Message from the Treasurer
Ron Dimock
As with the rest of the economy, SICB's financial assets are in
somewhat of a holding pattern, viewed optimistically as being on the
verge of recovery. We are still very solidly in the black, with
significant funds in 'secure' instruments such as cd's. However, the
monies that have been invested in a series of mutual funds have taken a
hit. Since we are looking at a long-term horizon, our financial manager
and the Finance Committee are hopeful that we are getting positioned to
enjoy significant returns once the market begins a sustained recovery.
The Society recently has enjoyed the largess of a couple of strong
supporters who have made very significant financial contributions.
Those individuals have been thanked, and their support is greatly
appreciated. We welcome any donations, of any magnitude.
We also encourage anyone to consider becoming a Life Member. The
$1000 fee is payable either in one sum or spread over two consecutive
years, at $500 per year.
Please visit the SICB web page and view the winners of the Grants in
Aid of Research competition. The Student Support Committee had $24,000
to work with this year, and the Committee did a wonderful job of
selecting among some very competitive applications. The SSC also had
the very onerous task of selecting 3 recipients of the new Fellowships
for Graduate Student Travel. That competition was especially
keen, with a very modest budget. Some of the proposals submitted to that
competition were simply outstanding. All of the winners of all of
these awards are to be commended, and students who were not funded this
year should seriously consider applying again next year.
The 1st quarter financial statement will be available by the time the
Newsletter gets posted, and although I won't be able to include data
from it, I'm optimistic that we are going to be very pleasantly
surprised by the budget for the annual meeting in Toronto.
Make your plans early to attend the annual meeting in New Orleans.
The Toronto meeting was great. Think about the prospects for New
Orleans!