General Meeting Minutes for 2003

A General Meeting of the British Mathematical Colloquium was held in Chamberlain Hall, University of Birmingham at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 8th April, 2003.

Agenda
  1. Minutes of the 54th BMC, Warwick 2002 (attached)
  2. Matters Arising
  3. Accounts of BMC, Warwick 2002 (attached)
  4. Financial Status of BMC and Relationship between BMC and LMS (for report only)
  5. Proposed changes to Constitution - Garth Dales (current Constitution attached)

    Clause 4(b) to become

    three members nominated by the LMS, to serve (usually) for three years, from 1 June of one year to 31 May of another year;

    Clause 4(c) to become

    two members nominated by the EMS, to serve (usually) for three years, from 1 June of one year to 31 May of another year;

    Clause 4(d) to become

    one member, elected from the floor at BMC, to serve for one year from the end of one Annual General meeting to the end of the next Annual General Meeting;

    A new clause 4(e)

    one member of the organising committee of a particular BMC, to serve from the end of that BMC until the end of the next meeting of the Scientific Committee, to report on their BMC.
MINUTES
  1. Minutes of the AGM of the 54th BMC, Warwick 2002.

    Minutes approved.
  2. Matters arising

    none.
  3. Accounts of BMC Warwick 2002.

    Cancellation problem on rooms reported resulting in an extra charge of £6000. The London Mathematical Society (LMS) made up £3000 on the understanding that Warwick University would half the outstanding debt. This did not happen and the Mathematics department in Warwick have had to cover the shortfall. The misjudgement on the rooms was because when they originally booked the rooms they were unable to predict accurately how many people would stay for the full five days of what was the first joint BAMC/BMC meeting. Martin Mathieu (Belfast) observed that universities are now harsher on these matters and that there are long cancellation periods.
  4. Relationship between BMC and LMS.

    Garth Dales reported. The issue was how the BMC could best avoid VAT responsibilities. There was a brief discussion on whether the BMC should seek charitable status. It was decided that the various possibilities should be explored, and that a concrete proposal would be put to the AGM in twelve months time.
  5. Changes to the constitution.

    Proposed by Garth Dales to make various parts of the constitution more precise.

    Clause 4(b) to become

    three members nominated by the LMS, to serve (usually) for three years, from 1 June of one year to 31 May of another year;

    Clause 4(c) to become

    two members nominated by the EMS, to serve (usually) for three years, from 1 June of one year to 31 May of another year;

    Clause 4(d) to become

    one member, elected from the floor at BMC, to serve for one year from the end of one Annual General meeting to the end of the next Annual General Meeting;

    A new clause 4(e)

    one member of the organising committee of a particular BMC, to serve from the end of that BMC until the end of the next meeting of the Scientific Committee, to report on their BMC.

    Tony Gardiner (Birmingham) suggested that there should be more elected members of the scientific committee. Garth Dales listed members of the Scientific Committee. There was a discussion about Universities trying to make money out of academic conferences. Grant Walker (Manchester) said that internally organized meetings generally obtained better deals with the universities than externally organized meetings. Garth Dales (Leeds) thought that the ongoing relationship with the Scientific Committee may help. Caroline Series (Warwick) reported that in Warwick they had argued for lower rates (and obtained them).

    These alterations were agreed.
  6. Election to the Scientific Committee of one member from the AGM.

    William Crawley Bovey (Leeds) was elected unanimously.
  7. Report on the BMC Birmingham 2003.

    Rob Curtis (Birmingham) reported that the BMC appeared to be successfully meeting its budget. A provisional balance sheet compiled by Robert Wilson (Birmingham) was circulated. Curtis raised the issue of registration fees for graduate students. Susan Hezlet (LMS) noted that it was good to see so many graduate students at the meeting and thought that they were encouraged to come because there was no registration fee. There was a general feeling that it was best not to charge a registration fee for graduate students.
  8. Report on progress of BMC 2004, Belfast.

    Martin Mathieu (Belfast) reported meeting in Belfast well on its way; all five plenary speakers have confirmed, so have the three speakers in the special sessions on noncommutative functional analysis and on combinatorics, respectively.

    A leaflet inviting participants to Belfast was included in the registration pack at Birmingham.

    Participants in Belfast will stay in the halls of residence at a cost of £20 (single) and £25 (en-suite). No registration fee will be charged to graduate students. Financial support has been secured from the LMS (£9000) and the Irish Mathematical Society (IMS) (2000 Euro).
  9. Report on progress of BMC 2005, Liverpool.

    Hugh Morton (Liverpool) invited the BMC to Liverpool in 2005. It will run from the 4th to the 7th April 2005. It will be a joint meeting with the BAMC running lunchtime Monday to lunchtime Thursday. There will be four plenary speakers chosen to appeal to the joint (BMC/BAMC) meeting. In addition there will be four further plenary speakers for each of the BMC and BAMC. Some of the speakers have already accepted.
  10. Location of BMC 2006.

    There are still some formalities to arrange, but it will most probably go to Newcastle.
  11. Any other business.

    Garth Dales (Leeds) reported that there are no hosts lined up for the 2007 BMC or the 2008 BMC. The 2008 BMC is expected to be a joint meeting.
Meeting Closed 8:20.

Minutes signed by Rob Curtis (Chairman), Chris Parker (Secretary), Rob Wilson (Treasurer) (undated).