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MINUTES OF THE BUSINESS MEETING, HELD AT STELLENBOSCH
2
JULY 2003
1.
Opening and welcome
The
president of CASA, Prof. J. E. Atkinson, welcomed everyone to the
business meeting of the 25th biennial conference of the
Classical Association of South Africa.
2.
Attendance
Present: J. Adler; J.E. Atkinson; J.du P Boeke; P.R. Bosman; N. Brand;
C.E. Chandler; L.F. Cilliers; J.-M. Claassen; P.J. Conradie; M.E.A. de
Marre; M.R. Dircksen; M.A. Gosling; W.J. Henderson; J. Hilton; C. M.
Janse van Rensburg; A. Kotzé; J.P.K. Kritzinger; G.J. Mader; J.E. Maritz;
D.L. Pike; A. Ryan; M. Schneider; C.J. Schumann-Bosman; S. J. Sharland;
J.C. Thom; S. Thom; A. Tronson; D. van Zyl; D. Wardle; R. A. Whitaker
J.C. Zietsman
Apologies:
J. Jackson; M. Lambert; C.A. Malan, F.R. Pauw; E. Steinmeyer; P.M.W.
Tennent; E. van Zyl Smit
3.
Personalia
3.1 In memoriam:
The
meeting observed one minute silence to recall the loss of the following
members:
Fereshteh Hancock; Louis le Grange; Frans Maritz; Charl Naudé; Anton
Paap; Bert van Stekelenburg
3.2 New appointments/ promotions:
John
Hilton promoted to Associate Professor
Annemaré Kotzé reappointed at US
Adrian Ryan and Elke Steinmeyer appointed at UND
Peter Tennent (UNP) promoted to Associate Professor
David Wardle (UCT) appointed as HOD of the School of Languages
3.3 PhD’s obtained:
Segun Ige (UND): Cicero’s use of gender as a rhetorical strategy;
supervised by W. Dominik
Annemaré Kotzé (US): The protreptic-paraenetic purpose of Augustine’s
Confessions and its Manichean audience; supervised by J.C. Thom
Suzanne Sharland (UCT): Horace in Dialogue: a Bakhtinian study of
speakers, interlocutors, addressees, and audiences in the moralising
satires of Horace Sermones Books One and Two; supervised by R. A.
Whitaker
Martine de Marre (Unisa): The role and position of women in Roman North
African Society; supervised by B.C. Hendrickx (RAU)
3.4 Publications:
Alfonso Burgers, The water supplies and related structures of Roman
Britain, Oxford, British Archaeological Reports 2001.
3.5 Awards:
Sakkie Cornelius: (US): a Von Humboldt-stipend
Louise Cilliers (UFS): a fellowship at the N.I.A.S (Netherlands
Institute for Advanced Study)
Alex
Nice (Reed College/Wits): an Ernest Oppenheimer award for research
Johan Thom (US): a membership at the I.A.S. (Institute for Advanced
Study, Princeton)
Christoff Zietsman (US): Rector’s award for excellence in teaching
3.6 Retirements:
John
Atkinson (UCT): retired March 2002
Jo-Marie Claassen (US): retired March 2001
4.
Adoption of the Minutes.
The minutes of the previous business meeting of CASA, held at Unisa, 25
January 2001, were accepted unanimously.
5.
Matters arising:
5.1
Cooperation with the Classical Association of the Netherlands (Oikos)
Dr.
Manfred Horstmanshoff attended the business meeting as a representative
of the Classical Association of the Netherlands.
The
CASA executive will actively pursue cooperation. If possible a formal
agreement will be signed. The executive will strive
(i) To identify
conferences organised by Oikos suitable for attendance by CASA
representatives (and vice versa) and the requirements for such
attendance (for instance membership requirements for a paper to be
submitted?)
(ii) To identify and
delegate representatives of CASA to attend such conferences
(iii) To identify
contacts and facilitate visits for post-graduate students from both
associations with academics from the other cooperating organisation.
