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Dear Pteridological Section Members, The BSA opened the annual Membership Renewal drive on October 1, 2004 and I would like to notify all Section members of a few important changes for the Pteridological Section. A modest increase in financial support from the Botanical Society of America has provided the Pteridological Section with some additional funds. At the Botany 2004 meetings in Snowbird, UT, the Pteridological Section held its annual business meeting and some important decisions were proposed and approved by those members attending: 1) For the Botany 2005 meetings to be held in Austin, TX, undergraduate and graduate students may apply for $250 Student Travel Awards to help defray costs of traveling and attending the Pteridological Section sessions and symposia. 2) Beginning this year, there will be $5.00 dues collected for membership in the Pteridological Section. These dues will be combined with the new BSA funds to help finance the Student Travel Awards. 3) The amount of the Edgar T. Wherry Award for best contributed paper presented at the national meetings was increased from $150 to $200. The rationale behind the Student Travel Awards was to increase accessibility of undergraduates and graduate students to our contributed paper sessions and symposia. We hope that this may, in the long run, encourage more students to pursue or continue to pursue a pteridological focus for their botanical careers. ONE NOTE OF CONCERN: BSA records indicate that the 2004 enrollment in the Pteridological Section dipped substantially from the 2003 enrollment. Reasons for this dip are unclear, but one possible reason is that past Pteridological Section members have neglected to indicate on their BSA enrollment card their association with the Pteridological Section. PLEASE take the time to reaffirm your membership and support for the Pteridological Section. UP-COMING DEADLINES: BOTANY 2005 - *AUSTIN* August 12 - August 17, 2005
Warren D. Hauk
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