Minutes of the Rural Women’s Studies Association (RWSA) Meeting
June 20, 2014
Utah Valley Convention Center
Those present: Denna Clymer, Diana Chen, Kelly Jones, Jama Grove, Christine Gorby, Anne Moore, Linda Ambrose, Joan Jensen, Jeannie Whayne, Katherine Jellison, Cherisse Jones-Branch, Jan Zauha, Cindy Prescott, Jenny Barker-Devine, Zoe Ann Stoltz, Mary Murphy, Amy McKinney, Andrea Gal, Catharine Wilson, Molly Kruckenberg, Molly Holz, Kate Holbrook, Margaret Kechnie; Rebecca Montgomery
Co-chair Rebecca Montgomery called the meeting to order at 7:25 a.m. Co-chair Katherine Jellison agreed to take minutes as secretary pro tem.
Rebecca announced that as an RWSA fund raiser, she is selling raffle tickets for a handmade quilt donated by Joan Jensen.
Rebecca presented Margreet van der Burg’s suggestion that interested senior and junior scholars be matched in mentoring pairs for discussion of research at next February’s RWSA meeting in San Marcos, Texas (Feb. 12-14). Those present approved the idea, and Cindy Prescott volunteered to serve as the coordinator for matching senior and junior scholars.
Rebecca announced that registration for February’s RWSA meeting will be available on-line, all sessions will be held in the LBJ conference center on the Texas State University campus, and she will be reserving a block of rooms at a hotel easily accessible to the university campus. She noted that San Marcos is equidistant from the Austin and San Antonio airports and is served by Amtrak. She requested that meeting attendees help her identify rural community activists and other non-academics that might be interested in attending and participating in the meeting.
Joan suggested that to limit costs for RWSA meeting attendees, a hotel room-sharing plan be devised. Linda Ambrose suggested that another cost-saving measure would be to organize conference registration on a sliding scale. Following general agreement on these suggestions, Katherine said she would include roommate matching information on the RWSA web site and would also solicit donations on that site for the Jensen-Neth fund, which was created to help finance conference travel for graduate students, non-academic attendees, and international scholars. Rebecca said she would also publicize this information in the RWSA newsletter.
Cindy, who is heading up the Program Committee for next February’s conference, provided a brief overview of the proposals received to date and announced/reminded those present that the proposal deadline has been extended to July 31, 2014.
Anne Moore raised the issue of better publicizing the upcoming February meeting and the RWSA. She suggested that RWSA set up a Facebook page, and Katherine agreed to set one up and co-administer it with Anne. Jenny Barker-Devine suggested that the new Berkshire Conference portal might be used to publicize the RWSA and the upcoming meeting. She also mentioned that she will be attending the Women’s Food and Agriculture Network meeting in the fall and will share RWSA publicity there. She volunteered to make up some business cards or other publicity material that other RWSA members can distribute at other venues, and Rebecca said she will have additional RWSA publicity materials created for attendees to pick up at the February meeting and distribute thereafter.
Jenny, as RWSA co-treasurer, gave a brief financial report (attached) and announced there is currently $3351.70 in the Jensen-Neth fund.
Linda and Cindy encouraged people to donate items to the silent auction at the February meeting, and Joan announced she will be donating another quilt.
Jenny thanked Linda and Katherine for coordinating a number of rural women’s history panels for last month’s Berkshire Conference, and Katherine noted that the panel on rural feminism was particularly well attended and had prompted thoughtful discussion. Cindy noted that plans were underway to continue the discussion begun during that Berkshire Conference panel at the upcoming RWSA meeting.
Katherine announced/reminded people that she has committed Ohio University to host the 2018 RWSA conference and that they should be thinking ahead for possible locations for the 2021 meeting.
Rebecca adjourned the meeting at 8:10 a.m.
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