Are you interested in becoming involved with convenorship of a BSA Study Group? We are currently looking for volunteers to help organise meetings and activities for the following groups:
Running a BSA Study Group is a great opportunity for you make a significant impact in the development of a specialist research area and to become more involved within your Association and the discipline. It’s a very rewarding experience, both personally and professionally.
BSA Study Groups must have a convenor. Without a volunteer to run the group, it will become inactive and cease to exist.
A study group convenor is an important role within the BSA. Convenors must be a paid-up member of the Association. The group convenor(s) is the main officer and named contact for the group.
The Association acknowledges the importance of Study Groups in promoting links between sociologists and the development and promotion of sociology as a discipline.
The convenor should:
- Ensure that the study group operates within the overall policy and legal framework set by the Executive Management Team. This includes good financial management. If in doubt, consult the staff at the Durham office.
- Keep an accurate record of membership. An up-to-date list must be provided to the BSA office every year. This will ensure that you know which group members are full members of the Association and thus entitled to reduced attendance rates, etc.
- Arrange an annual meeting of the group to deal with finances, planning activities, etc. Regular meetings are a positive signal to members that the group is ‘live’ and open to those wanting to be actively involved in its organisation. Minutes of these meeting should be passed both to successive convenors and to the BSA office.
- Encourage and co-ordinate the group’s programme of activities, including participation in a BSA annual conference.
- Provide a short (c. 500 words) annual report of the group’s activities. This should reach the BSA office by the end of the first week in January for inclusion in the Association’s Annual Report to the AGM. A template, if needed, is provided by the office.
- Represent – or arrange representation of – the group at the meeting of convenors held at the annual conference, and any other similar meetings.
The Food study group (SCOFF) is currently one of the most active study groups of the BSA. Its aims are to promote the sociological analysis of any aspect of food production and consumption and the group meets several times each year for informal seminars in London and Edinburgh. Last summer the group organised an international conference on Food, Society and Public Health which attracted more than 130 delegates.
The time has come to find a new co-convenor to strengthen the group’s activities in Scotland. Sue Gregory (University of Edinburgh) after many years involvement with the food study group, as an active member, a member of the advisory committee and more recently as co-convenor, is taking retirement. Debra Gimlin (University of Aberdeen), whilst happy to share the role of co-convenor with someone new, is equally happy to stand down to let ‘new blood’ reinvigorate the group’s Scottish activities. Wendy Wills (University of Hertfordshire) will remain as co-convenor for the rest of the UK.
The new co-convenor, who should be a BSA member (from any category, including students), will need to be based in Scotland and bring enthusiasm to galvanising the membership to meet regularly and organise themed seminars and events. An interest in the sociology of food is a prerequisite!
If you are interested or would like to find out more about what the role will entail, please contact Wendy Wills, Sue Gregory or Debra Gimlin as soon as possible. We would hope that the new co-convenor (or convenors - the role could be shared by more than one person) would take on this role by Sept-2009. Visit the Food Study Group's homepage.
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