The fourth meeting of the PPS Man Board in Warsaw,  17th December 2010.

 The meeting took place in the Conference Room of the Dean of the Physics Department of Warsaw Technical University in Warsaw, ul. Koszykowa 69. The meeting was attended by: the President- Wiesław Andrzej Kamiński; the Secretary-General- Bohdan Grządkowski; the Treasurer Kazimierz Piotrowski; executive members: Jacek M. Baranowski, Mariusz P. Dąbrowski, Jacek P. Goc, Jerzy Warczewski and other members: Maria Dobkowska, Zofia Gołąb-Meyer, Henryk Figiel, Bernard Jancewicz, Stefan Kruszewski, Andrzej Zięba. The meeting was also attended by the PPS MB office manager- Krystyna Żakowicz and invited guests: Jerzy Żuk and Ewa Kurek. Elżbieta Zipper and Andrzej Ślebarski justified their absence. (Jerzy Warczewski took part in the initial phase of the meeting which included point No. 1 and 2 on the agenda).

1. Adoption of the agenda.

1. The agenda was adopted unanimously with an amendment that items 6 and 8 concern the same matter, therefore the numeration changes respectively.
2. Summary of the Society’s jubilee.W. A. Kamiński, the president, expressed belief that the Jubilee Session fulfilled its role well. It gathered 120 people and the lectures aroused interest and discussion.  Before the official part and during the cocktail, the participants had the opportunity to talk about the past and the present and meet the long-unseen friends in an informal atmosphere. The Jubilee ‘chitchats’ have the tendency to always last too short… 
3. Adoption of Regulations of the PPS Publishing.W.A. Kamiński opened a discussion on the proposal of the PPS Publishing Regulations provided in the materials for the meeting. A. Zięba commented that currently the Editor-in-Chief of Postępy Fizyki is appointed to this function by the Main Board, which has confidence in him and does not determine the rules of his actions and therefore does not create the structure between the Editor-in-Chief and the PPS MB. W. A. Kaminski noted that § 6 of the Regulations determines the appointment of the Editor-in-Chief of Postępy Fizyki by the PPS MB after obtaining the opinion from the Editorial Board of the Publishing. Z. Gołąb-Meyer noted that if, for example, PPS received a proposal of publishing materials from a conference, that would be the task of the Publishing. W. A. Kamiński explained that the Editorial Office of Postępy Fizyki is autonomous and § 7 of the Regulations clarifies this situation. It enables appropriate actions of the Editor-in-Chief of Postępy Fizyki and he asked to change the word ‘Publishing’ into ‘Editorial Office of Postępy Fizyki’ in § 7 section 1. A. Zięba added that the Editorial Office of Postępy Fizyki should be excluded from such activity and such additional activity of the Publishing should be established in separate regulations. W. A. Kamiński explained that when establishing the Regulations of the PPS Publishing, the authors thought about creating a more general framework of the Society’s activity, not only for the needs of Postępy Fizyki, but also creating the opportunity for other publishing projects. M. Dąbrowski added that creating the PPS Publishing can be beneficial to the entire community of physicists. Such approach was supported by Z. Gołąb- Meyer who stated that if the Society wants to publish more, it has to be given such a possibility. At that point J.M. Baranowski submitted a formal request for a vote on the exclusion of the Editorial Office of Postępy Fizyki from the PPS Publishing Regulations and the establishment of separate regulation for it. 12 people voted in an open vote: 4 people opted for the proposal, 7 people were against, 1 abstained from voting.

Amendments for the proposed Regulations were discussed next. It was stated that:

• in §3 section 1 the expression ‘hereinafter referred to as Editorial Board’ should be added after words ‘Editorial Board of Postępy Fizyki’.
• In § 4 ‘PPS MB appointed the Head of the Publishing’ should be introduced in section 1.
• In § 6 section 3 remains, sections 3.1 and 3.2 are removed.

Afterwards, the PPS MB members adopted Resolution No. 1 in an open vote. 12 people voted (text of the resolution attached to the protocol): 11 people opted for the resolution, 1 abstained from voting.

