AIS: REF: The Bulletin as Our Historical Record

Greetings.

I do not favor removal of the business matter of the Society to a second  
publication, especially not a second publication of inferior physical  quality. I 
believe that, if anything, the business matter should actually be  printed on 
the superior stock and in the more permanent format. 
 
I believe this for two reasons: 
 
AIS desperately needs to encourage an informed, engaged, participatory  
membership. This is not accomplished by sending a message, especially  to new 
members, that the business of the society is incidental to their  pleasure and may 
be overlooked, or discarded, at will; nor is it  accomplished by frustrating 
those members who do wish to be informed by  multiplying the publications they 
have to retain and consult in the course of  making their contributions to the 
commonweal. 
 
Moreover, the business matter, by which I mean the Minutes, the lists of  
people who have been approved as the Judges of the Society, Awards, the  lists of 
Affiliates, and so forth, is not trivial or transient or  incidental 
information. It is the record of the Society's activity  in carrying forth its 
mission. It should be 
the official, the transparent, and the proud documentation of  our Society's 
work. 
 
In including such information in our Bulletin we not only  make factual data 
conveniently available to each and every member or  scholar who may need it 
now or later, we also record our ongoing  collective history for those who will 
carry the banner when we are  gone.
 
I believe the business matter which we are given to  understand some would 
banish from our Bulletin is of tremendous  and enduring importance and should be 
treated accordingly.
 
"Bread and circuses" will not prove a wholesome diet for AIS.
 
Cordially,
 
Anner Whitehead
Richmond VA USA

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