Committee Meeting Minutes for 1982

A Committee Meeting of the British Mathematical Colloquium was held in the Senior Common Room, Neuadd Rathbone, Bangor University on Thursday 1st April [1982] at 8.15 pm.

Present:
Prof R Brown, Prof P M Cohn, Prof J R Hubbuck, Prof I M James, R J Archbold, R A Bailey, A R Camina, A W Chatters, P Chow, T A Gillespie, T W Körner, C Mulvey, M M Peterson, H E Rose, J Rose, J P Sproston, D J Wright, C Barker.
  1. Professor J R Hubbuck was elected Chairman.
  2. Dr R J Archbold was elected Secretary. Dr P Chow was elected Treasurer and was co-opted for the meeting.
  3. The minutes of the Committee Meeting of 1/4/81 at Oxford were taken a read, and signed by Prof Hubbuck.
  4. Matters arising from (3)
    Dr Wright reported on the efforts to avoid clashes with other mathematical meetings in future years. The Mathematical Association meeting in 1983 would clash with the BMC in Aberdeen, but the dates for 1984 were separate. There would be no clash with the 1983 British Theoretical Mechanics Colloquium. Prof Everitt had agreed to bear in mind future BMC date when organizing Dundee Differential Equations Conferences.
    Dr Wright reported that the LMS and EMS had agreed to raise their guarantees to £2000 and £200 respectively.
    Prof Cohn reported on liaison with publishers for the book exhibition, and agreed to continue with this for the 1983 BMC.
  5. BMC finance
    Mr Barker commented on his memorandum. In the following discussion it was agreed that in view of inflation and the present difficulties facing U.K. Universities there should be no deliberate attempt to reduce the present balance. It was agreed that the BMC itself (rather than the LMS or EMS) should continue to control the balance.
    It was agreed that, where necessary, BMC funds could be used to pay for the attendance of officials at BMCs. It was also felt that only in exceptional circumstances should financial assistance be given to U.K. speakers (apart from those who, by subject area, would not normally attend).
    Regarding the proposed questionnaire, Dr Mulvey was doubtful as to the value of the information that would be gained. Prof James suggested that the matter might be dealt with better by a letter to LMS representatives.
    It was agreed that the BMC accounts should be more detailed.
  6. Future meetings
    Dr Wright reported that St Andrews was willing to hold the 1987 B.M.C. It was agreed that Exeter should be approached regarding 1988.
  7. A list of possible speakers for 1983 was discussed and whittled down.
  8. A.O.B.
    Prof James suggested that at future meetings the book exhibition should be sited as close as possible to the coffee area.
  9. The meeting closed at 10.30 pm.

    Minutes signed by J C Shepherdson (undated).