The annual meeting of the National Council, open to all faculty advisors, was held on Monday, December 28, 1998, at 11:45 in room 1105 of the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, California. President Michael Schultz presided.
1. The meeting was called to order at 11:45 by President Schultz. All members of the National Council were present along with several faculty advisors from various chapters.
2. The minutes of the meeting held the previous year in Toronto, Canada, were approved as distributed in the Spring Mailing, 1998. They will appear in the next regular issue of the Bulletin.
3. President Schultz made the following information available: In 1998 a total of 97 chapters held at least one initiation (107 in 1997). A total of 763 new members were initiated (776 in 1997). The Society has a total of 234 chapters. Of these, 138 are active, 96 are inactive.
During the past year the following chapters reactivated:
Delta Zeta, Columbia University, New York
Zeta Upsilon, University of South Dakota
The issue of reactivation remains a constant concern to the National Council.
4. The Secretary-Treasurer gave the Treasurer’s Report for information.
5. Professor Maurice Conner reported on the Invested Funds which he administrates.
6. The members of the Scholarship Committee this past year were: Geoffrey Orth (Longwood College), Chair, Joan Reutershan, (New York University), and Neil Christian Pages (Vassar College). The total number of applications completed was 8 (as opposed to 10 last year): 5 were in the Graduating Senior group, 3 were in the Sophomore/Junior group. The winner and runner-up in the first category made application to DAAD. The winner and runner-up in the first category were Stacey Wisnieski (University of Toledo) and Elizabeth Thielke (Drew University). The winner and runner-up in the sophomore/junior category were Mark Pettus (Vanderbilt University) and Mariann Niznak (Michigan State University).
7. Because of the decision of the MLA Program Committee after the Seven-Year Review of Delta Phi Alpha, the Society will no longer be able to hold sessions at the MLA Convention in December 1999 in Chicago. (Further information under New Business)
8. Professor John Reynolds, National Secretary-Treasurer reported on the
Incentive Awards. Winners of these awards, which amounted to $2,000 in 1998,
were as follows:
1. Gamma Omicron (Temple University)……...........…….….$200
2. Delta Tau (Ohio University).....................……….......…….$200
3. Epsilon Delta (University of
Houston)............................….$200
4. Epsilon Kappa (University of Delaware) ............................
$200
5. Iota Psi (Longwood
College).........................................…...$300
6. Kappa Beta (Truman State
University)..…...........................$300
7. Kappa Tau (Concordia
College)...........................................$300
8. Kappa Chi (Creighton
University)........................................$300
OLD BUSINESS
1. The status of the newsletter/journal, The Delta Phi Alphan, was discussed. Professor Ed Fichtner, the editor of the Delta Phi Alphan was unable to attend the meeting. President Schultz agreed to contact Professor Fichtner at the end of January to obtain information on the progress being made on this publication.
2. The National Council agreed to continue the Incentive Grants program. President Schultz agreed to coordinate the program for the 1999 competition. Applications for awards, which will total between $100-$300 each, will be sent out in the Spring Mailing. Chapters which received awards in the past must wait one year before becoming eligible to apply for another grant. Grants are awarded to Delta Phi Alpha chapters to be used to promote the study of German at the institution and in the community.
3. The Delta Phi Alpha web site, containing names of current officers, the “Constitution and Ritual” booklet, and other important information can be accessed at: http://www.lwc.edu/student/dpa/dpasite.html The National Council thanked Ms. Mary Prendergast (Iota Psi chapter) for the excellent job she did in preparing the web site.
NEW BUSINESS
1. General concern and disappointment was expressed by the National Council members and the chapter advisors at the decision of the MLA Program Committee to drop Delta Phi Alpha from Allied Organization status. The reason for the decision, stated in the letter from the Director of Convention Programs, Maribeth Kraus was read. “Membership in Delta Phi Alpha is not open to anyone, since members are chosen, the organization does not comply with the open membership requirement for allied organization status.” It was pointed out that only students are selected for membership and inducted into Delta Phi Alpha and that there is an Honorary Member category for anyone interested in becoming a member of the Society. It is also true that any member of the MLA may propose a paper for sessions of Delta Phi Alpha. Professor Wolff von Schmidt, National First Vice-President, noted that the MLA is under pressure to provide more room for sessions and suggested that Delta Phi Alpha agree to drop one of its sessions. He further suggested that Delta Phi Alpha consider joining the German Studies Association which meets during the first week in October. Another suggestion was to join ACTFL. President Schultz agreed to meet with members of the MLA to discuss the status of the Society and to see if Delta Phi Alpha could hold a meeting at the December convention in Chicago in order to give members of the Society time to find a new affiliation.
2. Professor Lamb-Faffelberger suggested offering an award to Delta Phi Alpha faculty advisors. The award could be based on the activities of the chapter or student essays, for example. A special committee would decide the winners. Awards could be in the form of books, cash, or certificates and awarded at the annual meeting. It was suggested that this issue be brought up in the Delta Phi Alpha Newsletter and feedback be brought to the next annual meeting.
3. The National Secretary-Treasurer requested that the National Council approve the purchase of a computer for the use of the National Secretary-Treasurer for the office. This request was approved in the amount of $2,300. Professor Conner noted that a separate phone line would also be needed for the modem. This was also approved. Funds for maintaining the web site and data base were also approved.
4. National Council agreed that the Delta Phi Alpha Newsletter should be published again, at least until the status of the Delta Phi Alphan is known. A February/March date was set for the next Newsletter.
5. Adjournment. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 12:55.
Respectfully submitted,
John F. Reynolds
National Secretary-Treasurer