MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING

OF

THE CATHARINE MARIA SEDGWICK SOCIETY

June 17, 2002

A Regular Meeting of the members of The Catharine Maria Sedgwick Society (the “Sedgwick Society”) was held, in accordance with the requirements of the American Literature Association (the “ALA”), at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2002 at the 13th Annual Conference on American Literature sponsored by the ALA, held at the Hyatt Regency Long Beach, 200 South Pine Avenue, Long Beach, California. Notice of the meeting, held in Conference Room Seaview B, was provided in the ALA Conference materials.

The following members of the Sedgwick Society were present:

Lucinda Damon-Bach, President
Susan K. Harris
Melissa J. Homestead, First Vice-President, Programs
Joan Varnum

The President called the meeting to order and opened her remarks by expressing her gratitude for outstanding service to the Sedgwick Society rendered by its officers over the past year. She recognized the major accomplishments of each of the Sedgwick Society’s officers: Melissa J. Homestead as First Vice-President, Programs; Jenifer Elmore as Second Vice-President, Programs; Ellen Foster as Vice-President, Newsletter; and Victoria Clements as Vice-President, Membership and Finance.

The President then reported on the current status of membership by stating that, as of the meeting date, the Sedgwick Society had 73 members on the active roll with 24 members who have paid membership dues up to date. The President stated that a membership renewal form would be distributed to all Sedgwick Society members in the forthcoming Spring 2002 edition of The Catharine Maria Sedgwick Society Newsletter (the “Newsletter”). She then reported that Lifetime Membership would be made available to both current and prospective members following the legal approval of the Sedgwick Society’s tax-exempt status as a not-for-profit organization. She also reported that the Sedgwick Society’s treasury currently held funds totaling [$261.36].

The President requested that the meeting proceed to consider the reports prepared by each of the Sedgwick Society’s officers, as submitted to the meeting, and she then designated the First Vice President, Programs, to present such reports. The First Vice-President then read the report of the Second Vice-President, Programs, which explained the submission process used by the Sedgwick Society for conference papers and panel assignments, and which stated that the Sedgwick Panel for the upcoming Modern Language Association (the “MLA”) Conference to be held in New York later in the year had been approved by the MLA. The First Vice-President then proceeded to read the report from the Vice-President, Newsletter, regarding the Spring 2002 edition (Volume 3, Number 1) of the Sedgwick Society’s Newsletter, which would focus on Sedgwick’s novel The Linwoods, as recently reprinted by The University Press of New England and edited with an Introduction by Maria Karafilis. The President then noted that the Newsletter would include proposed amendments to the By-Laws of the Sedgwick Society which would update the descriptions and titles of certain of the offices, and would amend certain language contained in Section VII of the Bylaws regarding selection committees. The President then added that a ballot, which should be postmarked by members for vote tabulation not later than July 15, 2002, would be enclosed in the Newsletter. The First Vice-President, Programs, then presented her report regarding plans for the next Sedgwick Symposium scheduled to be held in June 2003 at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The First Vice-President further explained that the call for papers for the 2003 Sedgwick Symposium might consider topics such as Sedgwick and New York City, autobiography, children’s literature, short fiction, American politics, and religion. By motion duly made and seconded, all reports submitted to the meeting were then approved as read.

As a matter of future business, the President mentioned the possibility that the members of the Sedgwick Society may wish to confer honorary membership status on certain key scholars, archivists, and research libraries in appreciation for their past and continuing contributions to the study of the life and writings of Catharine Maria Sedgwick. Discussion then ensued regarding the possible parameters of such honorary membership.

All business having been conducted, upon motion duly made and seconded, at 8:37 a.m. the meeting of the Sedgwick Society was adjourned.

Respectfully submitted, Joan Varnum.