Draft minutes of the2024 AGM

 

June 4, 2024
Prior to the beginning of the meeting, two awards were made:

2023 Honorary Fellowship awarded to Cheryl Praeger

2023 Kirkman Medal awarded to Sam Mattheus

Dr Colbourn read citations and made the awards with the assistance of Dr Pasotti.

 

 

2024 ICA Annual General Meeting
President’s Report
Charles J. Colbourn
June 2024
Mission of the ICA
• The ICA was established in 1990 by Ralph Stanton for the purpose of promoting the development of combinatorics and of encouraging publications and conferences in combinatorics and its applications.
• The three most important functions of the ICA are:
• publishing the Bulletin of the ICA
• supporting conferences, and
• awarding medals and honorary fellowships.

ICA Executive
Charles Colbourn President 2022-2025
Dalibor Froncek Vice-President 2022-2025
David Pike Vice-President 2022-2025
Anita Pasotti Vice-President 2023-2026
Sarah Heuss Secretary 2022-2025
Bryan Freyberg Registrar

Members of ICA Council (2023–2024)
Tomoku Adachi 2023-2026
Subramanian Arumugam 2021-2024
Darryn Bryant 2022-2025
Charles Colbourn 2022-2025
Jeff Dinitz 2021-2024
Dalibor Froncek 2022-2025
Wayne Goddard 2023-2026
James Hammer, III 2023-2026
Masaaki Harada 2023-2026
Fred Hoffman 2022-2025
Sarah Heuss 2022-2025
Lijun Ji 2023-2026
Mark Kayll 2023-2026
Melissa Keranen 2021-2024
Bill Kocay 2022-2025
Mariusz Meszka 2021-2024
Bojan Mohar 2021-2024
Gary Mullen 2021-2024
Darren Narayan 2022-2025
Anamari Naki´c 2023-2026
Ortrud Oellermann 2021-2024
Patric Osterg˚ard 2022-2025 ¨
Daniel Panario 2023-2026
Anita Pasotti 2022-2026
Adri´an Pastine 2021-2024
David Pike 2022-2025
Dinesh Sarvate 2021-2024
Rinovia Simanjuntak 2023-2026
Brett Stevens 2023-2024
John Wierman 2022-2025

 

ICA Office

• The ICA Office is located at Duluth, Minnesota (University of Minnesota Duluth).
• The ICA Registrar is Bryan Freyberg, frey0031@d.umn.edu
• Dues payments are made via email; invoices are sent to member’s email addresses via Authorize.net.
• For information about memberships, please send email to Bryan: frey0031@d.umn.edu
• Tax-deductible donations can be made to the ICA; email Bryan for further information.

Dues Schedule
FTICA (fellow)
• one year : $85
• two years: $155 (approximately a 10% discount)
• three years: $205 (approximately a 20% discount)
• lifetime: $1000

