1. Call to order by President Joe Seger

2.  Roll Call by sign-in (see appended list below)

3.  The President called for approval of the Minutes of the previous Membership Meeting, published as 1997 corrected to 1998.

RESOLVED, that the minutes of the previous Members Meeting be approved as corrected.  Moved, Seconded, and PASSED unanimously.

4.  The Agenda was approved by acclamation.

5.  A Moment of Memorial in remembrance of Dr. Melvin Lyons and Dr. Delbert Hillers, both of whom passed away last year.

6.  Welcome and Comments by P.E. MacAllister: The Chairman stressed the need to strengthen the Board. He announced that two nominees will be brought to the Board meeting.  He congratulated President Joe Seger for all his good work recently.

7.  Reports from Overseas Centers

AIAR by Sy Gitin: Dr. Gitin reported that Said Freij, well known to visitors to the Albright, is ill with and undergoing treatment for acute leukemia. Dr. Gitin called for donations to support Said and his family and his medical regimen.

Dr. Gitin announced $238,000 in fellowships for the past year, 92 programs, and 52 fellows.  He also announced (a) the establishment of the Frierichs Endowment for fellows.  AIAR hopes for $1,000,000 in endowment. (b) the hiring of a Program Coordinator to assist the Albright Director. Programs have been internationalized with Fellows from Eastern Europe and by Lecturers from abroad. The Dothan Endowment brings lecturers from abroad who also lecture at the Hebrew University and at Al-Quds University. The Director, Sy Gitin, gives lectures at several venues.  The Albright now has an expanded intern program with the Hebrew University. The Albright has been helped through the World Bank to purchase an archaeological library for Al-Quds University.  The Albright now attracts scholars from Birzeit University as well as other scholars. The Ekron publication is continuing on schedule. The library of the Albright is under computerization. Now the Albright is considering extending computerization to small satellite libraries.

The Albright/ASOR Centennial Celebration is scheduled for May 29-31, 2000, in Jerusalem featuring an extensive program of lectures and events. The program venue will be in the Israel Museum.

The Damascus Committee--Dr. Michael Fuller.  Americans or Canadians are digging at about 9 sites, mainly in the Bronze Age, but two sites are Roman and later. Dr. Sultan Muhesen continues as director. The Syrian Department of Antiquities held a symposium on the archaeology of western Syria. In the years 2001-2 there will be a traveling exhibit on the archaeology of Syria with venues in Canada and the U.S. The exhibit comes to Quebec in May of 2000.

8. Nominations Committee--Randy Younker.  Randy Younker held paper ballot elections for those nominated to the ASOR Board of Trustees.  Results of the election were as follows:

Institutional Representatives for the ASOR Board of Trustees Class of 2003—Jodi Magness, John Spencer, and Randall Younker.
Institutional Representative for ASOR Board of Trustees Class of 2001—Oded Borowski
Institutional Representative for the ASOR Agenda Committee—Michael Hasel
Institutional Representative for the ASOR Nominations Committee—Bill Dever
Individual Members for the ASOR Board of Trustees Class of 2003—Jim Ross, Robert D. Miller, and Oystein LaBianca.
Individual Representative for the ASOR Agenda Committee—Beth Nakhai
Individual Representative for the ASOR Nominations Committee—Jeff Blakely

8. President’s Report--Joe Seger.  The President thanked Randy Younker for his yeoman’s effort in these nominations and election.

He announced new Institutional Members for the ASOR Consortium as follows:

Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL, Dr. Dennis E. Groh, Consortium Representative.
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA, Dr. William Fulco, S.J., Consortium Representative.
Southern Adventist University of Collegeville, TN, Dr. Michael J. Hasel, Consortium Representative.
Converse College of Spartanburg, SC, Dr. Byron G. McCane, Consortium Representative.
Gannon University of Erie, PA, Dr. Suzanne Richard, Consortium Representative.
University of La Verne in La Verne, CA, Dr. Jonathan Reed, Consortium Representative.

