y
Marietta, Ohio Upper Ohio Valley
β/Μ
Baton Bouge, ta* Baton Rouge
14/N
Fort Collins, Colo. Wyoming
10/t
Marquette, Mich. Upper Peninsula
25/T
Freeport, Tex. Brazosport
17/N
New Haven, Conn. New Haven
Beacon, N.Y. Mid-Hudson
Meeting city Local section
Lawrence, Kan. University of Kansas
Auburn, Ala. Auburn
Bakersfieid, Calif. Mojave Desert
Date (Oct). Topic code
18/DD
Binghamton, N.Y. Binghamton
8/KK
Ft. Wayne, Ind. Northeastern Indiana
Bloomington, Ind. Southern Indiana
1$/A
Grambling, t a . Ouachita Valley
Brookings, S.D. Sioux Valley
26/C
Grand Rapids, Mich. Western Michigan
Burlington, Vt. Green Mountain
14/HH
9/V
16/0
Manhattan, Kan. Kansas State University
17/FF
17/DD
South Charleston, W.Va . Kanawha Valley Springfield, Mo. Ozark
25/GG
Ô/M
21/JJ
State College, P&. Central Pennsylvania
7/U
Terre Haute, Ind. Wabash Valley
14/H
8/Y
New Wilmington, Pa. Penn-Ohio
10/F
Toledo Toledo
Newport News, Va* Hampton Roads
17/R
Tulsa, Okla. Tulsa Utica, N.Y. Syracuse
24/K
22/MM
Norwich, N.Y. Norwich
9/U
Greenville, N.C. Eastern North Carolina
16/R
Odessa, Tex. Permian Basin
15/D
Waco, Tex. Heart o' Texas
22/B
Oxford, Miss. Ole Miss
14/0
Wichita, Kan. Wichita
28/CC
23/AA
College Station, Tex. Texas A&M
23/B
Huntington, W.Va. Central Ohio Valley
10/J
Columbia, Mo. University of Missouri
23/lL
Idaho Falls, Idaho Idaho
8/L
Phoenix Central Arizona
31/2
Winona, Minn. LaCrosse-Winona
Ponca City, Okla. North Central Oklahoma
23/K
Wooster, Ohio Wooster
Port Arthur, Tex. Sabine-Neches
16/N
Worcester, Mass. Central Massachusetts
Cumberland, Md. Western Maryland
7/M
Jamestown, N.Y. Penn-York
7/F
Dallas Dallas-Fort Worth
21/H
Joplin, Mo. Southeast Kansas
16/X
10/KK
0/F
15/HH
September 30, 1985 C&EN
81
ACS News
Topic/speaker key: A, B.
ۥ
D. E. F. 6, H. I. *L K, L. M* Ν 0. P. Q, R,
Search for Natural Insecticides. 0* F. Wlemer, U of Iowa Spin Labeling Investigation of Some Model Membrane Systems, C. M. Lang* U of Wisconsin Aromatic Substitution Reactions: When You've Said Ortho, Meta, and Para, You Haven't Said It AIL «L & Traynham, Louisiana State U Because They Need All the Help They Can Get—Learning Resources Centers. C· A. Hassell, Baylor U Cf-252 Plasma Desorption Mass Spectrometry—Boiling Molecules by Nuclear Energy. C. A. Hassell Chômage—a Compendium of Chemical Trivia. 4. H. Stocker, U of New Orleans Chemical Dynamics—a Lecture Demonstration, A. C. Breyer, Beaver C Chemical Philately. C. M. Lang Confessions of an Inventor: the Story of Edison and the incandescent Light Ô. A. Stahl, Phillips Petroleum Co. Diabetes. A. «I. Forlano, Medical Seminars and Consultant Services Fragrance Materials. & T. Thelmer Geochemical/Geophysical Techniques in Earthquake Prediction Research. Μ. Η. Shapiro, California State U, Fullerton Geriatrics: the Aging Patient. A. *L Forlano Getting the Lead Out: Chemical Solutions to Metal Poison ing. A. wr
