2003 SAE Annual Report

January 26, 2004

To: Kim Baker
Section Liaison & Executive Secretary American Anthropological Association

From: David A. Kideckel

President, Society for the Anthropology of Europe

Re: Annual Report, Society for the Anthropology of Europe

Membership: SAE membership numbers remain strong and largely unchanged over the past year. As of October 2003 the Society had a total of 528 members, of whom 347 represented regular members and 181 student members. This compares to 535 total members for the October 2002 period (353 regular, 182 student). Through the 2002-03 calendar year membership fluctuated with a high of 538 (Dec 02) to a low of 510 (May 03). But (less-revenue generating) student category is up by 5, which means full membership is down by 14. Not a tragedy right now because Subscriptions and Ticket Sales have bolstered our revenue, but we can't rely on that forever.

Finances: The current financial situation of SAE is presented below in the Treasurer's report for 2002-03. Though the Society remains financially viable, a slight downturn in investments over the past year left certain of its programs in a less than desirable position where outlays exceed income. We expect this to change over the coming year. Furthermore, the current budget picture, while adequate to maintain existing programs, leaves us little room for the development of new, comprehensive initiatives. To address this situation, the Society must particularly concern itself with developing new or intensifying existing means for accessing additional revenues.

Budgeted Actual (as of 09/31/03)
Revenue:
Membership dues 10,535 10,063
Subscriptions 100 265
Mailing list rental 150 0
Sales 20 415.50

Total revenue: 10,805.00 10,824.46

Expenditures:
Student Rep Travel 500 300
Postage 600 491.85
Telephone 50 0
Photocopying 50 0
Prediss. Flshp 4000 4000
Student Paper Prizes 850 350
Misc 100 0
Meeting Food/space 1750 200
SAE Journal 3800 3700
Storage 20 23.29

Total: 11,720 9065.14

Net Assets at End of November 2003 as reported by AAA $12,198.27

William A. Douglass Endowment

Revenue to date
$1739.08

This figure, not enough to cover our budgeted expenses, results from a decline in values of fund investments. Hopefully, this situation is turning around with the rebound in the securities market.

Fund amount
9/31/03 $52,693

Expenditures:
Book prize $500
Honorarium $500
Travel expenses $1500

Net Gain/(Loss)
($760.92)

Developing additional means of fundraising remains a continuing need and goal for the organization.

Annual Meeting Activities:

SAE continues to highly active and visible at the Annual Meeting. The strength and breadth of our meeting program is one of the Society's strong suits and is a source of interest that draws new members.

At the Chicago meeting the Society sponsored seven sessions of which two were invited;

SAE continued to organize a luncheon roundtable session for which five tables were each filled, only one not to capacity.

The Society again sponsored the Annual William A. Douglass Distinguished Lecture, delivered this past year by Andras Zempleni of CNRS Paris.

The Society awarded the second annual William A. Douglas Book Prize in Europeanist Anthropology to Jenny White of Boston University.

The Society awarded the annual SAE-Council of European Studies Pre-dissertation to Noelle Mole of Rutgers University

The Society awarded a prize for the best Graduate Student paper in anthropology, also going to Noelle Moel.

One change in by-laws and governance were passed at the annual meeting. These included inviting the European Association of Social Anthropologists to appoint an individual to serve as an ex-officio member of the SAE board.

At the Executive Board meeting, the rotation of all Board members was reestablished, with all individuals serving two year terms.

The Executive Board also reduced the budget of SAE East-Central European book drive from $500 to $200 annually.

JSAE

Three issues of the Journal were produced in 2003 including a delayed Fall/Winter 2002 Translations Issue guest edited by Sharon Roseman from Memorial University. Printing and mailing costs have been kept within budget. Advertising and "swapped space" in other journals has begun.

This year editors were introduced to the new AnthroSource plans at the AAA meetings in Chicago. The costs seem steep if the Journal continues to be both in hard copy and is produced as an e-journal through AnthroSource. Alternatives were discussed, among them going fully e-journal, not doing any e-publishing and remaining a print only journal, and being e-produced by AnthroSource and publishing hard copies through SAE. This remains undecided though from a cost point of view going fully e-journal would be the least costly. Members were concerned about access to such a broad number of people would result in a substantial reduction in section membership--this is a real concern among all sections who currently have publications (the exception being AE).

Lynn Maners has been named assistant editor of the Journal and will gradually take over the editorship over the next year. Tom Taaffe will continue as book review editor where he has done an exemplary job.

Names and E-mail addresses of Section officers for the 2002-2003 period were:

President
David Kideckel, (kideckel@ccsu.edu)
President-Elect
Robert Hayden, (rhayden@ucis.pitt.edu)
Secretary
Kate Donohue, (kdonahue@mail.plymouth.edu)
Treasurer
Barbara West, (bwest@uop.edu)
Program Committee Chair
Eva Huseby-Darvas (evdarvasr@umich.edu)
Program Committee Chair-Elect
Mark Ingram, (Mingram@goucher.edu)
Publications & Project Committee Chair
Elizabeth Dunn, replaced by Susan Mazur-Stroman, (Susanmazur@hotmail.com)
Membership & Public Relations Committee Chair
Jeff Cole (ColeJ@dowling.edu)
Committee Members-at-Large
Pamela Ballinger, (pballing@bowdoin.edu)
Steven Sampson, (Sampson@get2net.dk)
Student Representative
Brian Schwegler, (bschweg@uchicago.edu)
SAE Journal Editor
Kelli Ann Costa, (costaka@earthlink.net and costaka@fpc.edu)
H-SAE Editor
Tony Galt, galta@uwgb.edu 4

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