Australian Institute of Physics, SA branch. Minutes of the committee meeting held on Thursday March 27th. 2003 in the tearoom of the Physics building at the University of Adelaide. Present: Canney, Hale, Samardzic, Carter, Veitch, Campbell, Leinweber. Apologies: Cockshell, Kalloniatis, Blankleider (Blankleider's apology was not presented at the meeting because the secretary did not have time to process all his email prior to the meeting.) Minutes of the last meeting: No corrections were raised. Veitch moved that the minutes be accepted, which was approved by concensus. BUSINESS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES: Veitch reported that the video on Speth's lecture was not too bad, but that it was difficult to see both the speaker and the transparency projection. The speaker's volume fluctuated which, because the recorder was at the back of the room, caused a problem. There is a need to have a microphone. Veitch offered to show the video in the Kerr Grant theatre after the meeting. The issue was discussed, leading to the proposals: - An overhead microphone should be used. - Focus should be maintained on the screen. There is a need to record the position of the mouse icon or pointer. - Carter is to ask about the possibility of editing (eg including Powerpoint). - Carter will bring her camera to investigate the potential of having two cameras. - Carter to ask Andrew Stanko for receipts. The possibility of recording the professional development session was discussed, but Samardzic clarified that teachers had asked for videos of public lectures, not the prof. dev. sessions. Samardzic reported that no reply had been received yet on the issue of the AIP giving the money for the Oliphant award directly to the student. Veitch gave the dates for National Science week as 16-24 August. Samardzic noted that it is longer in South Australia, but the Quiz will fit in the national week as it is on August 22nd. CHAIR'S REPORT: Veitch tabled a report: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chair’s Report, Meeting 2/03 1. New Executive President: Rob Elliman (ANU) Vice-President: David Jamieson (Melbourne) Hon Secretary: Ian Bailey (ex Curtin) Hon. Treasurer: Cathy Foley (CSIRO-TIP) Hon Registrar: Peter Johnston (RMIT) Communications Officer is no longer on executive. Science Policy convener: Scott Butcher (Mq) - new 2. New editor of Physicist Corinna Horrigan 3. Re: free membership for 3rd years Registrar agrees current arrangement is inequitable. Suggested we propose a mechanism by which this problem could be resolved. Alternatively, Chair could request waiver for these cases. 4. Funding of branches To be based upon budget requests again. All requests in 2002 except NSW were fully funded. 5. New award Award for Excellence in Physics Education- see attachment 6. Next AIP Congress Monday 31/1/2005 – Friday 4/2/2005, at ANU Moved so as to link with World Year of Physics Much discussion about registration cost for last Congress – general discontent, but still wanted co-location of as many conferences as possible since size results in more media coverage, political awareness, etc. 7. Science Meets Parliament day Tuesday-Wednesday, 14-15 October Theme: How to interest finance in science – I think! 8. Science Policy New convener: Scott Butcher Minor editing of old document Suggested needed 1 page executive summary as in FASTs document (top 5? issues), general agreement, some work on this at meeting but much to do. Current document has too much repetition. 9. Secretariat Tenders for new secretariat received, preliminary evaluation, more info requested. New secretariat will do more to reduce load on Registrar and Treasurer. 10. Accounting To help branches get accounts to Hon. Treasurer in time to satisfy ATSIC, branches will probably not need to provide audited accounts to Executive. Auditing will be done centrally. Treasurer to circulate requirements. 11. Special projects Executive to have $10k budget line for special projects. Suggested: organize and coordinate lecture tour by high profile speaker. 12. Publicity material Poster, brochure and web page graphic – drafts by end of June 03 (Rob Elliman) 13. New constitution Changes suggested to modernize constitution and accommodate new membership structure. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Veitch addressed the following items: - There is a new national executive. Pal Fekete is no longer on the executive, except he is on it for 6 months in some special capacity. - Corrinna Harrigan is the new editor of the "Physicist". She works for "Choice", where it is reported that she gets everything together into a coherent story. She is raising the question as to what the "Physicist" should be, e.g. aimed at education. (Samardzic noted that a narrow emphasis could lose members.) - The national executive suggested that the branch seek a waiver for the fee for 3rd year students (who are already members) on an individual basis. (Carter suggested that there could be a flood of such cases. Leinweber asked about the forms for free 3rd-year membership. Campbell answered that these are available from the national "membership" web page. Hale asked about the graduate-to-"member" transition. Veitch said that this has been sorted out.) - All branches (as shown in a tabled sheet) except NSW received the amount that they asked for from the national branch. (NSW had some Congress expenses deleted.) - We need to have a draft budget ready for the next meeting. Everyone should send in a prediction of expenses. Veitch provided copies of last year's expenses. (In response to Samardzic, Canney explained that the branch financial year runs until Sept. 30th but that the national budget runs to Dec. 31st.) - A new award has been proposed by the education group for "Excellence in University Physics Education". Veitch tabled copies of the draft proposal for this which was presented to the AIP council in February. The award is a medal but no money, and includes free registration at the congress where the award is presented. - The time for the next AIP congress has changed. - The old Science Policy document is too long (which agrees with an earlier judgment by Samardzic). Scott Butcher has been asked if anything has been done on this document. - For the Secretariat there has been some evaluation of tenders. More jobs will are required. It is possible that the RACI may still do it. - For accounting, ASIC requires more timely auditing. (Canney noted that the books have not been requested yet. Veitch said they should be sent to Cathy, noting that he was not aware of her promise to circulate the requirements. Veitch confirmed from Canney that the books have not been audited, and said that this was meant to happen.) - All receipts should be put in an envelope in October and sent to the national branch. Our local accounts do not need to be audited, as it is