Minutes of the 1960 Meeting (1961)

laire de Racine, Paris, 1946—in FS, V, 33542 ). Many problems remain to be discussed and resolved: should we differentiate betweei. the so-called "mots-thèmes" and the "motscl és", and how? Are the words to be given in their context? Are accessory words (motsoutils ) to be included (Riffaterre, RR, L, 144: -"ces mots .... nous renseignent le mieux sur la concision poétique et la compression des phrases dans les vers".)? And do such indices really give us a valid and useful research tool? If the answer is in the affirmative, and realizing that it is only a research tool and not a means to an end, one may ask how such a project is to be carried out. The size and mechanical labor of such a project would be staggering—perhaps Mr. Univac could be invited to help1—and it would need and lend itself to a cooperative effort. The members of the comedia section may wish to think about it as a group, formulate plans and establish norms, and perhaps begin modesdy in his anniversary year with Lope's autograph plays. NOTES 1. Cf. S. M Parrish, A Concordance to the Poems of Matthew Arnold, Ithaca, 1959. Minutes of the 1960 Meeting by Robert R. Bishop, Lafayette College This year's luncheon of the Comediantes was held at noon, Tuesday, December 27, at Tarello's Restaurant in downtown Philadelphia . Thirty-five members and friends of the Comediantes were in attendance. The meeting itself was not held until three o'clock so as to avoid conflict with other section meetings. It took place in the Junior Room of the Hotel Sylvania. There were more than forty members present. Before the principal topic of discussion, a debate on whether the Comediantes should remain a Conference, took place, chairman Robert J. Bininger presented Mrs. Annabelle Macmillan of the staff of the MLA. She spoke on what organizational matters would have to be considered and acted upon if tne Comediantes were to vote to change to Discussion Group status. Of greatest interest to the Comediantes present were Mrs. Macmillan 's remarks on the requirements of the MLA concerning the amount of time to be devoted to programs of the proposed Discussion Group. The seventy-five minute period is normally divided into a fifty-five minute segment devoted to papers and twenty minutes for discussion and business. However , this is not a rigid requirement and the Comediantes could divide the available time in other ways, as long as at least twenty minutes were allocated to discussion and business. Myron Peyton then reviewed the history of the movement for change in status from the time of the New York meeting of 1958 at which the matter first came up. Chairman Bininger then commented upon the poll of the members sent out earlier in the year. He reviewed the many opinions expressed, both pro and con. A motion that the Comediantes change status from a Conference to a Discussion Group was made by Professor Wade and was seconded by Carlos Ortigoza. With the notable exception of Professor Leavitt's plea that we not change status, there was no real opposition to the motion during the discussion which followed the motion. The matter was brought to a vote and the motion was carried. There were two dissenting votes. The following slate of officers for the newly constituted Discussion Group, Spanish 3 (The Spanish Comedia) was then presented, voted on, and accepted unanimously: Chairman: Everett Hesse, Univ. of Southern California Secretary: Myron Peyton, Univ. of North Carolina Advisory and Nominating Committee: Chairman: Bruce Wardropper, Johns Hopkins Univ. Arnold Reichenberger, Univ. of Pennsylvania, B. B. Ashcom, Wayne State Univ., Carlos Ortigoza, Indiana Univ., Robert J. Bininger, Northwestern Univ. Publications Committee: Chairman: K. L. Selig, Univ. of Minnesota, John Keller, Univ. of North Carolina Bibliography Committee: Chairman (with power to appoint): Warren T. McCready, Univ. of Toronto Research Committee: Chairman: JacK Parker, Univ. of Toronto, Gerald Wade, Univ. of Tennessee, Carlos Ortigoza, Indiana Univ., Ramon Rozzell, Ohio State Univ. Ad hoc Committee to observe Quadriccntenary of the Birth of Lope de Vega: Chairman (with power to appoint) : Myron Peyton , Univ. of North Carolina. There followed a discussion as...