4. Discussion over the proposed amendments for the PPS Statute.

In the introduction to the discussion, W.A. Kamiński stated that in the materials sent before the meeting via e-mail, the Board members received the Proposal of PPS Statute changes adopted during the PPS MB Presidium, which took place on 26th November 2010, altogether with the amendments proposed by the PPS Electoral Commission. A. Zięba, m. Dąbrowski, E. Kurek, H. Figiel, W.A. Kamiński took part in the discussion. The discussion concentrated on the existing procedure of accepting PPS members. It was noted that accepting the electronic declaration after paying the membership fee deprives the Branches of the right to support a particular candidate for the PPS ordinary member. W.A. Kamiński highlighted that the proposed amendments do not close the door to other solutions and open a discussion on this issue in the Society. According to the Statute, the announcement of such amendments by the PPS MB should take place at least nine months before the PPS Delegates Assembly. Therefore, the undertaken PPS MB resolution is to begin the procedure. Amendments will be sent out to PPS members by e-mail and therefore they will be able to send their comments directly to the PPS Regulations Commission (chaired by B. Cichocki). The PPS Main Board accepted the resolution unanimously. 12 people voted. (The text of the resolution No. 2 in attachment). W.A. Kamiński agreed to prepare a unified text of the amendments to the Statute with the reasons for their introduction. 

5. The case of making Pastępy Fizyki available on the Internet.

B. Grządkowski noted that despite the lapse of six months from the publication of the first notebook from 2010 (such grace period was established by the MB Presidium) there is still no response from the Editorial Office of Postępy Fizyki to the issue of making the 2010 numbers available on the Internet. The discussion over this issue was postponed to the next meeting due to the absence of the Editor-in-Chief. 

6. Appointment of the Economic Cooperation Commission.

M. Dąbrowski presented actions undertaken to establish the Economic Cooperation Commission. A formal letter was sent to the Branches, asking to identify the areas of economic cooperation. There was, however, no reply from any of the Branches. Moreover, he called for the introduction of the PPS Business Patron. He noted that he is engaged in programmes related to nuclear energy in the West Pomeranian region. He began cooperation with Ludwik Pieńkowski and Maciej Wojtkowski, who were members of the Commission. He asked all gathered to propose other candidates to this Commission and suggested that representatives directly from ‘the business’ should be included in the Commission to create good ground for cooperation. He declared to prepare proposals of letters of intent to companies with a request to take PPS under their auspices. The PPS Main Board accepted the resolution unanimously. 12 people voted. (The text of the resolution No. 3 in attachment). M. Dąbrowski expressed gratitude for trust and hope that the work of the Commission will contribute to the cooperation between the people of science and the representatives of ‘business’. He proposed preparing a session devoted to nuclear power during the Polish Physicists Conference in Lublin. J.M. Baranowski suggested including physicists known in the environment as active in the field of ‘scientific business’ in the Commission, e.g. prof. dr hab. Józef Piotrowski, dr Robert T. Dwiliński or prof. dr hab. Andrzej Mycielski . He noted that the Commission should rely on their experience. 

7. Prof. Jerzy Żuk’s information about the preparations for XLI Congress of Polish Physicists in Lublin.

Jerzy Żuk informed about the organisational actions for the XLI Congress of Polish Physicists in Lublin, 4-9 September 2011, undertaken by the Lublin Branch. He informed that the Organising Committee consists of 22 people from UMCS, the University of Life Sciences and the Institute of Astrophysics PAS. A plenary meeting and 12 sessions are planned. The opening of the Congress will take place at UMCS Assembly Hall and the sessions will take place in rooms provided free of charge. The canteen will be located at KUL. He also recalled the list of members of the Scientific Committee appointed by the PPS MB Presidium: prof. dr hab. Karol I. Wysokiński - UMCS, chairman, prof. dr hab. Danuta Bauman - WFT PP, prof. dr hab. Piotr Bojarski - IFD UG, prof. dr hab. Jan Ciosłowski - IF Uniwersytet Szczeciński, prof. dr hab. Marek Demiański - IFT UW, prof. dr hab. Krzysztof Fiałkowski - IF UJ, prof. dr hab. Robert R. Gałązka - IF PAN, prof. dr hab. Wojciech Gawlik - IF UJ, prof. dr hab. Marek Grinberg - IFD UG, prof. dr hab. Ryszard Horodecki - IFTiA UG, prof. dr hab. Ryszard Kępa - IF URz, prof. dr hab. Jan Kisiel - IF UŚl, prof. dr hab. Stefan Kruszewski - CM UMK Bydgoszcz, prof. dr hab. Marek Kuś - CFT PAN, prof. dr hab. Stefan Micnas - IF UAM, prof. dr hab. Stefan Pokorski - IFT UW, prof. dr hab. Jan Sobczyk - IFT UWr, prof. dr hab. Józef Sznajd - INTiBS PAN, prof. dr hab. Józef Szudy - IF UMK, dr hab. Tadeusz Wibig - IF UŁ, prof. dr hab. Arkadiusz Wójs - IF PWr, prof. dr hab. Teresa Rząca-Urban - IFD UW. 

