THE SIXTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY,
16-18 SEPTEMBER 1994

The sixth Annual Meeting of the Gilbert Ichthyological Society was held at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, Oregon from 16-18 September 1994. The Business Meeting was held on Friday evening at the Rogue Brewing Company, commencing at 2046 hours. President Palsson asked for the roll to be called and 33 of the 103 Fellows of the Society responded; 10 Founding Fellows were present, as were seven guests (Fig. 37).⁶⁶

President Palsson raised an urgent item of "Old Business." The Executive Council had reviewed the Bye-Laws of the Society and had determined that Fellow Harris was correct in 1993 in his understanding that the President and Vice President must reside in the opposite state. President Palsson then appointed Fellow Harris as Vice President. Nine new Fellows were inducted into the Society (App. 11). Past-President Pietsch nominated James Orr for President for 1995. Orr was unanimously elected.⁶⁷

Under "Old Business," President Palsson called upon Fellow Pietsch to discuss the proposal for a scientific journal to be published by the Society. Fellow Pietsch volunteered to be the initial editor if a journal is started. A general discussion ensued about the desirability, feasibility, and costs of producing a journal. President Palsson moved that the subject of producing a publication be tabled and asked that Fellow Pietsch investigate the feasibility of a Society journal and to report back to the membership. The move to table carried.⁶⁸

President Palsson asked President-elect Weeks to report on the issue of incorporation of the Society. Weeks reported that he had made an appointment with an attorney to discuss the process and liabilities of incorporation. He stated that he would prepare a report for the Executive Committee and Council. As part of the study of this issue, President-elect Weeks will determine what percentage of new inductees attend subsequent meetings.⁶⁹

President Palsson then turned the Presidency over to the incoming President, Harold J. Weeks. Weeks then appointed Andrew M. Shedlock (1964-) as Vice-President. Under "New Business," Fellow Paulo Petry moved that the e-mail list be updated and distributed to the membership. The motion passed. Fellow Ronald A. Fritcsche moved that the limit on the numbers of Foreign Fellows be removed. After general discussion, Past President Palsson moved to refer the motion to the Council for the production of a "white paper" on the topic. The motion passed 19-13.⁷⁰

Past President Palsson then moved that the Bye-Laws be amended to add the office of Vice-President as Section 2 of Chapter 8, "Of the President." The motion passed and President Weeks directed Secretary Orr to prepare the amendment. Palsson then moved that the Bye-Laws be further amended to add to Chapter 1, Section 3, the following wording: "No person shall be proposed for admission as a Fellow who has not been awarded an undergraduate Bachelors Degree from an accredited four-year institution." In the discussion of this motion, Palsson indicated that his proposal would apply to Fellows, Foreign Fellows, and Distinguished Fellows. It was not intended to apply retroactively. Past President Markle proposed a substitute to Fellow Palsson's motion. Markle moved that the President and Vice President prepare a "white paper" to examine the categories of Fellows as they are defined in the Bye-Laws of the Society. The aim of this study, according to Markle, should be one of simplification so that the Society would remain inclusive rather than exclusive. The motion, as substituted, passed 14-11. The Business Meeting adjourned at 2031 hours.⁷¹

Contributed papers were delivered on Saturday. Twenty-one papers were read (App. 12). The traditional evening banquet was held. John B. Heiser of Cornell University gave the after dinner talk titled "Fishes: Getting íEm; Keeping íEm." The conference concluded Sunday morning.⁷² A notice of the meeting was published (Anon., 1995).

Monthly meetings of the Washington contingent ended in late 1994. The difficulty of finding speakers each month was an almost overwhelming problem that fell on the shoulders of Fellow Pietsch. The costs of the meeting for food and beverage, largely borne by Pietsch, was also a factor contributing to the cessation of monthly meetings.