CGU Annual General Business Meeting
Minutes (taken by Ron Kurtz)
Friday May 26, 2000, 17:00
Max Bell Building, Special Function Rooms 4/5
Banff Conference Centre
Banff, Alberta
Meeting called to order at 17:15 by Terry Prowse (CGU President).

 Attendance List:

1. Minutes of the May 10, 1999 Business Meeting

Kelin Wang requested that he be advised of any errors or omissions in the Minutes.

MOTION: Dan Moore moved that the Minutes be accepted; seconded by Olivia Jensen. No discussion. Carried unanimously.

There was no business arising from the Minutes.

2. Message from the President (Terry Prowse)

a) NSERC Grant Reallocation: NSERC has requested that the Earth Sciences Liaison Committee, chaired by W.R. Peltier, prepare a "Vision Document" to represent the interests of the earth sciences community. David Eaton, Nigel Roulet, Shawn Marshall and Gordon West are preparing the CGU input to the document. A meeting will be held on May 27 in Special Function Room 4 at 15:30 to draft the document, and will be posted on the Web for review and comment by all CGU members.

b) New Section: Rod Blais advised that Spiros Pagiatakis is leading the efforts to establish a new Geodesy Section within CGU. The Section has 4 main goals:

• Advance, promote and coordinate cooperative research and development in geodesy in Canada in support of scientific, environmental, economic and social activities.
• Strengthen and expand the links with the International association of geodesy (IAG), American Geophysical Union (AGU), European Geophysical Society (EGS) and Canadian Institute of Geomatics (CIG).
• Promote results and applications of geodetic research and products of IAG Services to the wider geophysical and other communities and encourage multidisciplinary research.
• Encourage timely communication and dissemination of geodetic results and related information through conferences,  workshops and special lectures.

c) Student Involvement: Kelin Wang encouraged the CGU executive to enhance student participation within the CGU. Ted Glenn has agreed to start the Student Awards and Activities Committee of which Kelin Wang will be the first member. The Committee needs volunteers representing academia, industry, government and of course students. The Committee will:

     review current CGU student awards;
     explore new student award mechanisms;
     establish CGU scholarships;
     encourage student involvement;
     strengthen ties with student societies; offer career development assistance.

3. Speech by the President-elect of CGC (Jeremy Hall)

Jeremy Hall reviewed issues involving the Canadian Geoscience Council. He advised that the CGC is the umbrella organization for Learned and technical organizations in Canada. The members are the sponsoring societies. Some recent activities:

     participation on PAGSE (Partnership Group in Science and Engineering);
     sponsor of EdGeo;
     production of Careers in Geoscience CD-ROM (distributed to every high school in Canada);
     review of the Earth Science Sector's programs (NRCan);
     briefs to the ministers and mines and energy;
     action to avert dropping of earth science components in the Ontario school system curriculum;
     planning nationally integrated programs for public awareness;
     initiatives to improve funding for geoscience R&D in Canada;
     enhance liaison between member societies;
     generating a strategic plan for geoscience in Canada.

The CGC has been encouraged to take on a professional management team. How to fund? Originally the CGC was funded one-third each by the GSC, provinces and by members. Recently $100 K from GSC, $0 from the provinces, $8 K from members. Current funding is $70 K from the GSC, $2.2 K from the provinces and $7 K from member societies. Jeremy advised that the CGC is proposing to raise the pole fee to $2.50 and drop the fixed fee. For the CGU the annual fee would be greater than $1000.

Jeremy encouraged CGU members to think through the benefits of having the CGC and support the CGC to represent the CGU on the national stage. Terry Prowse advised Jeremy that the CGU Executive will discuss these issues.

4. Election of the Board of Directors

Incorporation regulations require the election of four members to the Board of Directors each year. The CGU membership elects the Board every year, and the Board then appoints the CGU Executive.

MOTION: Hok Woo proposed the current slate for the Board of Directors:

Terry Prowse
David Eaton
Kelin Wang
Ron Kurtz

Seconded by Jeff Strom. Carried unanimously.

The proposed slate for the CGU Executive for 2000-01:

Past-President Larry Mayer
President: Terry Prowse
Vice-President: David Eaton
Secretary: Kelin Wang
Treasurer: Ron Kurtz
Awards Committee and Student Committee: Ted Glenn
Publications (Elements): Gary Jarvis
Meeting Coordinator: Rod Blais
Hydrology Section President: Hok Woo
Chair of Geodesy Section Steering Committee: Spiros Pagiatakis
GAC Geophysics Division President: Ken Buchan

5. Appointment of Auditors:

MOTION: Patrick Wu moved that McIntyre & McLarty, Chartered Accountants located in the City of Ottawa be appointed auditors for the Canadian Geophysical Union; seconded by Tom Edwards. Carried.

6. Treasurer's Report:

Ron Kurtz provided a summary of the financial state of the CGU as of December 31, 1999. Total income during the 1999 fiscal year was $27,875 including a part payment $10,000 of the net proceeds from the Banff 1999 meeting. Total expenditures were $32,631 resulting in a free balance of $58,886 (plus $47US). Expenditures include a refundable contribution to GeoCanada 2000. A copy of the financial summary for 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 is attached to the Minutes.

MOTION: Gary Jarvis moved that the Treasurer's report be accepted; seconded by Walter Roest. Carried unanimously.

7. Adjournment:

MOTION: Dan Moore moved that the meeting be adjourned; seconded by Olivia Jensen. Carried.