Fall Presidential Letter

The Fall letter to the membership is your introduction and first comment as President of the BSA. The Executive Director will work with you to develop a letter to the membership that outlines recent highlights of the conference and focus on events for the coming year. This letter will also be sent to the membership via email.

Key Elements
» Highlights and updates from the conference and annual meeting
» Ovarall state of the Society
» Innitiatives for the coming year
» Conference information for the coming year
» Renew your membership options
» Update on how the endwoment funds were used to enhance activities over the past year
» Gift opportunities

Example

Dear BSA Memberss

This has been a great year for the Botanical Society of America. Under the leadership of Executive Director Bill Dahl, the BSA office in St. Louis has matured into a strong mainstay of the Society. Karl Niklas has recently ended his term as Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Botany, after ten years of superb service, to be succeeded by Judy Jernstedt. Our new Production Editor, Beth Hazen, and Managing Editor, Claire Hemingway, will assist Judy, while Marshall Sundberg will continue as Editor of the Plant Science Bulletin and Scott Russell will continue as Electronic Publication Editor. This year AJB switched to online manuscript submissions (http://www.amjbot.org/), the Botany Conference series consolidated its process for online abstract submissions, and the BSA website continued to blossom and grow (http://www.botany.org/). Our annual meeting at Snowbird, Utah, was a tremendous success, with 723 presentations and 908 participants. BSA’s accomplishments were made possible by the support and involvement of many BSA members who are far too numerous to list here.

As Editor-in-Chief, Judy Jernstedt will lead AJB into what should be an exciting but somewhat daunting time for publishing and scientific research in general. Peer-reviewed journals are in a state of transition, with new options for online publishing, and new challenges for scientific societies’ business models. Also, as access to online journals increases, BSA will need to work harder than ever to maintain and build our membership base. In the past, access to AJB was one of several compelling reasons to join BSA. Now, however, many libraries offer free online journal access that is just a few mouse-clicks away. To compensate, we need to remind current and potential members about other reasons to join the Society - BSA is a crucial support system for our professional community. As 2005 arrives, we are truly entering a time of change, and I am confident that BSA will continue to adapt and thrive.

There are a few items and deadlines that need your attention. I also invite you to support BSA by offering to help with our committees’ activities. Please feel free to contact a committee chair or the BSA Office in St. Louis and become more involved.

1. Annual BSA Membership Drive:
We’ve had a good renewal response for 2005, but we also want to grow! If you haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet, you can renew your membership online at: https://secure.botany.org/secure/default.asp?lType=2 or call the BSA office at 314-566-6842 to pay by credit card. The website link for inviting your students/peers to join is: https://secure.botany.org/secure/JoinRenew/Page_1.asp?New=Yes Student membership is $30 per year; regular membership is $50. What a deal!

2. Special 90th Anniversary Issue of the American Journal of Botany:
Extra copies of the fantastic “Tree of Life” issue, with 18 reviews published in October, are still available ($15 for members, $35 for non-members). For details see: http://www.botany.org/ajb/SpecialIssue.html or contact the BSA office (314-577-9566).

3. BSA Grant Opportunities Newsletter:
The BSA Grant Opportunities Newsletters are gathering interest. They can be found at: http://www.botany.org/newsite/announcements/. During the coming months, we hope you will view additional issues to take advantage of this benefit for BSA members.

4. Open Access Publication:
At our meeting in April 2005, the BSA Executive Committee will discuss the current publishing environment and how upcoming changes are likely to affect the American Journal of Botany. Please feel free to contact the Executive Committee if you would like to comment on open access publishing. We will provide you with updates of our discussions after the meeting.

5. Call for Nominations - BSA Officers:
Nominations for President Elect and Program Director are now open, with a final deadline of February 15, 2005. The nomination form is attached and can also be found on the BSA website at: http://www.botany.org/newsite/reporting/mail/f04officers.pdf.

6. Call for Nominations - BSA Awards:
Nominations for BSA awards are now open, with final deadlines on March 1, 2005. The nomination forms are attached and can also be found on the BSA website at:
MERIT AWARDS - http://www.botany.org/newsite/reporting/mail/f04merit.pdf
C. E. BESSEY TEACHING AWARDS - http://www.botany.org/newsite/reporting/mail/f04bessey.pdf
GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH AWARDS - http://www.botany.org/newsite/reporting/mail/f04bsagrad.pdf
YOUNG BOTANISTS OF THE YEAR AWARDS - http://www.botany.org/newsite/reporting/mail/f04yby.pdf

7. Call for Abstracts - BOTANY 2005 in Austin, Texas
The "Call for Abstracts" (attached) is now on the BSA website: http://www.botany.org/newsite/reporting/Call_for_Abstracts_(2005).pdf
The final deadline for abstract submissions is April 1, 2005.

Thank you for your involvement in BSA. All the very best for the holidays and the coming year!

Sincerely,

Allison Snow
BSA President