Minutes IUMS General Assembly Paris, France Monday 29th July, 2002, 12.30 - 12.30pm
1 Welcome: The President, BWJ Mahy, welcomed National Delegates to the General Assembly.
2 Delegates: Representatives of the following National Committees and Member Societies were present:
Argentina Australia Belgium Brazil Chile China Croatia Denmark Finland France Germany Hungary India Israel Japan Macedonia The Netherlands Norway Poland Russia Singapore Slovenia South Africa Taiwan (ROC) Turkey United Kingdom USA
The Secretary General explained the new voting procedures and the number of votes to be cast under the existing statutes.
3 Minutes of the previous General Assembly, Sydney, 1999 - Appendix 3
Copies of the previous minutes had been posted to all member and associate societies in March, 2003 and been placed on the IUMS website, and were adopted as correct.
4 Report of the President BWJ Mahy - Appendix 4
The President remarked on how IUMS had been set up in Paris 75 years earlier and that the first Congress was held in that city in 1930. He related the separation of the Virology Congress from the bacteriology and Mycology Congresses and how this was the first time that the three Congresses had been held together during the same week. He hoped that delegates would have successful meetings and asked that feedback be given to the Executive Board Members so that the success or otherwise could be assessed in order to plan future Congresses. The report was adopted.
5 Report of the Treasurer A Hamilton - Appendix 5 & 5a
A Hamilton reported that while the accounts are subject to some fluctuation from year to year depending on whether Congresses are held and member’s dues paid. He reported that the IUMS accounts were in a healthy position due to more consistent receipts from member’s dues and the increase in the amount paid by the USA. He listed a number of individual items of income and expenditure which worthy of note and pointed out that there was now $150,000 available to fund scientific initiatives. The accounts presented had been audited by Chantry Vellacott DFK. The report was adopted.
6 Report of the Secretary General JS Mackenzie - Appendix 4
The Secretary General presented his report and drew attention to the importance of the new IUMS website as a means of information exchange between IUMS and its members and associate members. He introduced the webmaster Ian Mackay and urged members to contact him with any information worthy of being included on the website. In particular he urged COMCOFs to link their websites with that of IUMS. He spoke of the increased level of involvement that he and many members of the Executive Board had had to undertake with regard to organizing the Paris Congresses. This had impacted on how much time could be devoted to other IUMS activities. Membership: The Societa Italiana di Virlogia (SIV) had joined in the previous year and the Pakistani Society for Microbiology had recently requested membership forms. A new society had recently been formed in Fiji and it was hoped this would eventually become an associate member. The full list of members was given on the back of the Newsletter in delegates’ satchels. Appendix 4a. The report was adopted.
Sponsored Meetings: IUMS sponsored 20 meetings between 1995-1998
In view of its decreasing financial resources, the IUMS Executive Board decided in 1997 to reallocate its resources to a few major projects such as the Microbial Diversity program, DIVERSITAS, the Species 2000 project involved in the establishment of taxonomic databases, the Pneumococcal Molecular Epidemiology Network and the short term IUMS/UNESCO and SGM fellowship program
Publications:
In 1996 IUMS terminated its contract with The World Journal Of Microbiology & Biotechnology (WJMB) and came to an agreement with ASM News whereby IUMS News items are published in ASM News. At present IUMS pays for the mailing of 52 copies of ASM News to IUMS member societies underserved with journals.
Societies now receiving ASM News: Appendix 4.2
The Secretary General gave a list of IUMS News items that have appeared in ASM News, 1996-1999
Journals which fall under the auspices of IUMS:
IUMS Brochure and Directory
IUMS published a Brochure and Directory in 1997. Copies were sent to individual members of IUMS member societies. The Brochure and Directory have since been updated and the latest information is available on the IUMS Website
7 Divisional Reports
Bacteriology, Applied Microbiology Division T Gray. The report was presented by M Collins - Appendix 7a
The Division reported on the alterations made to their Statues such that the Vice-Chairperson automatically becomes the new Chairperson. This brings this Division into line with the other two Divisions. Martin Collins had been appointed Secretary/Treasurer on the resignation of Prof Aharonvitch. The Division reported on the efforts made to update address lists of representatives and National Committees and COMCOFs. With these, contact with all COMCOFs had been established and these had been asked to provide a brief summary of their activities and financial affairs. The Division would like to encourage their COMCOFs to hold their scientific meetings at the same time as the BAM Congress and to that end has requested them to examine their programme of meetings now and report to the new Chairperson on the feasibility of carrying out this proposal. T Gray discussed the income difficulties experienced by the Division and expressed his hope that some of these may be solved by the sales of the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. T Gray, through M Collins, thanked his fellow officers for their support during his term as Vice-Chair and Chair. The report was adopted.
