Approval of 1997 Minutes – Barbara Carmichael
The agenda for today's meeting was distributed with the minutes of the last year's meeting from Fort Worth, Texas.  The 1997 minutes were approved unanimously.

Treasurer's Report – Lisle Mitchell
The treasurer's report showed a balance of $1447.61.  This report was approved unanimously.

Balance as of 28 March 1997 $936.14
Income:
 Dividends (12 months) $27.63
 AAG Dues (1997) $620.00
 AAG Dues (1998) $509.00
 Total $1,156.63
                    Sub-total $2,092.77
 
Dispersements:
 Student Awards (1997) $250.00
 AAG Luncheon (1997) $70.00
 Rooney Award Dinner (1997) $20.00
 AB&T Trophy Company (1998) $88.20
 Nesletter (1998) $214.96
 Bank Charge (1998) $2.00
 Total $645.16
                    Sub-total $1,447.61
Balance as of 24 March 1998 $1,447.61
 
Newsletter Report – Barbara Carmichael
Unfortunately, Bob Janiskee was unable to attend AAG this year.  He published two newsletters over the previous year and is interested in turning over the newsletter to someone else.  A request for volunteers was made and after the meeting and with the board's approval, Rob Bristow from Westfield College will take over editorship for the December newsletter.  For the twelve month period just prior to the meeting RTS had 225 members (down a bit from previous years).  The RTSNET Discussion list has 130 members (counted in 1997).

Chair's Report – Barbara Carmichael
Barbara Carmichael thanked the study group for supporting women in geography, since she is the first female chair of the group (and second Canadian).
1.   1998 Meeting Summary: For the 1998 meeting RTS sponsored 5 paper sessions although
      another 6 paper sessions had a RTS theme.  In addition, there were two panel sessions
      sponsored by RTS which were well attended.
2.   1999 Honolulu Meeting:
     • Student travel: The group agreed to use some of RTS funds to subsidise student travel
       to Honolulu.  Those who apply to AAG by June 30 with their acceptable abstracts but fail
       to receive funding may be awarded $200 from RTS as far as funding allows (up to
       $1,000 should be available).  Students will be selected using a random selection process.
     • IGU Sustainable Tourism Group: It was agreed that RTS group should invite the IGU
       sustainable tourism group to participate in and co-sponsor sessions in Hawaii.
     • Suggested sessions:  Members suggested sessions in the following areas: Malls and
       Tourism – Jerry Gerlach, Tourism and the South Pacific – Ann Marie D'Hauteserre,
       Heritage Tourism – Charles Stansfield, Tourism and War, Rudi Hartmann, Sport
       Geography – Ted Gouge,  Special Populations and Recreation, Margaret Pawlick . Since
       the meeting, it was suggested by Lisle Mitchell that we try a change of  format for this
       forthcoming meeting. (See the newsletter for May).An intensive illustrated  poster
       session format sounds very effective and would be well supported by aag for scheduling
       purposes.  The IGU study group are planning a session on Tourism and Migration as part
       of our programme.
3.   Other Issues
     • A motion was proposed to changed the name of the study group to Leisure Geography.
       After discussion, and as there was no one to second the motion, the motion was not voted
       upon.
     • A motion was proposed to increase the amount of the prizes for student papers.  As there
       is already flexibility in the amount awarded, this motion was deemed unnecessary.
     • Geography in America – Klaus Meyer Arendt will be the author of the RTS chapter in
       this forthcoming publication.  A number of RTS members agreed to help him as needed.

Awards – Barbara Carmichael
7.   Student Paper Competition: Barbara Carmichael announced the winner of the RTS Student
     Paper Competition.  First prize went to Lisa De Chano from South West Texas State
     University for her paper "Geographical Analysis of NHL Player Origins."  No other student
     paper awards were made this year.

8.   John Rooney Award for 1998: The second John Rooney Award for Applied RTS Geography
     was given to Mark Okrant from Plymouth State College for his continuing outstanding work
     in New Hampshire tourism planning. Since 1990, he has co-ordinated research for the New
     Hampshire office of Travel and Tourism Development. He has also completed travel
     research for a number of communities, resorts, states and provinces(including New
     Hampshire, Georgia, Alaska and Nova Scotia).

9.   Roy Wolfe Award: The Roy Wolfe Award for outstanding contributions to RTS geography
     was given to Klaus Meyer Arendt.  Klaus is a past Chair of RTS study group.  His work
     focuses on tourism and te environment, resort cycles, and, more recently, casinos.  His new
     book co-edited with Rudi Hartmann has just been published: Casino Gambling in America:
     Origins, Trends and Impacts, Elmsford, NY: Cognizant Communications, 1998.  Many of
     the chapters in this book originated from presentations in RTS sessions in past meetings.

Journals Update
1.   The Journal of Cultural Geography is to publish a special issue in tourism on Heritage
     Tourism, ed. Charles Stansfield.  An issue on Gambling has also been suggested for the
     future, ed. Klaus Meyer Arendt.

2.   Sports Place is back in circulation and there is a call for papers.

3.   Tourism Geographies.  A new journal was announced, edited by Alan Lew, Northern
     Arizona University and past chair of RTS.  In the meeting we discussed an affiliation with
     Tourism Geographies but the decision was made to congratulate Alan on taking the initiative
     in founding the journal rather than approving a formal affiliation.  After the meeting, Alan
     contact the board with a new motion which was voted on and accepted.  The notion was to
     establish a relationship between the group and the journal and to demarcate the limits of that
     relationship.  The motion states that

       The Recreation, Tourism and Sport Specialty Group of the Association of
       American Geographers approves to be informally affiliated with the Tourism
       Geographies journal.  Under this affiliation, the chair of the RTS Specialty
       Group shall be allowed to serve on the Editorial Board of Tourism
       Geographies as a Consulting Editor, or shall appoint someone to serve in her
       or his place, and the study group's informal affiliation shall be indicated in
       the journal's masthead.  In addition, the Tourism Geographies journal shall
       provide space for the RTS Specialty Group to publish news and reports of
       group activities.  This motion does not commit or indicate support for the
       journal from the Association of American Geographers, does not involve any
       exchange of money, and does not allow the journal to use any logo of the
       Association of American Geographers.

The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.  About 20 members had dinner after the meeting at a seafood
restaurant in downtown Boston, where discussion and socialising continued.

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last updated: 31 May 1998