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[NOTE: Nothing about this post is intended to impress your seminary teacher. I’m playing loose with the facts which facts are themselves at best loose. Don’t argue the past. The past is not the point. The point is the past.]
[NOTE 2: This post was written under the influence of powerful prescription medication. Glancing through it a day later, hooboy but is that obvious.]
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So King Josiah becomes king and finds the scriptures and he’s like what? Scriptures? That’s cool. And he gets the people to start worshiping the Lord God and doing away with some of the other gods which is mostly good unless you were into Heavenly Mother then you might find his methods a little too thorough but whatever. His scribes start piecing together what words of God are still around and we end up with some weird things like people being created twice but lots of other things would have been lost forever if he hadn’t acted so it’s probably a net gain. Plus we got Deuteronomy now, so that’s pretty great. Even Jesus quotes Deuteronomy.
Anyway, this is like 400 years after David’s long gone so it’s about time history gets all written down and stuff since that’s basically what history is, after all, writing stuff down. Probably some of the details are squishy by this point but whatever. Do the best you can and no one else knows better anyway, right? Exactly right.
David’s dead now anyway, he can’t complain.
It hasn’t been exactly 400 years since the Association for Mormon Letters was founded in 1976, but it has been a long enough time with shoddy enough record keeping that our historic past is a bit fuzzy. Who, for instance, was the AML’s first president? I don’t know. And for some time—I don’t know when this started or when it ended—the AML had this confusing system where—
Well, read this:
AML is pleased to announce that Margaret Blair Young has taken office as the new AML President, with J. Scott Bronson as President-Elect. Boyd Petersen, last year’s president, will now serve a term as Past President.
That’s right. President, Past President, and President-Elect were for years coexistent positions with distinct responsibilities. I think they idea was that a clear sense of passing-on-responsibility would prevent gaps in leadership, but based on my memories of this system being discussed on the AML-List, I think it mostly assured that 75% of the people who knew what was going on would not know what was going on. I dunno.
Anyway, I’m not here not to bury the past put to get it on paper so we can have an AML Deuteronomy. So to speak.
First, the genealogy of the kings. This is mindbogglingly difficult. I always believed that somewhere in Utah were The AML Archives which were complete and sacrosanct and, though secret, there. I’m no longer so sure that’s true. And so I’ve begun a slow recreation of presidential genealogy.
| Maureen Ursenbach Beecher | year–year | additional fact if needed |
| Eugene England | year–year | |
| William A. Wilson | 1988- | |
| Levi Peterson | -1989- | |
| Susan Howe | 1995? | |
| Edward L. Hart | prior to 1991 | |
| Ann Edwards Cannon | year–1993 | |
| president | year–year | |
| president | year–year | |
| Edward A. Geary | year–year | |
| Neal ? | year–year | |
| Richard H. Cracroft | year–year | |
| Marilyn Brown | year–year | |
| Linda Hunter Adams | -2007- | |
| Cherry Silver | year–2002 | |
| Neila Sechachari | 2002 | president-elect; died before taking office |
| Gideon Burton | 2002–year | |
| Bruce Jorgensen | year–year | |
| Eric Samuelsen | 2008?–year | |
| Margaret Blair Young | 2012–2013 | |
| Glenn Gordon and Kathy Gordon | 2013–2014 | co-presidents |
| Joe Plicka | 2014– |
You’ll notice that there is nothing like chronology going on here. I haven’t taken into account the Great Presidential Addresses Battles of Cracroft and Jorgensen to nail down their dates of service. Largely because as I write this I am partially insane do to a mix of pain and unholy medication and largely because I’m humbled by the fact that I have no freaking idea who some of these people are. (Andrew also made some improvements, thanks be to Andrew.)
In doing my research, it was exciting to find moments in time where AML seemed the next great thing, totally dead, the next great thing again. I think it’s once again the next great thing, but, like Josiah, if we’re going to build on the past, first we need to establish the past. I would rather this is done honestly and that we create humans no more times than is strictly necessary and without setting aside traits I love, but in this age of Internet, maintaining some kind of history ought to be possible.
Now I’m going to scan this image I drew and go either to sleep or watch a scary movie, depending on which I think is less likely to make me crazy.
By the time this actually posts next week, I hope to be fully “sane” again and will happily disavow any part of this post you found upsetting.
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= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
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Okay. I’m off drugs. And, as promised, I’m leaving this post alone, even though it goes live tomorrow.
But I do have an observation, a question, and a proposal.
Observation
The AML changes presidents a lot. Like: every year. I think maybe since forever.
Question
Does the AML have bylaws requiring this? (Corollary: Are there bylaws? Can they be posted?)
Proposal
As this is a time of rebuilding and as President Joe Plicka has some momentum just starting, instead of voting in someone new next year, why don’t we just leave the schmuck in another term or two or three?
Hi Theric,
Good historical/genealogical/archaeological efforts. Maybe those archives exist. I don’t have them. Not my fault. I didn’t do it. (Although if we don’t have a better record somewhere else, presidents since 1999 should be capable of being reconstructed via Irreantum, which listed the AML board and officers.)
– I know there are bylaws. I don’t have them. I don’t know how closely they’re being adhered to at present.
– Boyd Petersen was, as you note, AML president before Margaret Young. I don’t think Scott Bronson ever wound up serving as president.