Such visits would include access to libraries and supervisor contacts.
(iv) Identify study or
interest groups where research contributions would be suitable. The
Oikos study groups on Ancient Medicine, Philodemus, Portrait of the
Hellenistic Period and Sacred and Profane have already been
identified as areas where cooperation with CASA members could be
successfully implemented.
5.2
The research committee’s report has been circulated and is
included under separate cover (or attached electronically).
5.3
The fundraising and publicity committee’s report has been
submitted and will be circulated.
It was agreed that priority should be given
to identifying potential donors, and also suitable projects, especially
those with a developmental facet.
5.4
CASA website: Information, including that of associates of
individual departments, to be listed on the web to be sent to the
Webmaster. The CASA newsletter will give a fixed format according to
which such information should be submitted to the Webmaster. The CASA
website will also list overseas conferences of interest to members of
the association. The website should also list the venues of all previous
CASA conferences.
6.
Chairperson’s report
The
chairperson, Prof. J.E. Atkinson, gave an overview of the position of
Classics at universities. Although several departments amalgamated with
other departments and colleagues were teaching in new surroundings,
Classics courses were still generally available. A larger body of
students was exposed to Classics – often as part of other programmes.
Research in particular was doing well.
An
effort has been made to establish links with other language
associations. This seemed particularly difficult, since the modern
languages were closely associated with various embassies and
substantially subsidised by them, which seemed to work against
co-operation with other associations. The position of the heritage
languages at schools was an issue that seemed to call for concerted
action by the various language associations. These languages should be
seen as proper subjects for study in schools and universities. A
document on the position of Latin in schools was submitted to the
Department of Education by CASA.
Members received the following benefits from their membership: full
academic professionals received Acta Classica; members received
Akroterion as well as a Newsletter. A recommendation to continue
the Newsletter was included, as well as a suggestion that an attempt be
made to bring veterans on board. Recommendations for Honorary-president
and vice-presidents were also made.
In
response to the chairperson’s report the following queries/suggestions
were tabled:
John
Hilton wanted to know if an effort should be made to co-operate with
other language organisations, in the light of the growth of comparative
literature where most modern languages would fit in. Johan Thom
suggested that departments in which inter-association contacts were
present should take up the cause for closer co-operation between the
languages, rather than the executive of CASA. A further suggestion was
made that a conference for languages (separate from any disciplinary
conference) could be organised. Such a conference would also accommodate
people who have no disciplinary conference allegiance, such as scholars
of Portuguese and Russian.
Bill Henderson wanted to know in what language papers would be delivered
in such an inter-disciplinary environment.
7. Treasurer’s report
The treasurer’s report was circulated before the business meeting. Its
acceptance was proposed by Koos Kritzinger and seconded by Philip Bosman.
The budget was tabled and its acceptance was proposed by Koos Kritzinger
and seconded by Corrie Schumann. No increase in membership fees was
announced. Akroterion now published the B.X. de Wet essay and
Casa subsidised both page fees and the prize money. It was suggested
that the prize money be increased for the first prize as well as making
a second and third prize available, if warranted.
8.
Reports from the branches:
The
reports from Kwazulu-Natal, the Northern region and the Western Cape
are included in these minutes under separate cover (or attached
electronically).
The
report from the Eastern Cape mentioned the meetings of the association
when addressed by John Atkinson and David Wardle.
9.
Acta Classica
A
report was circulated and was accepted. This report is included under
separate cover, or attached electronically. Acta Classica has
signed an agreement with SABINET, who will collect payment for the
relevant articles downloaded from Internet sources. The document is
included under separate cover (but is not attached electronically). In
response to a comment on the difficulty of getting an article accepted
for Acta Classica, Gottfried Mader indicated that the quality of
articles received differed substantially, which necessitated strict
refereeing. It was felt that the quality of the refereeing of articles
reflected well on Acta Classica. Johan Thom suggested a vote of
thanks to the current editor, Bill Henderson. This was endorsed
unanimously.
10.
