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August, 2007

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Presidential Address 2007

Vergilian Society
Executive Meeting
President's Report
Submitted by Alden Smith
4 January 2007

I. Status Rerum Vergilianarum

Today I present you with an update of the status societatis that I presented also at the November meeting. In all ways, save financial, we have had a good year. Let me detail the positive. As most of us already know about this from the executive meeting in Waco, Phil Stanley and George Perko will soon present us later with the financial picture from 2006 which is somewhere between bleak and gloomy. Suffice it to say for the moment that we have had two financially tough years since the catastrophe of 2004, and that 2004 itself and the year preceding it were not positive financial years, either. We have not yet turned the negative cash flow around, and we are in a situation now with at the most two years of financial solvency. In short, we are dangerously near financial challenges from which there can be no recovery. All this is not meant to panic anyone or to send our constituency on a collective guilt trip. You have been loyal, generous, and supportive beyond what anyone could have asked or imagined through these financially troubled years. You have saved the society from spiritual and psychological collapse. You have promoted the healing of a deeply divided society, and we have moved past the old rifts that divided us. Now we must come together to face this financial challenge or, in two to three years, we shall no longer exist. What can we do?

First, we must face the fact that we may need to raise dues and villa rates, because there is not enough money to pay our bills.

More importantly, we must reinvigorate and restock the tours. You must encourage your friends, family, and each other participate in the tours. Simply put, if we could get greater tour participation even a mere 20% more participationâ€"we would break even annually; if we can get better participation than that, we will start to turn the record of several years of financial losses around.

How can we move in this direction? Tomorrow, I will call upon our membership to pledge to carry out the following:

I CALL UPON THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE OF LEADERSHIP IN THE SOCIETY, TO DIRECT TOURS, AND ESPECIALLY TO RECRUIT FOR OUR TOURS

I CALL UPON ALL OF MY FELLOW VERGILIANS TO HELP TO PROMOTE AND TO MARKET OUR TOURS

I CALL FOR NEW AND JAZZY TOUR PROPOSALS; OFFERING TOPICS BOTH SCHOLARLY AND SAVVY (HOW ABOUT SOMETHING CATCHY LIKE "SEX, LIES, AND VIDEO RES," "SIGHT, SENSUALITY AND SUBTERFUGE IN ANCIENT ROME," OR "VIVAT LAS VEGAS: BAIAE, BATHING AND BETTING THEN AND NOW?"

I also would request that some new leaders to step forward to help to implement some of our proposed new initiatives, which include.

Updates and Gratias

In closing I would like to offer some updates and thanks.

Summer Tours 2008

Symposium Cumanum 2008

Next year's symposium (2008) will take place on Wed., June 18 through Sat., June 21.

The topic will be:

The Call for Papers will be going out soon. If people are interested, they should contact Pat Johnston at johnston@brandeis.edu.

Call for tour directors for 2009

The Vergilian Society invites applications for the direction of classical summer programs for 2009. We are particularly interested in innovative and exploratory programs at different levels, wholly or partially held at the Villa Vergiliana, but will also consider other classical locations. Tours involving Campania are particularly sought after for 2009 as well as those with an emphasis on Etruria. The Secretary will supply prospective directors with details regarding compensation, minimal enrollments, and shared direction. Applications must reach, President-Elect, Steve Tuck, by September 25, 2007, and should include a curriculum vitae, an overview and rationale for the proposal which supplies details on the applicant's experience, projected costs, and a day-by-day syllabus/itinerary. Programs are typically 12 days long, but 8 to 15 day programs are possible. Please include the widest possible range of dates; in the past, programs have been offered in July or the first half of August.

Applications may be sent by surface mail, e-mail, or fax to

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