The C8 outstanding paper award is now an officially recognized divisional award thanks to the efforts of Tommy Carter. The membership unanimously agreed that in the future, papers presented in two or more parts will be considered as one paper for the award evaluation process. This is the fourth year of the awards recognizing the members of C8 for their excellent contributions to genetic resources. Orientation of new board members began this year prior to the first board meeting. It was very successful and the C8 membership unanimously approved a recommendation that an orientation session for new board members be held annually.
Board members view the annual meeting as a modest moneymaker to balance the overall budget.
The concern is that increased fees may reduce participation in the meeting. Meeting attendance will be monitored. Alternate choices are to raise annual dues which has been done several times in the past, or cut services. Discussion about reducing the number of ASA fellows was discussed by the Executive Committee. The Board tabled the motion to change the definition of active member.