Abridged Minutes of Meetings of the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors meeting was held between 0807 and 1506 on 6 June 2014. The meeting was attended by 28 Officers and Directors and 8 invited guests. Reports were read, accepted, or otherwise acted upon from the President, the Secretary-Treasurer, the Trustees, Publications, Grants-In-Aid, Informatics, International Relations, Public Education, and Publications Advisory, Program committees.

Actions of interest to the membership were: announcement by the Secretary-Treasurer that we have 2,163 members (including 1288 Annual, 697 Life, 56 Patron, 106 Emeritus, and 16 Honorary Members) and that active subscriptions to the Journal of Mammalogy totaled 349; recommendation of 205 additional nominees for membership from 2013 and 206 new nominees thus far in 2014, and termination of 412 individuals; announcement that there were 81 members who reinstated membership, 0 resignations, 11 deaths in 2013 and an additional 3 members thus far in 2014; notification that in 2012 the Future Mammalogists Fund received contributions of $7,394.28, the Latin American Student Field Research Fund took in $2,090, the African Student Fund $8,270, the Oliver Pearson Fund received $725, the ASM Century Club Fund received $2100, and the ASM General Contribution Fund received $2,480; acceptance with thanks for the report of the Secretary-Treasurer; notice from the Trustees that the value of the Society's net reserve principle was $4,050,228.09 as of 31 December 2013 and the value of the Society's Pooled Income Fund was $47,339.00 as of 1 January 2013; election Fi Choate to a three year term as a Trustee for the Society; acceptance with thanks of the Trustees' report; thanks to outgoing Associate Editors Burton Lim, Victor Sánchez-Cordero, Lisa Shipley, Winston Smith, Michel Steele, Neal Woodman, and Eric Rickart (Mammalian Species), and the appointment of 7 new Associate Editors Leslie Carraway, Jake Esselstyn, Tereza Jezkova, Kevin Monteith, Duke Rogers, John Scheibe, and Pat Zollner for the Journal of Mammalogy and Robert Rose for Mammalian Species; reappointment of Joe Merritt to continue in the role of Journal Editor; the transition to Oxford University Press for the publication of the Journal of Mammalogy and Mammalian Species; and a discussion of improvements to streamline the process of sponsoring memberships in the society.

The following budget for general expenses in 2015 was adopted: $60,673.00 for ASM committees (include the Program Committee); $1,000 for support of the Secretary-Treasurer's office and a $2,000 honorarium to the Secretary-Treasurer; $77,050 for editorial honoraria and publication expenses; $61,000 for A.M. & M. Financial and Online Services; $56,300 for Grants-in-Aid; $25,000 for Student Honoraria and Travel Awards; $7,500 for Latin American Student Research Awards; $7,500 for the ASM Graduate Fellowship Award; $7,000 for the Oliver P. Pearson Award; $4,500 for the ASM-AIBS Public Policy Program; $1,550 for the C. Hart Merriam Award, $1,800 for the Aldo Leopold Award; $1,700 for the William T. Hornaday Award; $1,850 for Grinnell Award; $300 for Jackson Award; $250 AAZN dues; $200 AIBS dues; $1,500 SCAW & PRIM&R dues; $2,550 to send a representative to the SCAW and PRIM&R meetings; $100 AAALAC dues, and $1,150 to send a representative to the AAALAC meeting; a $2,000 contingency fund for travel to discuss upcoming changes to IACUC regulations; $100 NSCA dues; $1000 indemnity/liability insurance; $10,000 for audit/tax preparation and $3,800 for bank fees; $5000 President's contingency fund; $50,000 for a membership consultant; and a transfer of $137,372 from the Reserve Fund brought the estimated expenses and income both to $605,773.00.

Abridged Minutes of Annual Meeting of Members

The 1st session was called to order at 1135 and was recessed at 1228 on 7 June 2014 and the 2nd session was called to order at 1056 and adjourned at 1235 on 8 June 2014.

Minutes of the preceding meeting were approved as published in abridged form in the Journal of Mammalogy. Abridged minutes of the first Board Meeting were read. Reports were presented in oral and/or written form from the President, the Secretary-Treasurer, the Trustees, standing committees, ad hoc committees, and ASM representatives to other organizations.

