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!