AFTICA (Associate Fellow)
• one year: $65

MTICA (Companion, Graduate, Student)
• one year: $45

Retired Persons
• one year: $42.50 (this is a 50% discount) • lifetime: $500 (for members for ≥ 10 years) For most membership categories, dues are virtually unchanged since the founding of the ICA in 1990. More on this later! Dues Schedule (cont.) Institutional Members: $250 per year Corporate Members: $500 per year Senior Corporate Members: $1000 per year Sponsoring Corporate Members: $2500 per year We do not have any active memberships in these categories. New Member Initiatives • any student who finishes a PhD in Combinatorics is eligible to receive a one-year free membership in the ICA • a new ICA member who registers for two years will receive the first year of membership free
A Sample ICA Medal
ICA Medals Committee Member Years Chair Ying Miao 2022–2025 2024-2025 Bart De Bruyn 2023–2026 Olga Polverino 2024-2027 Heather Jordon 2021–2024 2023–2024 Michael Giudici 2020–2023 2022–2023 Gennian Ge 2019–2022 2021–2022 Mateja Sajna ˇ 2018–2021 2020–2021 Jonathan Jedwab 2016–2020 2019–2020 Charlie Colbourn 2016–2019 2016–2019 Christine O’Keefe 2016–2018 ICA Medals Committee • Kai-Uwe Schmidt had begun to serve on the Medals Committee for 2023–2026. After his passing in 2023, Bart De Bruyn stepped in to complete Kai’s term. Thanks, Bart! • Olga Polverino is replacing Heather Jordon, whose term has just finished. Thanks to Heather for excellent leadership, and to Bart and Olga for willingness to serve. Thanks to Ying for chairing the committee in the coming year. • The Medals Committee reviews all nominations using the individual medal criteria and recommends awards to the ICA President. The ICA Council makes the final decision to approve these recommendations. • The Medals Committee does not comment on nominations that are not recommended in a given year, and these are not forwarded to the President, Executive, or Council. ICA Canvassing Committee • The Canvassing Committee (Mateja Sajna (chair), Wayne ˇ Goddard, Alison Marr, Daniel Panario, Olga Polverino, Dinesh Sarvate, Tommaso Traetta, Xiande Zhang, and Sanming Zhou) identified many possible nominees, and again succeeded in bringing in many nominations. • The Committee has been particularly successful in encouraging high-quality Hall and Euler nominees. • Thanks to everyone on the Canvassing Committee for their efforts! Euler Medal Winners 2014–2023 year winner(s) 2023 Jennifer R. Seberry 2022 George Andrews 2021 Hendrik Van Maldeghem 2020 Marston Conder 2018 Dieter Jungnickel 2017 Fan Chung 2016 James Hirschfeld 2014 Brian Alspach Hall Medal Winners 2014–2023 year winner(s) 2023 Jan Goedgebeur Kenta Ozeki 2022 Jan De Beule Pablo Spiga 2021 Tao Feng Anita Pasotti 2020 Jie Ma 2019 Jeroen Schillewaert Koen Thas 2018 Kai-Uwe Schmidt 2017 John Bamberg Daniel Horsley 2015 Lijun Ji 2014 Peter Dukes

Kirkman Medal Winners 2014–2023 year winner(s) 2023 Yifan Jing Sam Mattheus 2022 Melissa Huggan Ziqing Xiang 2021 Yujie Gu Natasha Morrison 2020 Chong Shangguan 2019 Tao Zhang 2018 Alexander Bors Shuxing Li 2017 Hengjia Wei Binzhou Xia 2016 Yue Zhou 2015 Padraig O Cath´ain ´ 2014 Daniele Bartoli Stanton Medal Winners 2016–2023 year winner(s) 2023 no award 2022 Doug Stinson 2021 Gary Chartrand 2019 Charlie Colbourn 2017 Robin Wilson 2016 Ron Mullin Honorary Fellows • “The Council may elect to Honorary Fellowship any person who has made pre-eminent contributions to combinatorics or its applications. The number of living Honorary Fellows shall not exceed ten.” • One of our Honorary Fellows, C. R. Rao, passed away last year, leaving the ICA with four living Honorary Fellows: Henry Gould, Neil Robertson, G. J. Simmons, Carsten Thomassen. • I am pleased to report that two new Honorary Fellows have been elected: Cheryl Praeger and Rick Wilson. • Nominations of pre-eminent scholars, to be submitted to the Medals Committee, are invited! Conference Support The ICA provides significant support for conferences in combinatorics and related areas. We provide up to $1000 in support for conferences, subject to approval by the Executive. Executive is looking for ways to increase levels of support.

Conference Support in 2024
1. OpeRa2024 Open problems on rank-metric codes, February 2024, Caserta, Italy.
2. 55th Southeastern International Conference on Combinatorics, Graph Theory, and Computing, Boca Raton, March 2024
3. London Colloquia in Combinatorics, London, May 2024
4. Combinatorics 2024, Carovigno, Italy, June 2024.
5. WAIFI, Ottawa, Canada June 2024.
6. Combinatorics in Christchurch, Christchurch June 2024.
7. 30th British Combinatorial Conference London, July 2024.
8. 35th MCCCC, Duluth, USA, October 2024.
9. 46th Australasian Conference in Combinatorics, Brisbane, December 2024.