Actions of interest to members were: acceptance of 205 new members from 2013 and 206 new nominees as of May 7, 2014, reinstatement of 81 members, and dropping of 412 members delinquent in dues payment; election of a new President-Elect, Vice-President, Recording Secretary, and 7 Directors, including 1 Student Director (new officers and directors listed on page [need to fill in journal page]); notification that the 2014 annual meeting is scheduled from 10-16 June at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, in Jacksonville, Florida; discussion of venues for 2016 and a vote by the membership favoring meeting on the University of Minnesota campus; announcement at the Banquet that Grants-in-Aid had been awarded to: Bryan McClean (University of New Mexico and Museum of Southwestern Biology)- B. Elizabeth Horner Award, Heather Ahrens (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine), Kayce Bell (University of New Mexico), Peggy Boone (University of Wisconsin-Madison), Alyson Brokaw (Humboldt State University), Janet Buckner (University of California Los Angeles), Tracy Burkhard (University of Texas at Austin), Casey Day (Purdue University), Allyson Degrassi (University of Vermont), Danielle Drabeck (University of Minnesota), Noah Dunham (Ohio State University), Gideon Erkenswick (University of Missouri-St Louis), Jessica Haines (University of Alberta), Rebecca Kelley (New Mexico State University), Kapil Khadka (University of Arkansas, Fayetteville), Kelly Klingler (University of Nevada, Reno), Garret Langlois (Texas Tech University), Christopher Law (University of California Santa Cruz), Andrew McGowan (Salisbury University), Annelise Mowry (Auburn University), Michael Pardo (Cornell University), Emma Roberts (Texas Tech University), Amy Remer (University of Notre Dame), Hae Yeong Ryu (Stony Brook University), Erin Siracusa (University of Guelph), Aubrey Sirman (Auburn University), Kelly Speer (University of Florida), Madeline Strom (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga), Sandra Troxel-Smith (University of California at Chicago), Mirian Tieko Nunes Tsuchiya (Smithsonian Institution), Caitlin Wells (University of California Davis), Janna Willoughby (Purdue University), Emily Woodruff (University of Florida), and Laurel Yohe (Stony Brook University. The recipient of the ASM Fellowship in Mammalogy, Melissa J. Merrick (University of Arizona), and the nominee for the Albert R. and Alma Shadle Fellowship in Mammalogy, Nicté Ordóñez-Garza (Texas Tech University), were also announced at the banquet. The Anna M. Jackson Award went to Johanna Varner (University of Utah); the Elmer C. Birney Award to Jennifer Schieltz (Princeton University); and the A. Brazier Howell Graduate Student Travel Grant to John Doudna (Iowa State University). The ASM Undergraduate Awards were presented to Kimberly Conway (California State University-Fullerton) and Andy Kulikowski II (University of Wyoming).

The following awards were also announced at the annual banquet: African Student Awards to George Paul Omondi (University of Nairobi, Kenya) and Tobias Ochieng Otieno (Karatina University, Kenya); Latin American Student Field Research Awards to Carola Cañón Valenzuela (Chile), Melquisedec (Melqui) Gamba-Rios (Colombia), Constanza Pasian (Argentina), Willy Pineda Lizano (Costa Rica), and Julio Torres (Paraguay); the Oliver P. Pearson Award to Dr. Hugo Mantilla-Meluk (Quindío University, Colombia); the C. Hart Merriam Award to Dr. Denise Dearing (University of Utah); the Joseph Grinnell Award for Excellence in Education in Mammalogy to Dr. Troy Best (Auburn University); the Hartley H. T. Jackson Award to Dr. Daniel K. Odell (Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute) the William T. Hornaday award to Erin Baerwald (University of Calgary); and the 2013 Aldo Leopold award winner is Dr. Lawrence R. Heaney (Field Museum of Natural History).

The following resolution was adopted:

Host Resolution for the Ninety-Fourth Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammalogists

Whereas, ASM directors were pleased to learn from restaurant staff during their pre-meeting dinner that mammalogists are “almost scientists”, and;

Whereas, 360 scientists unanimously agree that global temperatures could be significantly lowered by simply opening the windows of the Cox Convention Center, and;

Whereas, the term “crusty” refers to dried-up tissue on an old skeleton with potential scientific value and NOT to an ASM Past President, and;

Whereas, Janet Braun is no longer eligible to serve as ASM's ad hoc meteorologist, and;