The Centennial Celebration is scheduled for April 14-16 in Washington, D.C.  It will include a Gala Dinner on Friday in the State Department dining room with Under Secretary of State Pickering.  On Saturday we will have a Smithsonian Associates Program.  Saturday Evening features a Grand Reception.  Sunday morning is given over to a Program of ASOR’s history.  The President called on Doug Clark to comment.  Doug indicated that we want popular papers on specific archaeological periods and areas: two time slots with two subjects.  The periods are the Bronze Age, Iron Age to Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine/Islamic.  Al Leonard, Andrea Berlin, and Elizabeth Bloch-Smith will chair the sessions. There has been no formal decision whether to publish the papers, though Joe Seger favors their publication.  The Sunday noon luncheon is a Dig Reunion Luncheon at which the various digs are encouraged to reassemble their people and bring their best supporters. The ASOR Spring Trustees Meeting is scheduled for April 14.

The Annual Appeal has been mailed out and responses have been good. More major development initiatives for endowment and program enhancement are coming.  President Joe Seger indicated that his goal is to triple the endowment or better.

Joe Seger indicated that we should honor the Chairs of three operating committees, namely, the Committee on Program, the Committee on Archaeological Policy, and the Committee for Annual Meeting and Program.  These three Chairmen are David McCreery,  Al Leonard, and Victor Matthews.

ASOR Outreach is now on the web site.

Growth in registration this year is due to the strong efforts of CAMP.

Thanks to two trustees who are retiring: Charlie Miller and Julie Hansen.

9. Operating Committees

Committee for Archaeological Policy--David McCreery: CAP has reviewed and approved 58 proposals; 30 for the field, 28 for publication or a 20% increase over last year. There are 21 proposals for Israel, 7 proposals for Cyprus, 26 for Jordan, 1 for Syria, and 2 for the West Bank. 

A committee discussion of process resulted plans to move to a five-year process in which Annual Reports will be required. Following initial affiliation for field projects, annual reports will show staff changes etc. A more substantive report will be expected in the third year.  David pointed out that electronic application is now possible.

New initiatives include discussion of the request from Saudi Arabia to encourage American archaeological projects.

To make CAP more effective and affiliation more meaningful CAP has $5,000 from the Harris Endowment for Biblical Archaeology to distribute. CAP trips will be promoted to broaden discussion with PIs.  CAP also wishes to address certain regional issues.  For example, Jordan allows materials out of the country one year.  CAP will request extension, though even now it is possible to extend one’s contract.

What do projects get from CAP affiliation?  David McCreery has sent letters to Deans to notify them of peer review of the faculty projects and raise the issue of institutional support.

David McCreery is optimistic about the future of CAP.

Committee on Publications—Al Leonard: Four new volumes are in the queue; nine have been accepted; and five proposals have been received.  ASOR has signed an agreement for cooperation with Bayard Press and their production of The World of the Bible.  With respect to what ASOR should do with the loss of Scholars Press, COP recommends that books and journals be retained in house but that we outsource membership services.  COP recommends that we sign an agreement with the vendor selected for two years so as to have minimum disruptions.

Committee for Annual Meeting and Program--Victor Matthews: This year is the largest Annual Meeting registration ever, which CAMP believes to be the result of a strong program.  Announcements for the November, 2000 meeting in Nashville, Tennessee and the Call for Papers will be in the next ASOR Newsletter.  It will be in the Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel adjacent to Vanderbilt University.

10. Executive Director’s Report--Rudy Dornemann: Dr. Dornemann emphasized the major restructuring in the office in terms of committee support, Development, and Annual Meeting. Holly Andrews is now Assistant Director in duties related to Development and Annual Meeting. He pointed out that ASOR’s new Treasurer Ingrid Wood is pulling together all endowment and other funds into one place, namely, in Salomon Smith Barney.  The Annual Appeal is active. Holly Andrews now works with the institutional members of ASOR.  Publications have also required a great deal of the Executive Director’s time.  A Preliminary Audit has been received and will undergo careful scrutiny in the immediate future.

President Joe Seger commented on the positive finances and the rigors of the work of the Executive Director and Treasurer and staff.

11. Old Business

Randy Younker reported on the elections (See item 8).

12. No new business. Victor Matthews reminded all that the next Annual Meeting will be held Nov 15-18, 2000 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Meeting Adjourned by Chairman P.E. MacAllister.

Respectfully Submitted,

James F. Strange, Secretary.