 

Bulletin of the ICA

• The most recent is the June 2024 issue, Volume 101.
• The EiCs are Marco Buratti, Don Kreher, Ortrud Oellermann, and Tran van Trung. Production is handled by Don Kreher. They are ably assisted by an international editorial board.
• Trung is stepping down from his EiC role after Voume 101.
• Scopus indexes the Bulletin of the ICA. Publication of the Bulletin
• The Bulletin is made available online as a .pdf file, on a password-protected web page open to ICA members.
• Refereed research articles are published on the ICA web pages under a “diamond” open access policy, and so are available online free of charge to everyone.
• Tables of contents are on the ICA web pages.
• We have continued to mail printed copies to members excepting a few who requested “electronic only”. Printing and mailing is done from Czechia.

 

The News Editor for the Bulletin of the ICA
• Jeff Dinitz has agreed to serve as the News Editor, to
• collect and edit conference reports, particularly those about conferences supported by the ICA,
• solicit and collect news from members, and
• coordinate with the BICA EICs for the preparation and publications of news items.

• Contact Jeff with news items for BICA.

 

ICA Web Pages

• Luca Giuzzi serves as webmaster for the ICA.
• Official ICA web pages: http://the-ica.org Check them out! They contain a lot of useful information.
• The Bulletin of the ICA can be accessed there, along with press releases and citations of medal winners, a list of supported conferences, and much more. A New Policy
• The ICA continues to have membership dues that are unchanged since 1990.
• But costs and expenses continually increase!
• And we have more strong requests for conference support than in the past.
• But the Executive doesn’t want to increase dues....
• To avoid a dues increase, the ICA Executive is instituting a nominal charge to continue receiving the print copy of BICA.

 

A Nominal Charge for the Print Copy of the Bulletin
• Membership fees remain unchanged and continue to provide electronic access to the Bulletin of the ICA.
• Members who want a printed copy mailed to them can pay a nominal fee to continue to receive one. The fee is
• $50/year for Fellows, Associate Fellows, and Members (or $90 for two years, or $125 for three).
• $30/year for Lifetime or Retired Members (payment can be made for up to three years at the same amount per year).
• These substantial discounts on the normal subscription rate of $180/year will be in effect until at least 2027.

 

A Nominal Charge — Mechanics
• If you already receive BICA as electronic-only, you’ll see no change. If you still receive print but prefer electronic-only, let Bryan know of your preference.
• Otherwise, if you are next invoiced before 01 June 2025, at that time you can choose to continue at current fees with electronic-only BICA or pay in addition the fee to receive printed BICA.

• If your next payment (if any) to the ICA will be later than June 2025, and you wish to continue to receive printed BICA after Volume 103, contact Bryan to arrange the payment.
• Members who do not choose a printed Bulletin, or who do not pay the associated fee, will not receive one after Volume 103.

Thanks!
• The ICA Executive: Sarah, Anita, Dalibor, and David
• The ICA Registrar: Bryan and the former ICA Assistant, Connor Pride
• The ICA Webmaster: Luca
• The EICs of the Bulletin: Marco Buratti, Don Kreher, Ortrud Oellermann and Tran Van Trung
• The BICA News Editor: Jeff Dinitz
• ICA Council
• Medals Committee members (especially Heather Jordon, the outgoing chair)
• Canvassing Committee members (especially Mateja Sajna ˇ , the continuing chair)

See you next year! Charlie Colbourn, President of the ICA

ICA Financial and Membership Report
June 5, 2024
Bryan Freyberg
Financial Summary: 1/1/2022 – 12/31/2022
• Balance on 1/1/2023 $22,830.58
• Total Proceeds in Period (dues & subsc.) $19,660.00
• Total Funds in Period $ 42,490.58
• Total Expenses in Period $20,326.99
• Balance as of 12/31/2023 $22,163.59

	2021	2022	2023
Year-end Balance	$13,780.69	$22,830.58	$22,163.59
Proceeds	$19,237.00	$32,433.84	$19,660.00
Wages Paid (Admin. Assistant)	$12,442.89	$1,942.75	$978.50

