Councilor’s Report
258th National Meeting
San Diego, CA
The 258th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society was held in San Diego, CA August 25 – 29, 2019 and was attended by 12,409 registered individuals. The Council meeting was held on August 21rst.
Actions of the Council
Election to Committees
By electronic ballot, Council elected four individuals for a three-year term (2020 – 2022) and one person for a one – year term on the Council Policy Committee. Five people were elected to the Committee on Nomination and Elections and five were elected to the Committee on Committees.
Other Council Actions
Continuation of Committees
- On the recommendation of the Committee on Committees, and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the continuation of the Committees on International Activities and Professional Training, contingent on approval by the Board of Directors.
Establishment of an International Chemical Sciences Chapter
- On the recommendation of the Committee on International Activities, and with the concurrence of the Council Policy Committee, Council approved the creation of an ACS International Chemical Sciences Chapter in the Republic of Georgia, contingent on approval by the Board of Directors.
Redistricting of a Local Section
- On the recommendation of Nominations & Elections, the Council voted that the Pittsburgh Local Section be transferred from District II to District III in order to bring District III’s member population into compliance with bylaw requirements.
Highlights from Committee Reports
Nominations and Elections
Ballots for the 2019 fall national election will be distributed starting on September 30th, with a voting deadline four weeks later on October 25th. ACS members eligible to vote and with an email address on file will receive an electronic ballot with the option to request a paper ballot. Those members with no email address on file will be sent a paper ballot with the option to vote electronically. The ACS election vendor, Survey & Ballot Systems, will send three email reminders during the voting period to those who have not voted as of the reminder dates. N&E encourages all ACS members to vote for President-Elect and the Constitutional Amendment. Election information may be viewed at acs.org/elections.
Budget and Finance
The Society’s 2019 financial performance through July 31st yielded a Net from Operations of $30.1 million. This is $10 million favorable to the Approved Budget, and $1.7 million less than the same period in 2018. Total revenues are right on budget at $338 million. Total expenses are $308 million, which is $10 million favorable to budget.
The committee considered two 2020 program funding reauthorization requests, and on its recommendations, the Board subsequently approved funding for the ChemIDP and the International Student Chapters Programs in the 2020 Proposed Budget.
The committee considered new program funding requests for 2020 as well. The Board subsequently approved funding for the Green and Sustainable Chemistry Education Resources pilot for inclusion in the 2020 Proposed Budget.
The Society is expected to end the year in compliance with each of the five Board-established financial guidelines. Additional information can be found at www.acs.org, at the bottom of the page, click ‘About ACS’, then ‘Financial’.
Additional Information for the Membership
The Society is currently undergoing a process to update the By-laws and to make governance more nimble and responsive to the needs of the members. A significant step in this process is the vote mentioned above to be held in conjunction with the annual election of the National ACS President. All members are strongly encouraged to review the changes to be made and to make their voices heard by voting. This first step is in preparation to more changes that will come in the near future, including potentially adding categories of members that will allow each person to select a membership that will best serve his/her needs.
If you have any comments or questions regarding membership or benefits, please contact your Councilor, Darlene Slattery at dslattery1@cfl.rr.com or call her at 321-632-2535.
