Newsletter

NEWSLETTER For some time the executive board has been concerned with the question of how to enable the RMMLA to function in as democratic a manner as possible. When our organization was smaller the annual business meeting served as an admirable forum for discussion of those issues facing the RMMLA. Our growth over the past years has, however, made it imperative that we explore other ways for canvassing the membership's opinions on various questions of concern to us all. At this year's business meeting it was decided that the proceedings should be reported in the subsequent Bulletin, and that as many issues as possible should be referred to a mail ballot of the membership at large in order to ascertain its collective opinion about proper action. This year's business meeting was the traditional breakfast, held at the Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday morning, October 16th. It was decided that in the future the executive board would seek nominations for office from the membership at large and that election to office would henceforth be by mail ballot of the membership rather than, as has been the custom, by vote at the annual meeting. It was also decided that, as of 1973, the presidency of the RMMLA should be independent from the host institution of the annual meeting. Our custom has been to elect as president someone from this institution . It was felt, however, that the president of the RMMLA should be a scholar of note within the region who might or might not be affiliated with the institution acting as host for the annual meeting. The same principle, it was decided, should hold true for all members of the executive board. It was also decided that the membership at large, rather than the executive board, should select the site of the annual meeting. It was voted that the 1972 meeting be held on October 20th and 21st in Tucson, Arizona, under the joint sponsorship of the University of Arizona and Prescott College. Professor Lawrence Muir of the University of Arizona was elected president of the RMMLA for that year; and since he will be on leave of absence from the University at the time of the meeting, Professor A. Wilber Stevens of Prescott College will serve as President pro tern in his absence . The election of vice-president and member-at-large was deferred to the membership of the RMMLA. Nominations for these offices are welcomed. All nominations should be sent to the Secretariat no later than February 1st, 1972. The question of the site of the 1973 meeting was also deferred to the membership. Any institution interested in acting as host for this meeting should contact the Secretariat by February 1st, 1972. As soon after February 1st, 1972 as possible, ballots for the election of vice-president and member-at-large, and for the selection of the host institution will be sent to the membership. It was also unanimously decided that, if the nation's economic policy permits, the annual membership dues must be increased in 1973. Present dues are $4 for single membership; $6 for husband and wife membership; and $2 for graduate student membership. The 1973 dues will be respectively, $6, $8, and $3. These new dues are still the lowest of any regional modern language association. Finally, a vote of thanks to the host institution of the 1971 meeting, the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, was proposed and unanimously passed. 139 140RMMLA BulletinDecember 1971 The National Endowment for the Humanities has announced a new series of postdoctoral fellowships in Afro-American, American Indian, and MexicanAmerican social and cultural studies. Applicants must have completed thengraduate work or professional training since December, 1966, or must expect to have completed it before September, 1972. The stipend is $10,000. Inquiries should be addressed immediately to the National Endowment for the Humanities, Washington, D. C. 20506. * * * The Prescott College Press has anounced plans for the publication of a volume of short fiction by writers of the southwestern United States. Manuscripts of no more than 7,500 words are welcomed. Inquiries should be addressed to Professor A. Wilber Stevens, Prescott College, Prescott, Arizona 86301. . . . The editorial...