PBK Special Budget/Planning Meeting

Minutes

4:00 p.m. September 16, 2010

Weichelt Lounge, Rovetta Business Building, Room 220

Attendees

Joyce Simmons, Chapter President                            

Annelise Leysieffer, Chapter Vice President

Elaine Hull, Chapter Secretary

Jeremiah Fisher, Chapter Treasurer

Bob Spivey, Encouragement of Scholarship Chair    

Vivek Pal, Student President

Robin Watson, Student Secretary

Absent: Bruce Bickley, Chapter Historian; George Weaver, Membership Chair; Ashley Parra, Student Vice-President; Lauren Westerfield, Student Treasurer; Samantha Patterson, Student Committee Chair; Edward Descallar, Student Committee Chair

1. Greetings and Introductions

         Joyce Simmons greeted the attendees and called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m.

2. Minutes of the August 26, 2010 meeting

         The minutes from the August 26 meeting were provided by Annelise Leysieffer and distributed electronically by Elaine Hull. The minutes were approved.

3. Treasurer’s Report

         Jerry Fisher reported that we have $3512.74 in our checking account; $2198.61 in our savings account; and $8351.61 in our foundation account, of which $2611.01 is spendable.

4. Lone Frank

         Elaine Hull reported that three organizations have agreed to provide $400 each to bring the Danish science writer Lone Frank to give a talk in January or February.  Dr. Frank’s usual fee is $3000, though she indicated some flexibility. Elaine Hull invited Dr. Frank to stay at her house, in order to keep expenses down, and Dr. Frank graciously accepted. Elaine Hull will request of Joe Travis that the College of Arts and Sciences co-sponsor the visit, and she will also contact the Tallahassee Scientific Society.  (After the meeting, Joe Travis turned down our request for co-sponsorship. Penny Gilmer, of the TSS, has not yet responded; Elaine Hull will contact Ron Good, another member of TSS.) Another possible co-sponsor is Alfred Mele, in the Philosophy Department; he recently received a $4.4 million grant to study free will, a topic that Lone Frank may be willing to discuss. (After the meeting, Elaine sent Lone Frank a link to a website describing the goals of Dr. Mele’s grant. Dr. Frank said that she would be very busy until after Friday, September 24, when her latest book was to be published; she would look at the website after that.)  It was also suggested that the Student Speakers Series should be asked for funds for Dr. Frank’s talk(s). Joyce Howard is the Student Government advisor. Annelise Leysieffer has made arrangements to meet with Dr. Frank when she is in Denmark; she will discuss possible topics for talks and also financial arrangements.

5. Honors Display Cases in Strozier

         Joyce Simmons reported that the display case for the Council for Honors Societies (CHS) had been purchased with funds from the Student Government, but had to be used for a display case in Strozier Library. Since Strozier plans to remove the case, we may wish to move it to the honors dormitory.

6. Outreach to PBK faculty

         a. Social – This is theoretically required by the national PBK organization, but we have never had one. We could get in touch with faculty members in various departments to plan an off-campus social.

         b. Refreshments for departmental guest speakers – We could offer to provide refreshments for up to 5 departmental colloquia during the year, using our PBK tablecloth. We should contact department PBK members, not the chair of the department, to arrange for the refreshments. We should invite students to the colloquia and try to get money from Student Government.

         c. Reviving the “Rough Draft Club” – This would provide a forum for people to share rough drafts of articles, with discussion and help being provided by PBK members.

         d. Letter to PBK members – This letter could mention the student officers’ initiatives, the initiation ceremony, and other PBK projects. It could also mention the possibility of paying lifetime dues of $200. The letter would be sent by campus mail, or if the recipient is retired, via email.

         e. Invitation to PBK initiation with RSVP – Having Eric Barron as the initiation speaker, and having the reception at his house, should be a major attraction to this fall’s initiation ceremony.  However, we would need to know how many to expect for the reception, so the RSVP is essential.

7. Student officers’ initiative options

         a. Plaque for faculty recognition project – Vivek Pal reported that a plaque that can accommodate 10 names would cost ~ $200. Nancy de Grummond will be the first name, and each year a new name will be engraved.

         b. Robin Watson’s article on Nancy de Grummond – Robin Watson has written an article to be published in State magazine, reporting that Dr. de Grummond has been chosen for the first PBK Faculty Recognition Award. It provides information about the award and Dr. de Grummond’s research and teaching and notes that the award will be officially presented at the PBK initiation ceremony, December 5. In addition, Barry Ray, Research/News Writer for FSU, has written an article to be posted on FSU.com, including an interesting description of her research, with links to previous articles as well as a paragraph on Phi Beta Kappa. It was also suggested that we could ask Tom Block to include the award presentation in his FSU Headlines.

         c. Light the Night/Relay for Life – There is a $100 fee to enter a team in Relay for Life. The Student Officers will discuss the possibility of fielding a team for each event. Light the Night will raise money for research on leukemia; Relay for Life is a walk that will raise money for research on cancer.

         d. Refreshments for Bio Sci seminars – Ed Descallar had suggested at the student officers’ meeting that PBK provide occasional refreshments for Biological Sciences seminars, which seems compatible with the suggestion in 6. b. above for departmental colloquia.

         e. Ice cream social for President’s List members – Vivek Pal offered to speak with President Barron about PBK sponsoring an ice cream social for students on the President’s List. He had estimates of the cost of various amounts of ice cream.  

         f. Tee shirts – Vivek Pal suggested that we sell Tee shirts with the PBK emblem on them. They would cost about $10 and would be purchased by PBK members.

         g. Rent-a-Puppy – Ed Descallar had suggested at the student officers’ meeting that we cooperate with the Humane Society’s Rent-a-Puppy event before finals week.

         h. Tabling – It was suggested that the student officers participate in tabling next week.

8. Initiation ceremony update  

         The initiation ceremony has been scheduled for 3:30 pm on 12/5/2010, FSU Alumni Center Ballroom.  President Barron will be our speaker, and Nancy de Grummond will be honored with the first annual PBK Excellence in Teaching Award. Following the initiation, President and Mrs. Barron will host a reception at the President’s house.

9. Adjournment

         The meeting was adjourned at 5 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by

Elaine Hull