Council: Wednesday, 1:30 p.m.

Business Meeting: Sunday, 11:10 a.m.

The secretary notes the following resolution of the Council: Each person who attends a business meeting of the Society shall be willing and able to identify himself as a member of the Society. In further explanation, it is noted that each person who is to vote at a meeting is there by identifying himself as and claiming to be a member of the American Mathematical Society. The Society has a Committee on the Agenda for Business Meetings. The purpose is to make business meetings orderly and effective. The committee does not have legal or administrative power. It is intended that the committee consider what may be called "quasipolitical" motions. The committee has several possible courses of action on a proposed motion, including but not restricted to:

(a) doing nothing,

(b) conferring with supporters and opponents to arrive at a mutually accepted amended version to be circulated in advance of the meeting,

(c) recommending and planning a format for debate to suggest to a business meeting,

(d) recommending referral to a committee, and

(e) recommending debate followed by referral to a committee.

There is no mechanism that requires automatic submission of a motion to the committee. However, if a
motion has not been submitted through the committee, it may be thought reasonable by a business meeting to refer it rather than to act on it without benefit of the advice of the committee.

In order that a motion for this business meeting receive the service offered by the committee in the most effective manner, it should be in the hands of the AMS Secretary by December 15, 2005.