Last Three Years –FAU,UMD,UMD

Summary of Expenses
• Support for Conferences/Awards $6,789.20
• BICA Vols. 97,98,99 $10,392.55
• Administrative Assistant $978.50
• Other Fees $2,166.74
• Total Expenses $20,326.99

Membership Summary

	2021	2022	2023
Honorary Fellows	6	5	4
Lifetime Members	63	80	85
FTICA	336	286	278
AFTICA	75	67	78
MTICA	6	6	9
Retired	84	37	66
New Members	9	28	22
Removed	10	38(with 43 more pending)	7
Total Members	???	365	380

 

 

Other Information
• We are still working to update the database and locate folks. If you did not receive an email notification of this meeting from me, please update your email address with me: frey0031@d.umn.edu

• There has been an increase in the number of conferences we have been asked to support.
• If you wish to stop receiving your printed version of BICA, please email me and let me know. Full versions of BICA are available online to members.
• As of now, there is no plan to replace Connor as office administrator. Recommendations • Recruit more new members, especially in Asia and Africa.
• Find more libraries or other institutions to subscribe to BICA.
• Encourage your friends to donate to the ICA!

 

 

 

AGM - ICA Action Items June , 2024

Election of council members
• 47. At all General Meetings of the Institute, there will be no proxy or absentee voting. If an issue requiring a vote is considered disputable by one-third of the members present, its vote may be held by email within a 30 day period.
• 48. Voting may take place in person at an Annual General Meeting, or by email within a 30 day period after the vote is announced. Late votes will be considered invalid.
• 50. The officers of the ICA shall be a President, three Vice-Presidents, Secretary, and Council Members. They are to be elected by the voting members of the ICA. Only ICA voting members can be elected to any of the above offices. Officers will serve until their successors have been elected and assume office. The Council shall serve as the advisory body to the President and other officials. Past Presidents, if able and willing to serve, and if they are still Voting Members of the Institute shall be ex-officio members of Council.
• 51. The Secretary shall be responsible to the Council for administration and for co-ordination of the affairs of the Institute generally. They shall be responsible to the Council for the administration of the financial affairs of the Institute and for ensuring that proper accounts are kept.
• 52. Following the adoption of this Article and until otherwise resolved in General Meeting, the Council shall consist of the Past Presidents (ex-officio unless elected) able and willing to serve together with the Founding Fellows (ex-officio unless elected) and with not less than twenty-four and not more than thirty other members (including the officers, twenty elected members, and not more than six co-opted members).
• 53. Council members shall serve three year terms, and one third of the council shall be voted into office each year.
• 54. Election of elected members of the Council shall be as follows:
• Candidates will be solicited by email to the existing membership and each solicitation announcement should be broadcast at least twice. Candidate names will be distributed during the AGM to the membership (by overhead projector or equivalent). The Chair of the meeting will seek a majority vote.
• 55. The Council may co-opt any Member of the Institute to be a member of the Council; at any time the total number of co-opted members shall not exceed six.
• 56. The Council may at any time appoint or co-opt any eligible person to be an officer or member of the Council to fill a casual vacancy.
• 57. If the Council shall at any time be reduced to less than twenty (including the officers), the continuing members may act as the Council for the purpose of filling vacancies or for summoning a General Meeting but for no other purpose.
• 58. The office of an officer or a member of the Council shall be vacated:
• (A) If a receiving order is made against them or they make any arrangement or composition with their creditors.
• (B) If they become of unsound mind.
• (C) If they cease to be a member of the Institute.
• (D) If by notice in writing to the Institute they resign their office.

Election of council members
• We will present candidates for election. If there is a significant (greater than 1/3) dispute, we will hold an election by electronic vote in the 30 days after the meeting. Election of council members
• There are 30 council members and each year, 10 rotate off and 10 are elected.
• We have one council member who is rotating off early for personal reasons, so one of our votes will be for a single year term council member. There is precedent for this.

