The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 83, July 1979 - April, 1980 Page: 323

Affairs of the Association
L. TUFFLY ELLIS
The executive council has long been interested in increasing member
participation in the affairs of the Association. One way it has done this
is to create a number of committees to plan and execute the various
activities of the Association. This approach has been very successful in
opening up the annual meeting, the various awards committees, nomi-
nations to the council, and the efforts to bring in new members.
Another avenue to increase members' interest in the Association is to
make the business meeting at the annual meeting a more important and
vital gathering. For many years the business meeting consisted mainly
of a few members staying after the Friday luncheon to vote on the nomi-
nations to the executive council. During the past two years, however,
the business meeting has been held as a separate session and in a differ-
ent room from the luncheon. Presidents Ernest Wallace and F. Lee Law-
rence took the occasions to share plans and ideas about the Association
with the members. A number of you told me how much you appreciated
their doing so.
The Council has now taken another step to increase membership par-
ticipation in the Association. So many members do so much for this
organization, and they do it generously and willingly, that the present
council feels that there should be a more rapid turnover in the council
membership, in order for more of you to have a larger opportunity to
help set the general policy of the Association. To achieve this goal the
Council suggests a few changes in the Association's constitution.
Below are given the present and proposed wording for the article
dealing with membership on the Executive Council. The changes rec-
ommended by the council will be voted on at the business meeting on
Friday afternoon, March 7, 1980. We hope that all of you will be pres-
ent and will express your opinion on the amendment to the constitution
by casting your ballot.