Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Delta Phi Alpha

National Council and Faculty Advisors

The annual meeting of the National Council, open to all faculty advisors, was held on November 19, 2005, at the Renaissance HarborPlace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland. Present were the National President, John M. Jeep (Miami University), the National Secretary-Treasurer, John Reynolds (Longwood University), and National Council members Ronald Horwege (Sweet Briar College) and James Davidheiser (University of the South). Faculty advisors attending were: Lawrence Glatz (Metropolitan State College), Paula Hanssen (Webster University), Dirk Johnson (Hampden- Sydney College), and Michael Shaughnessy (Washington and Jefferson College). Also attending was Geoffrey Orth (Longwood University), last year’s interim National Secretary-Treasurer.

President Jeep called the meeting to order at 2:15 pm.

The minutes of the 2004 Annual Meeting, held the previous year in Chicago, were approved as distributed. They will be printed in the next issue of the Bulletin.

The National Secretary-Treasurer made the following information available: in 2005, to the date of the annual meeting, 112 chapters held at least one initiation (94 in 2004). A total of 772 members were initiated (688 in 2004). The Society has a total of 245 chapters, 161 are active. Two new chapters were added in 2005: North Central College, Lambda Phi, and the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Lambda Tau.

The Secretary-Treasurer gave the Treasurer’s Report for information.

The Secretary-Treasurer reported on the Invested Funds which are administered by Professor Emeritus, Maurice Conner (Theta Beta chapter).

The members of the Scholarship committee this year were Geoffrey Orth, Chair (Longwood University), Mary Wauchope (San Diego State University), and Anne Winston-Allen (Southern Illinois University-Carbondale). Because the applicants this year were particularly promising, the Executive Council approved two awards in each category. Scholarship awards were granted as follows:

Graduating Senior Awards: 1) Scott Bromley, Washington and Jefferson College (Delta Lambda; advisor Michael Shaughnessy). Mr. Bromley also became Delta Phi Alpha’s nominee for a DAAD graduate fellowship. 2) John-Thomas Eltringham, Temple University (Gamma Omicron, advisor Anthony Waskie).

Graduating Senior runner-up: Joseph Lenz, Baylor University (Iota Omicron, advisor Rita Abercrombie).

Sophomore-Junior Awards: 1) Kendra Stauffer, Baylor University (Iota Omicron, advisor Rita Abercrombie), 2) Amanda Trautman, Valparaiso University (Iota Rho, advisor Timothy Malchow).

Sophomore-Junior runner-up: Sara Kussmann, Ripon College (Zeta Delta, advisor Lorna Sopcak)

Old Business

Dr. Orth was commended for his efforts to contact inactive chapters in an attempt to encourage them to reactivate. As a result, four chapters did reactivate and several more indicated they planned to do so. Nine universities and colleges indicated they no longer offer a major in German.

Members of the Executive Council, together with the faculty advisors present and Dr. Orth, discussed the benefits of electronic newsletters. The newsletter will continue to be sent electronically. The new e-mail listings have resulted in better contact between the National office and the chapter advisors.

New Business

The Secretary-Treasurer reported on the election results. With many ballots in, the election results indicate that the current officers are reelected for the next two years (2006-2008).

The Council agreed that the “Conditions and Facts” information sheet for institutions wishing to apply for a charter in Delta Phi Alpha should be revised. The first sentence of the current fact-sheet shall be changed, eliminating the requirement for a certain number of students in German. Schools with an active program offering courses above the intermediate level can now apply for a charter. The list of requirements should begin with a request for a list of strengths of the program in German.

The Council agreed to continue Incentive Grants with a limit of $300 per award and not more than 10 awards to be granted for the year.

The question of a server for Delta Phi Alpha was brought up. Currently the web site for the Society is held at Longwood. It was suggested that Network Solutions be contacted so that the old address (deltaphialpha.prg) could be reestablished.

The question of venue was discussed. It was agreed that Delta Phi Alpha should approach the AATG to request a session at the next ACTFL conference.

The Secretary-Treasurer announced that the next Bulletin for the year 2006-2007 would be published this spring. Advisors should look over the current Bulletin and report any changes or corrections to the Secretary-Treasurer.

Members of Council then voted on the application of Washington and Lee University. The vote was unanimous in favor of accepting the application.

Council agreed to create the position of Webmaster for the Delta Phi Alpha web site. Dr. Orth was appointed to this position.

There being no further business to conduct, President Jeep adjourned the meeting at 3:30 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

John F. Reynolds

National Secretary-Treasurer