8. Appointment of Commisions’ chairmen nominated by the Presidium of the Society’s Board.

The work of each Commission and Section in the current year was discussed and their activities- assesed. After the discussion, PPS MB unanimously accepted the resolution No. 4 concerning the appointment of the Commissions’ chairmen recommended by the PPS MB Presidium. 12 people voted. (The text of the resolution No. 4 in attachment).

The PPS MB members were informed about the choice of the chairmen of the sections by members of each section. The function of a chairperson is currently held by:

• Teachers’ Section - Dobromiła Szczepaniak, chairperson 
• Optical Section - Ewa Wienert-Rączka, chairperson 
• Youth Section - Konrad Jerzy Kapcia, chairperson 
• Physics in Economy and Social Science Section Sekcja (FENS) - Janusz Hołys, chairperson
• Women’s Section - Elżbieta Czerwosz , chairperson 

9. Any Other Business 

The president, W.A. Kamiński, opened the discussion by stating that the Assembly of Delegates obliged the newly elected PPS MB to raise the issue of including the subscription of Postępy Fizyki in the membership fee. The PPS MB Presidium considered this issue during a meeting on November 26, 2010, and noted that the reduction of the income from the subscription fees, associated with including Postępy Fizyki in members’ privileges, at rough estimate requires raising the fee by 25-40 zł, depending on the staff status of the PPS member. The proposal of an amendment concerning the height of the membership fee was discussed and it was decided that this issue will be considered in detail during the next PPS MB meeting on March 5, 2011. It was established that K. Piotrowski will send out a letter to all PPS members with a request to suspend any payment of fees or subscriptions for Postępy Fizyki for 2011 and with information that the PPS Main Board is planning to include the subscription for Postępy Fizyki in the membership fee, which will result in a change of the annual fee. In a response to J.P. Goc’s question if was possible to pay fees through a branch, as well as centrally, K. Piotrowski explained that fees could be only accepted centrally on the PPS MB bank account. 

10. Ratification of the III PPS MB protocol from July 12, 2010.

All gathered accepted the III PPS MB protocol from July 12, 2010 with the change in point No. 7. Any Other Business where a comment made by A. Zięba was added: ‘Andrzej Zięba submitted a proposal to reactivate the actions of “Teaching Physics at Technical Universities” Conference so that the conference took place between the Congress of Polish Physicists and to change its format so as to meet the needs of Universities and Universities of Technology.  Moreover, he also proposed holding the conference under the auspices of PPS and the Forum of Deans of the Faculties of Physics".

At the end of the meeting, W.A. Kamiński thanked Krystyna Zakowicz and Kazimierz Piotrowski for their involvement in the organization of the Jubilee Session. He also wished the Board merry Christmas and successful New Year.

The date of the next meeting was set for March 5, 2011.

Recorded by

Krystyna Zakowicz 

Secretary General

Bohdan Grządkowski 

R E S O L U T I O N S  

Resolution 1/IV/2010 from December 17, 2010 on the adoption of the Regulations of the PPS Publishing .The Main Board does not accept the Regulations of the Polish Physical Society Publishing 

Resolution 2/IV/2010 from December 17, 2010 concerning the initiation of the procedure of introducing changes into  the PPS Statute  The PPS Main Board is launching the procedure of introducing changes in the PPS statute by accepting the range of changes proposed to the PPS members. 

Resolution 3/IV/2010 from December 17, 2010 concerning  the appointment of the Economic Cooperation CommissionThe Main Board appoints the Economic Cooperation Commission and entrusts the position of the chairperson to Mariusz Dąbrowski.  

Resolution 4/IV/2010 December 17, 2010 concerning  the appointment the chairmen of the PPS Commissions. The Main Board decided to entrust the position of chairmen to:

1. Large Research Equipment Committee- Reinhard Kulessa
2. Awards and Distinctions Committee -  Wojciech Gawlik
3. Teaching Awards Committee- Józefina Turło
4. Teaching Physics at Higher Education Institutions Committee- Ryszard Naskręcki
5. Teaching Physics at School Committee- Mirosław Trociuk
6. History of Physics Committee- Tadeusz Hilczer 
7. Regulations Committee- Bogdan Cichocki 
8. Foreign Cooperation Committee- Szymon Bauch 
9. Physics Nomenclature Committee- Bernard Jancewicz 
10. Popularization and Promotion of Physics Committee- Urszula Woźnikowska-Bezak 
11. Computer Science Laboratory School Network Committee- Grzegorz Karwasz 
12. Economic Cooperation Committee- Mariusz Dąbrowski