Mycology Division Report R Samson - Appendix 7b
R Samson reported that the Mycology Division COMCOFs had been responsible for the majority of activities over the previous three years, particularly ICFM, ICPA, ICAMD and ICY. No activities were reported from ICEM and ICAS and this was to be discussed at the Mycology Division General Assembly in Paris. R Samson had taken over as Chair on the resignation of the elected Chair, Inge Russell. He expressed his frustration at the local organisation of the 10th Mycology Congress and said he was disappointed with the final result and that many mycologists were offended by the blunders made by the Paris Congress organisation. He urged the Executive Board to evaluate, investigate and describe clear and stricter conditions and guidelines for future congress organisers. The Division presented two short reports on the operations of two COMCOFS - ICPA and ICFM. The report was adopted.
Virology Division Report RW Compans - Appendix 7c
The Division reported that the highlight of its activities had been the Congress in Sydney, which was a great success scientifically. At the 1999 general meeting a primary topic of discussion was the relationship of the ICV to other IUMS Congresses and the need to maintain distinct identities between the three congresses. A second concern was the linking of the ICV budget with those of BAM and Mycology Congresses with the majority of Virology Division members being opposed to the idea. Planning for the Paris Congress involved a number of meetings and a new feature of this meeting will be the introduction of three Bridging Plenary Sessions. The Virology Division also agreed to alter the term ‘workshop’ to’ symposium’ to conform to terminology used by the other Congresses. R Compans reported on the work of the Division’s International Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) and this committee’s 7th report published in 2000, which includes two new Orders: Caudovrales and Nidovirales. He also reported on the revised code for the typographical convention given to names of viruses which has all virus species written in italics with the initial letter capitalised. Despite some criticism, this method is now generally adopted. The Division reported that the activities of the Division had been reported via ‘Virology Division News’ which appears in the Archives of Virology. A list of publications relating to the ‘Virology Division News’ was presented. Appendix8a. R Compans said the Division continued to depend heavily on the assistance of staff members of parent institutions of the Executive Board due to the financial constraints experienced by the Division. The report was adopted.
8 Pneumococcal Network Report K Klugmal - Appendix 8
Rita Colwell gave an overview of the activities of Diversitas and Microbial Biodiversity activities during the period 1994-1999. She will continue to act as the IUMS representative on the Biodiversity program. The report was adopted
10 Report: UNESCO, IUMS, SGM Fellowships WN Konings - Appendix 8
The report was adopted
11 Vote on an amendment to the By-laws Section VII – Dues, B21
Vote on an amendment to the By-laws Section VIII – General, B34 - Appendix 11
The Votes were taken and both amendments were passed by a majority of the delegates present.
12 Report of the Nomination Committee for the new Executive Board
The proposed list was voted on by the delegates and the candidates proposed by the Nominating Committee were elected. The Chairman BWJ Mahy formally handed over the Chair of the meeting to J Davis, the new IUMS President who chaired the remainder of the meeting.
13 Announcement of the IUMS Congress Site – 2008
The President announced that the Executive Board had selected Instanbul, Turkey for the Congress site for the IUMS Congresses, 2008. The Congresses are to be held over 2 weeks with a similar format to that in Sydney.
14 Any Other Business
15 Executive Board Handover Meeting
The new executive Board Members were invited to attend the Handover Meeting on Thursday 1st August, 2002 in room 253 from 12.15 to 2.15pm.
