Council: Tuesday, 1:30 p.m.
Business Meeting: Saturday, 11:10 a.m.
The secretary notes the following resolution of the
Council: Each person who attends a business meeting
of the Society shall be willing and able to identify
himself or herself as a member of the Society. In further
explanation, it is noted that each person who is to
vote at a meeting is thereby identifying himself or
herself as and claiming to be a member of the American
Mathematical Society. The Society has a Committee on
the Agenda for Business Meetings. The purpose is to
make business meetings orderly and effective. The committee
does not have legal or administrative power. It is intended
that the committee consider what may be called "quasipolitical"
motions. The committee has several possible courses
of action on a proposed motion, including but not restricted
to:
(a) doing nothing,
(b) conferring with supporters and opponents to arrive
at a mutually accepted amended version to be circulated
in advance of the meeting,
(c) recommending and planning a format for debate to
suggest to a business meeting,
(d) recommending referral to a committee, and
(e) recommending debate followed by referral to a committee.
There is no mechanism that requires automatic submission
of a motion to the committee. However, if a motion has
not been submitted through the committee, it may be
thought reasonable by a business meeting to refer it
rather than to act on it without benefit of the advice
of the committee.
In order that a motion for this business meeting receive
the service offered by the committee in the most effective
manner, it should be in the hands of the AMS Secretary
by December 8, 2004.