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Minutes Microbial Control Division Business Meeting
Park City UT August 19, 2009
Meeting was convened 7 PM 8/19/2009 by Chair-Elect Surendra Dara for Paresh Shah who was unable to attend. Nina Jenkins, member at large, was also unable to attend. 33 MCD members were present. (C Hauxwell, M-a-L and S Jaronski Sec –Treas. in attendance).
Dara presented overview of agendum
Overview Of 2009 meeting: MCD contribution consisted of 34 talks (7 from students) in three oral sessions and 27 posters (3 student). A symposium was solely organized by the Division: Biopesticides in Organic Farming. The MCD also was part of a cross divisional symposium with Nematode and Fungus Divisions, Epizootiology and its Impact on Microbial Control, Honoring the Work of Jim Fuxa. An MCD Workshop was not held this year due to a lack of suitable topics.
The MCD currently has 171 regular and 11 student members.
The Student travel award was won by Michelle Franklin, University of British Columbia. She was, however, unable to attend because of last minute problems.
Finances: For FY2009 the division has $6,926.05, a gain of $431 from 2008 (Expenses for 2009 meeting are only the Student Travel Award ($750) unclaimed because awardee unable to attend the meeting.)
Election of Officers (2009-2011):
Stefan Jaronski – President Elect
Sue MacIntosh – Secretary Treasurer
Steven Arthur – Member-at-Large
Old Business:
Question (from Council): Should students applying for travel grants or awards be required to be members of the society?
There was extensive discussion of the pros and cons of such a decision. Several members voiced the need to keep an “open door” to non-member students. The difficulty of paying dues in US currency in many developing countries was brought up as an argument against requiring membership.
MOTION: That the Microbial Control Division award membership as part of the student award and ask the awardee to renew membership for the following year.
YEA 7 Nay 24 Motion defeated
Discussion continued
MOTION: To return the $750 awarded this year’s (student was unable to attend) to the Council for use in 2010. MCD to still make student travel award in 2010.
YEA 24 NAY 3 Motion carried.
MOTION: That a student could not receive the travel award in consecutive years (but could in non-consecutive years)
YEA 21 Nay 11 Motion passed
MOTION: That the Microbial Control Division make funds available to pay the meeting registration fee to one invited speaker, at the discretion of the division Executive Committee
YEA 22 NAY 0 Motion carried.
MOTION: That the Microbial Control Division increase its membership fee by US$1 to $3.
YEA 18 NAY 5 Motion carried
Fund Raising: The suggestion was floated that the membership renewal form include an option for donation to the Division.
2010 Symposium proposals were invited from the membership. None were brought up from the floor. Any suggestions should be forwarded to Paresh Shah in the next few weeks.
2010 MCD Workshop Two suggestions were presented from the floor. One was “Microbial Control of Invertebrates Other than Insects” (to include nematodes, slugs, and also plant pathogens with ostensibly insect pathogenic organisms.) The second was “The Status of Microbial Control Efforts in the Middle East” Both suggestions were taken up by the Officers for further consideration.
A suggestion was also made from the floor that the Division put out a call for 2011 proposals well before next year’s meeting so that divisional members could brought worked out proposal to the divisional meeting.
Other business:
Announcement was made of an IOBC NRS & NTRS joint conference on “Biocontrol in the Americas – Past, Present and Future”, Niagara Falls, ON May 11-14, 2010. The meeting will include a Session on Microbial Control in north and South America.
Jaronski made presentation regarding the revision of USDA APHIS regulations regarding movement of plant pests and bicontrol agents. There will be substantial clarification of organism regulation. A draft regulation should be published early in 2010 for public commentary, which the agency earnestly solicits. In addition to opportunity for written commentary there will be two public meetings regarding the revised regulations. As soon as the date of publication is determine the Society will be notified.
Microbial Control Division business meeting adjourned by unanimous vote at 9 PM.
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