Whereas, this year's student award recipients taught us that pikas have flame-retardant fur; that cows can coexist with African wildlife as long as they take regular time outs; that, like many Americans, prairie deer mice are evolving bigger mouths; that hirola antelope are lucky to have one heroically dedicated advocate; that replacing urban humans with elephants is a cause the conservation, resolution, and ad hoc rewilding committees might want to consider taking up; and that, best lab practices notwithstanding, washing your own hands after shaking Miguel Pinto's is recommended as a safeguard against contracting Chagas disease, and;

Whereas, Grinnell Award recipient Ricardo Ojeda chose to stay in Argentina during the austral winter rather than brave the temperatures in the Cox Convention Center, which had Joel Berger in search mode for muskoxen, and;

Whereas, Rudy Boonstra induced a glucocorticoid response among mammalogists who suddenly realized they'd raised their children without licking them, and;

Whereas, interest in the Chitty hypothesis appears to peak every 4 or 10 years, depending on the mass of the mammalogist conducting the investigation, and;

Whereas, ASM members were both thrilled and delighted to learn from Joel Brown's presentation that none of it would be on the final, and;

Whereas, lawyers from fast food giant Wendy's converged on the Myriad Botanical Gardens on Sunday in response to an angry chorus of “Where's the beef?”, and;

Whereas, those left waiting for said beef were only partially mollified when, during their wait, coffee from that morning's breakfast at the hotel restaurant was finally delivered, and;

Whereas, they were each charged $12 for said coffee, and;

Whereas, cash-strapped husbands and boyfriends in the society applaud Joel Berger's condemnation of cashmere and hope he next turns his attention to gems, fine jewelry, and anything preceded by Louis Vuitton, and;

Whereas, in preparation for the afternoon symposium on hibernation, the Cox Center did its part by simulating the appropriate microclimate, and;

Whereas, Bob Timm's recent acquisition and semi-proficient use of a smart phone necessitated this year's technical difficulties in order to maintain balance in the universe, and;

Whereas, debate over the 2016 meeting at the 2nd members meeting showed that mammalogists will debate at least 10 minutes for every mile separating venues, and;

Whereas, the synergistic effects of age and bourbon precluded the presentation by the publications committee chair at the board meeting, and;

Whereas, relapse 48 hours later was required for recognition by the President, and;

Whereas, Ken Armitage's limited NSF funding only allowed enumeration of half marmots, and;

Whereas, folks, we have a new President Elect, and;

Whereas, being able to successfully type Richard Thorington's e-mail address and the word “unsubscribe” in the same e-mail has been approved as a new criterion for ASM membership, and;

Whereas, thankfully, typing in the correct answer to the meeting registration page's capcha on the first, second, or third attempt has NOT, and;

Whereas, David Huckaby's report at the members meeting led to an emergency implementation of Net Nanny on the Mammal Image Library web page, and;

Whereas, hours after we learned that bottlenose dolphins practice bisexual philopatry, a bill was introduced to the state legislature that would make it illegal under Oklahoma's constitution, and;

Whereas, the vote on the 2016 meeting did not support the hybrid vigor model of fitness, and;

Whereas, the society would like to thank capstone speaker Joel Brown for accepting 5 jars of peanut butter in lieu of travel and lodging compensation, and;

Whereas, a certain unnamed ASM executive officer had difficulties distinguishing between a porcupine and a beaver, and;

Whereas, inspired by an ASM symposium, the State of Oklahoma is now referring to its recent rejection of the Common Core standards in K-12 education as “Aim-Down”, and;

Whereas, it was convincingly demonstrated at these meetings that xenarthrans can serve as model xenarthrans in mammalogy, and;

Whereas, $4 cans of soda and $7 glasses of purported merlot had meeting attendants wondering if Oklahoma was fracking for the wrong liquid, and;

Whereas, the biggest concern among ASM's membership is no longer meeting venue but rather how we will survive Ron van den Bussche stepping down as Secretary-Treasurer, Janet Braun stepping down as Program Committee Chair, and Matt Hopton stepping down as Chair of the Informatics Committee, and;

Whereas, Eileen Lacey is quickly learning that “president” is a euphemism for “conflict-resolving cat-herder” or, as eloquently if maniacally expressed by outgoing president Ed Heske, “SUCKA!”;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Society of Mammalogists convening at their 94rd Annual Meeting at the Oklahoma City Cox Convention Center, 6-10 June 2014, hereby extends our gratitude to the Program Committee and the K-State Conference Services for yet another a fun, rousing, and productive meeting.