Council Acts on Petitions, Other Matters in Washington

Abstract

Three trumpeters sounded a ceremonial fanfare just before the president stepped to center stage and called to order the session of representatives. That, unlikely as it sounds, is how the recent ACS Council meeting in Washington, D.C., began. The fanfare caught most councilors by surprise, but it served its purpose of getting the 330 or so councilors seated quickly so the meeting could get under way. During the three-hour-and-40-minute meeting that followed, presided over by ACS president Fred Basolo, the council adopted all four petitions submitted to amend the ACS by-laws and constitution. In addition, it acted on a variety of other matters (C&EN, Sept. 5, page 5). The bylaw amendments adopted by the council require confirmation by the ACS Board of Directors before becoming effective, and the one amendment to the constitution must first be ratified by the ACS membership before taking effect. One of the successful petitions would change from July 1 to ...