more cost effective to do it nationally. - There is $10000 available at the national level for special projects. (Veitch had suggested a high profile speaker be engaged. Judith Pollard has suggested that the WIP lecture tour be included in this.) - The constitution is to be updated and put to a general meeting later in the year. Leinweber said that he had received a request for images via Tony Thomas, and undertook to send a copy to Veitch. TABLED DOCUMENTS: Campbell tabled an application from Kate Nixon for a student postgraduate travel scholarship, noting that he should present no opinion on it as he is a coauthor on one of the posters which she will present. He confirmed that she will have been a member for more than one year by the time of the conference. The request was approved by the committee. Campbell reported that he had received nominations from Flinders University for the Silver Bragg award and the Claire Corani award. Samardzic said that she had a notice from the University of SA that they had no candidate for the Clair Corani award this year. TREASURER'S REPORT: Canney reported that there had been no income or expenditure. He asked about the expected reimbursement for the student event. Campbell explained that he failed to send in the request for this. The issue of paying for the recording of lectures was raised. Campbell suggested that the branch should not employ people directly but rather should only engage services from businesses, because of liability issues. Canney asked that he be sent receipts for GST reimbursement, as he needs to make a summary of GST payments. SUBCOMMITTEES REPORTS: EDUCATION Samardzic tabled copies of the minutes of the education subcommittee meeting held on March 25th. She reported that there would be a teacher training session on the coming Friday, run by SASTA, with the venue booked by the AIP. Clive Rothenberg will talk on experimental techniques. There is a question as to whether to continue as numbers are falling. The intention is to put a survey out at the SASTA conference with a list of choices, and a survey for primary teachers. The Super Science Quiz is to be held on 22nd August, with Carter to book the venue. Hale is to chase up Royal Show passes. Advertising costs $200/page in the SASTA newsletter and Cockshell is seeking sponsorship for this. The quiz this year will have 15-20 tables of 6 (because some schools had trouble getting anywhere near 10 students). The Careers night will be from 6-8 pm on September 19th. Advertising this in the SASTA newsletter, by adverts at schools and universities, and by fax to all schools (for $60) are being considered. Potential speakers identified are Andrew Dowdy, Jason Priest, Patricia ..., and a mathematical modeller. In response to questions by Leinweber, Samardzic said that a variety of fields are covered by individual speakers, and that the students don't want a review of the state of careers. Leinweber questioned if this was giving a microscopic view. Hale suggested that the students wanted to talk to a real Physicist. Campbell suggested that Leinweber could seek an opinion from Prof. Prescott, who had attended the careers night. Samardzic raised the issue of a database of speakers, being a list of AIP members who are willing to give talks. She sees a potential problem as people will not volunteer if there are too few on the list. She intends to generate a form which Campbell should send out by email. Veitch indicated that he is worried about ensuring the quality of the speakers, noting (in response to a question about training by Carter) that some people "just don't have it". Samardzic noted that the community is small. Veitch agreed that it is worth finding out who is out there andwhat skills they have. Samardzic gave the date of the next education subcommittee meeting as May 8th. SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS: MEETINGS: Due to illness Kalloniatis had sent two reports to Campbell, who read them out, but omitting parts of the first which were made irrelevant by the second. Kalloniatis reported that neither Union Hall or the Scott theatre were available on Thursday evenings until May 15, so he is currently waiting for Lloyd Hollenberg to confirm if this alternative date is OK. Kalloniatis had been investigating whether Elder Hall could be used on May 1st, but in the second message reported that Elder Hall is not available on that date. Lloyd has indicated that May 15th may be be alright, so tentative bookings are being made. Kalloniatis wanted to know if people liked the supper at Speth's lecture. He thought it was good except for there being too much and the tea room was too small. Someone had suggested room 128a as an alternative. There was nothing new on the astronaut lecture, and because of his absence Kalloniatis has not make moves on other planned events. He wishes to contact the AIB soon (via Hale) for the joint meetings. He suggested tonight's meeting propose a date that he can flag with them. The supper platters were discussed for the Prescott public lecture. Hale offered to put together two platters herself for $40. Leinweber suggested that Alex should be asked to get two platters from the Union. Campbell undertook to buy an urn as Leinweber said that the department one was too dangerous. Leinweber said that instant coffee was not suitable and undertook to investigate a coffee machine. Veitch reported that he had contacted 5UV, but they had already done a piece on Mungo Man, but will do something in the morning. Campbell reported that notices of the lecture had been submitted to the "Adelaidean" and "Inside Adelaide". Veitch reported that the date of the WIP lecture is unknown, although it could be in National Science Week. For the joint meeting with the AIB he suggested Tamath Rainsford and Russ Baudinet (environmental biology) as possibilities. Carter suggested Tamath as a possibility for the Careers night. Hale said she would suggest a few names to the AIB, with the proposed date being anytime in June. Veitch undertook to find out when the WIP lecture is. October was suggested as the likely date for the joint meeting with the Astronomical Society. ANY OTHER BUSINESS: Carter said that the student barbeque went well, but complained that there were no Flinders people. Campbell noted that he had warned her that the event was held too early because student clubs at Flinders do not get organised before about week 3. Veitch announced that the dinner before the public lecture will be at the "Rumours" cafe and that he had made a provisional booking for 10. Carter suggested that there be a once-a-month drinks arrangement for AIP members on Fridays, eg at the staff club. Veitch doubted that many people would come, but Carter undertook to investigate the possibility with the staff club. DATE OF NEXT MEETING: This was set for Thursday May 1st. Laurence Campbell 20-4-03