Akroterion
A
report was circulated and was accepted. This report is included under
separate cover (or attached electronically). In response to a question
about the B.X. de Wet essay, the editor pointed out that articles for
Akroterion were refereed, but that the essays were judged by a
panel, specifically nominated for this purpose. Marianne Dircksen
suggested a vote of thanks to the current editor, Christoff Zietsman.
This was endorsed unanimously.
11. Taskforce on Latin tuition
A
report by the taskforce on Latin tuition was circulated and is included
under separate cover (or attached electronically). Corrie Schumann
expressed special thanks to Jo-Marie Claassen and Marianne Dirckson for
their help. Schola Scripta is at present being rewritten to
include more grammar. People who are interested in obtaining information
on learning Latin can contact Corrie Schumann at 082 338 4455 or 021 420
2368. The report was accepted and a vote of thanks was endorsed
unanimously.
12. Ursula Vogel-Weidemann Memorial Bursary
The chairman expressed appreciation for the opportunity afforded by this
bursary to South African classicists. The most recent recipients were
David Wardle (UCT) and Martine de Marre (Unisa).
13. Venue, date and theme of next conference
Kwazulu-Natal offered to host the conference, whether at Mariztburg or
Durban remains to be seen. The theme is the Classical Tradition. The
executive committee will determine the date with July 2005 as a
possibility.
14. Election of office-bearers
14.1 Honorary president:
Judge Deon van Zyl (proposed by J.E. Atkinson, unanimously accepted by
the meeting)
14.2 Honorary vice-presidents:
P.J. Conradie; W.J. Henderson and D.B. Saddington, for their
contribution to Classics in South Africa, especially to research
(proposed by J.E. Atkinson, unanimously accepted by the meeting)
14.3 Executive committee
All committee members were elected unanimously.
Chairperson: J.C. Thom (nominated by J.E. Atkinson; seconded by J.C.
Zietsman)
Vice-chairperson: B. van Zyl Smit (nominated by J.C. Thom; seconded by
J.C. Zietsman)
Secretary: Marianne Dircksen (nominated by C.F. Schumann-Bosmann;
seconded by L.F. Cilliers)
Treasurer: J.C. Zietsman (nominated by J.E. Atkinson; seconded by J.C.
Thom)
Additional member: C.J. Schumann-Bosman (nominated by J.C. Zietsman;
seconded by S. Thom)
14.4 Acta Classica
Managing editor: W. J. Henderson (nominated by J.E. Atkinson; seconded
by J.C. Thom)
Treasurer: G.J. Mader (nominated by W. J. Henderson; seconded by J.C.
Zietsman)
Additional members: L.F. Cilliers (nominated by W. J. Henderson,
seconded by J.C. Thom) M.E.A. de
Marre and R.A. Whitaker (co-opted)
14. 5 Subcommittees
Research committee: J.C. Thom and L.F. Cilliers
Additional members to be
co-opted as needed
Fundraising committee: R.A. Whitaker, John Hilton and S.J. Sharland
Additional members to be co-opted as needed
Taskforce for Latin: C.J. Schumann-Bosman; J.M. Claassen; M.R. Dircksen
15. Other business
Unisa Classics will host a colloquium from 30 July – 1 August 2003 on
The legacy of Greece and Rome. Proff Ogden and Miriam Griffin
will attend. CASA members are invited to attend.
FIEC:
it was noted that Mike Lambert would represent CASA at the FIEC
conference in Brazil in 2005.
16. Thanks
The chairperson thanked the executive for their cooperation and hard
work and the Department of Ancient Studies at the University of
Stellenbosch for hosting the conference. He made special mention of
John Hilton for handling internet communications, Jo-Marie Claassen for
assistance in publicising the conference, Nadine Brand for general
assistance, Maridien Schneider for organising the book sale and
Christoff Zietsmann for being such an efficient general organiser.
Johan Thom proposed a vote of thanks to the outgoing chairperson, John
Atkinson, for his hard work on behalf of CASA
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