Committee Meeting Minutes for 1975

Minutes of the meeting of the Committee of the British Mathematical Colloquium, held in the Party Room, Freemen's Hall, at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne at 8.00 p.m. on Thursday, 10th April 1975.

Present:
Professor Atiyah, Dr Blyth, Professor Churchhouse, Dr Davie, Dr Dunwoody, Professor Goldie, Professor Halberstam, Dr Jameson, Professor Johnson, Dr McDonough, Professor Morris, Mr Rado, Dr Ray, Dr Rees, Mr Reeve, Professor Schwarzenberger, and Dr Walton.

Professor A O Morris was elected Chairman.
Dr T P McDonough was nominated as secretary and co-opted.
The minutes of the previous committee meeting, held at Sussex on 3rd April 1974, were read and approved.
Matters arising.
(i) It was reported that, although the accounts of the 1975 Colloquium were not yet finalized, it appeared that the downward trend of the Colloquium's accumulated funds had been checked. After some discussion on the desirability of having a substantial reserve fund, the committee decided that the registration fee should be increased to £4 or £5, and that the size of the non-returnable deposit should be left to the discretion of the chairman. (ii) A suggestion that the distribution of application forms be extended to include polytechnics was accepted. (iii) The committee felt that the practice of obtaining resumés of the morning lectures should be continued.
L.M.S. proposal for linking the B.M.C. to the E.M.S. and the L.M.S.
Some possible disadvantages of such a linking were (i) the additional superstructure involved, and (ii) the interference of the E.M.S. and the L.M.S. in the running of the B.M.C. On the credit side it would give more cohesion to the mathematical community in Britain, preserve the continuity of the B.M.C., and allow financial deficits to be carried. Although no definite form of link had been proposed, Professor Atiyah drew an analogy with the link between the International Congress and the International Mathematical Union. The committee decided that it should be represented by Dr Jameson, Professor Morris and Mr Reeve, at a meeting of the three bodies. Any proposals arising should be considered at a committee meting before the next General Meeting.
1976 meeting in Aberystwyth.
(a) It was decided that the morning sessions should continue to be two parallel streams of three lectures each.
(b) The committee asked if the alphabetic list of morning speakers should only include the speakers of the fifteen previous Colloquia, and the subject list be discontinued.
(c) The committee then proceeded to discuss the choice of speakers to be invited to give talks in 1976.
Report on arrangements for future meetings:
(a) In connection with the Lancaster invitation to the 1978 Colloquium, Dr Jameson asked whether it was preferable for the Colloquium to begin on a Monday or a Tuesday. In view of cheap train fares, Saturday was preferred as a travel day.
(b) The chairman undertook to continue negotiations, already begun by Professor Johnson, on the venue for the 1979 Colloquium.
Any other business:
The following points were made:
(a) Organisers should ensure, where possible, that no discontent is caused among Colloquium members by non-members obtaining similar facilities for a smaller charge.
(b) It was felt that the splinter group on Mathematical Education should not clash with other splinter groups, in view of its general interest. The chairman undertook to arrange an evening forum to replace this splinter group, if at all possible. Such a forum should have advance publicity.
(c) An effort should be made to involve publishers in the book display.
(d) Due attention should be given by the organizers of the 1976 Colloquium to possible travel difficulties.
(e) The regrets of Dr Birch that the 1975 British Mathematical Colloquium clashed with the Conference on Computers in Literary and Linguistic Research, were conveyed to the committee by Professor Churchhouse.
(f) Some attempt should be made to co-ordinate the conference dates of the various British Mathematical bodies.
(g) The chairman thanked Professor Johnson, Dr Rose and Mr White for arranging a successful Colloquium, and asked that these thanks be extended to all who had helped in the organization.

The meeting closed at 11.05 p.m.

Minutes signed by J D P Meldrum (undated).