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Minutes of the BCA Annual General Meeting 1999 held on Friday 6 August 1999 in the Boisdale Room, Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, Glasgow at 1.00 p.m. with the President, Professor Michael Glazer, in the Chair.

1. The agenda was approved.
2. There were no apologies for absence.
3. The minutes of the previous AGM (held at St Andrews on 7 April 1998) had been published in the June 1998 issue of Crystallography News and posted. They were approved and signed by the President. There were no matters arising from them.
4. The Secretary's Report to Council, which had been published in the June 1999 issue of Crystallography News, was accepted.
5. Council had proposed a new Statute E and an amendment to By-Law E.1. (see June 1999 issue of Crystallography News). The main thrust of the proposals is that members of Council will be elected for three year terms instead of two year terms. The timing will ensure that the UK will be represented by an experienced team at General Assemblies of the IUCr. During the discussion it was confirmed that:
   • If an elected member of Council retires early an appointment will be made to cover the remainder of the three year term of office,
   • Co-opted members will be co-opted for a period of no more than three years. They will not be able to serve more than three terms.

   The proposal was accepted unanimously.

6. The Treasurer's Report had been published in the June, 1999 issue of Crystallography News. Dr Steve Maginn drew attention to the fact that overall the BCA has made a large operating surplus of £18,466 in 1998 as opposed to a small surplus in 1997. This is attributable to the large profit made by the St Andrews Spring Meeting, increased investment income and increased advertising revenue from the Newsletter. As a result the BCA has been generous in awarding bursaries for the IUCr meeting at Glasgow.

For the first time the Newsletter has made a small profit of £262 on a turnover of £11,000. All credit to the editor - Kate Crennell.

The BCA pays two annual subscriptions to international bodies. We pay £2200 to the IUCr which will increase to £3300 over the next few years. The amount payable to the ECA is small.

7. Presentation of Accounts. The accounts were accepted nem con.
8. Election of Officers and Ordinary Members of Council:
   • For Vice-President - Dr Frank Allen had been proposed by Professor Guy Orpen and seconded by Dr Pam Thomas. As his was the only nomination, he was declared duly elected.
   • For Secretary - Dr Hilary Muirhead had been proposed by Dr Frank Allen and seconded by Dr Sandy Blake. As hers was the only nomination, she was declared duly elected.
   • For Ordinary Member of Council - Mr David Taylor had been proposed by Dr S V Norval and seconded by Mrs Kate Crennell. As his was the only nomination, he was declared duly elected.

   There remains one vacancy for an Elected Member of Council. The position of co-opted members will be considered at the next Council Meeting.

9. Appointment of Examining Accountant for 1999. Mr R A Young of The Young Company, Huntingdon was appointed as Examining Accountant.
10. Under Any Other Business:
    • the appointment of Honorary Members was raised. The procedure should be incorporated in the Statutes.
    • The President called for nominations for the Dorothy Hodgkin Prize.
    • Members were asked to support the BCA stand and the recruitment drive.
    • The President pointed out that the EPSRC had changed its procedure for appointing Referees and Panels. The word "Crystallography" does not appear on the nomination forms. Members were asked to write to the Chairman of the EPSRC pointing out the importance of crystallography. The importance of synchrotron radiation for biological research, which did not come under the remit of the EPSRC, was also pointed out.

The meeting closed at 1.40 p.m.

Hilary Muirhead: September, 1999