Current ICA Council

• Charles Colbourn (President) 2022-2025
• Dalibor Froncek (Vice-president) 2022-2025
• Anita Pasotti (Vice-president) 2022-2026
• David Pike (Vice-president) 2022-2025
• Sarah Heuss (Secretary) 2022-2025
• Tomoko Adachi 2023-2026
• Subramanian Arumugam 2021-2024
• Darryn Bryant 2022-2025
• Jeff Dinitz 2021-2024
• Wayne Goddard 2023-2026
• James Hammer, III 2023-2026
• Masaaki Harada 2023-2026
• Sarah Heuss 2022-2025
• Fred Hoffman 2022-2025
• Lijun Ji 2023-2026
• Mark Kayll 2023-2026
• Melissa Keranen 2021-2024
• Bill Kocay 2022-2025
• Mariusz Meszka 2021-2024
• Bojan Mohar 2021-2024
• Gary Mullen 2021-2024
• Anamari Nakić 2023-2026
• Darren Narayan 2022-2025
• Ortrud Oellermann 2021-2024
• Patric Östergård 2021-2024
• Daniel Panario 2023-2026
• Adrián Pastine 2021-2024
• Dinesh Sarvate 2021-2024
• Rinovia Simanjuntak 2023-2026
• Brett Stevens 2023-2026
• John Wierman 2022-2025

 

Candidates
• Jeff Dinitz 2024-2025
• Michael Giudici 2024-2027
• Melissa Keranen 2024-2027
• Sandi Klavžar 2024-2027
• Giuseppe Mazzuoccolo 2024-2027
• Mariusz Meszka 2024-2027
• Lucia Moura 2024-2027
• Gary Mullen 2024-2027
• Patric Östergård 2024-2027
• Adrián Pastine 2024-2027
• Dinesh Sarvate 2024-2027

Election of council members
• Is there a majority approval of the slate of candidates? [There is]

Current [it was pointed out that this slide was prepared for the meeting before the vote was counted, gratitude to everyone who voted in favor] ICA Council

• Charles Colbourn (President) 2022-2025
• Dalibor Froncek (Vice-president) 2022-2025
• Anita Pasotti (Vice-president) 2023-2026
• David Pike (Vice-president) 2022-2025
• Sarah Heuss (Secretary) 2022-2025
• Tomoko Adachi 2023-2026
• Darryn Bryant 2022-2025
• Jeff Dinitz 2024-2025
• Wayne Goddard 2023-2026
• Michael Giudici 2024-2027
• James Hammer, III 2023-2026
• Masaaki Harada 2023-2026
• Fred Hoffman 2022-2025
• Lijun Ji 2023-2026
• Mark Kayll 2023-2026
• Melissa Keranen 2024-2027
• Sandi Klavžar 2024-2027
• Bill Kocay 2022-2025
• Giuseppe Mazzuoccolo 2024-2027
• Mariusz Meszka 2024-2027
• Lucia Moura 2024-2027
• Gary Mullen 2024-2027
• Anamari Nakić 2023-2026
• Darren Narayan 2022-2025
• Patric Östergård 2024-2027
• Daniel Panario 2023-2026
• Adrián Pastine 2024-2027
• Dinesh Sarvate 2024-2027
• Rinovia Simanjuntak 2023-2026
• John Wierman 2022-2025

 

 

Updates to the Articles of Association

• 38. Seven Voting Members present, whether in person or simultaneously online, shall constitute a quorum.
• Because of the proliferation of communication technology, we recommend increasing this number to 20.
• 38. Twenty Voting Members present, whether in person or simultaneously online, shall constitute a quorum. Updates to the Articles of Association
• Approve the edit to article 38? [it was noted that this vote would only require seven voting members to agree, although the actual vote was unanimous]

 

Questions? Discussion?
1. The “Stanton” journals have no o2icial connection with the ICA. But many ICA members have been involved in bringing them back to life. Because of this involvement, we include the following announcement. Contact Dalibor Froncek with questions.

The Journals Are Back !!!
Ars Combinatoria
JCMCC
Utilitas Mathematica
Congressus Numerantium
combinatorialpress.com

2. Where are the news posted?  BICA volume 101 contains the announcement of the meeting, and the medal winners.  The website will be updated as soon as the humans can get coordinated. BICA volume 102 will contain these minutes.

3. Will there be wine? More likely diet coke

Thank you to all participants of the meeting, members of the ICA, and especially to the conference organizers who provided the space for the meeting.