Here’s an old document I have. I don’t know whether this has been revised since March 2008.
BYLAWS
ASSOCIATION FOR MORMON LETTERS
Revised 8 March 2008
Section 1. Purpose
The purpose of the Association for Mormon Letters, established by
its articles of incorporation which have been officially filed
with the State of Utah, is to foster scholarly and creative work
and interest in the field of Mormon letters and to promote
fellowship and communication among scholars, critics, writers,
editors, booksellers, and readers interested in Mormon literature.
These bylaws are established to define policy as directed by the
articles of incorporation.
Section 2. Membership and dues
As directed by the articles of incorporation, membership shall
consist of persons who have paid annual dues; each person whose
dues have been currently paid shall be entitled to a vote in all
elections and other business affairs of the Association.
The categories of membership and the dues appropriate to each are:
Category Annual Dues
Regular $ 25.00
Student 20.00
Husband/wife 30.00
Contributing 100.00
Sustaining 250.00
Section 3. Nomination and election of officers
The officers shall be nominated by a committee selected by the
Governing Board of the Association, which by the articles of
incorporation consists of all duly elected and appointed officers
of the Association. A slate of candidates shall be presented to
the membership at an annual meeting of the Association which has
been announced by email, by posting to the AML email list, and by
notification in Irreantum as soon as the date of the meeting is
known. Nominations shall also be accepted from the floor during
this meeting. The eligible members present shall elect the
officers by majority vote.
Section 4. Officers, terms, and duties
According to the articles of incorporation, the officers of the
Association shall consist of a president and such other officers
as the bylaws shall call for, which shall not be fewer than three.
These bylaws herewith establish the following officers.
President: serving for a term of one year.
Past president: the present shall, upon completion of his year
in office, serve an additional year on the Governing Board as
past president, with the specific responsibility of organizing
the annual conference of the Association.
President-elect (first vice president): elected as first vice
president for one year to serve the following year as president.
Secretary: appointed by the Governing Board to serve at the
pleasure of the board, to maintain the correspondence of the
Association and to conduct the business meeting at the annual
conference.
Board members: six persons shall be elected for three year
terms to sit as members of the Governing Board. They shall be
elected for alternating terms so that a third of them shall
join the Board in any one year.
Ex-officio officers (non-voting officers):
Treasurer: appointed by the Governing Board to maintain
Membership records and financial proceedings.
Newsletter editor: appointed by the Governing Board to
serve at the pleasure of the board, to edit the quarterly
newsletter of the association.
Webmaster: appointed by the Governing Board to serve at
the pleasure of the board, to oversee all duties pertaining to the
AML website and the AML lists.
Awards chair: appointed by the Governing Board to serve
at the pleasure of the Board, to oversee the Awards process.
Proceedings editor: appointed by the Governing Board to
serve at the pleasure of the Board, to edit, publish, and
distribute to Association Members the annual volume of
proceedings of the Association.
In the event that an emergency arises in which candidates for
president and for president-elect cannot be found, and there is
no past president serving, the business of the Association for
Mormon Letters may be conducted by a committee of an uneven number
of five or more board members. The board may also, by unanimous vote, extend the term of AML President and President-elect by one year.
Assignments of governing board members may include the following:
publicity, recruiting, small events
liaison to other organizations publications
liaison to AML chapters outside the Wasatch Front area
academic liaison (annual meeting call for papers)
writers conference (schedule and arrangements)
annual meeting (schedule and arrangements)
Irreantum liaison
contests and awards
film liaison
and other assignments as the conducting of AML business requires.
Section 5. Meetings
An annual meeting for conducting the business of the Association
and for furthering its purposes in other ways shall be called by
the Governing Board. All members will be notified of this meeting
by email, by posting to the AML email list, and by notification in
Irreantum as soon as the date of the meeting is known.
Section 6. Activities and business
The Governing Board shall organize and conduct such other
activities and business as shall seem appropriate to the purpose
of the Association.
Section 7. Committees and associate officers
The Board shall have the authority to appoint associate officers,
committee chairpersons, and committee members to carry out the
business of the Association. Terms of offices for such persons
will be determined by the Board.
.
One: As I understand it, we currently have no board and the only serving officer is president. Is this correct?
Two: These might not be the latest as at some point a purchasable Lifetime Membership option was made available (I have one) and that’s not listed as an option here.
Darlene–Hey, that’s great, thanks.
So in our reconstruction of who was president, we are drawing a blank on the years between Gideon Burton (c.2002-2003) and Linda Hunter Adams (c. 2006-2007). Do you have any idea who fit in there?
Doing a questionnaire/interviews of some of the AML veterans might be an interesting project. Looking at the list of presidents, Eugene England, Margaret R. Munk, Edward L. Hart, and Richard Cracroft have passed away, but the others are still with us, as far as I know. I would think that Lavinia Fielding Anderson in particular would be a good person to talk to about the organization in the 1970s and 1980s.
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True.
Slightly off topic: An author has contacted me about where to send their novel for consideration for the awards (and it is someone who should definitely be considered). Can we decide on a central address that people can send such things?
There is an old address out there for sending books, “AML Awards Judges, PO Box 581422, Salt Lake City, UT 84158.” The author sent it there, but it got returned “non deliverable”.
Covenant sent the Whitney judges free ebook versions of all of their books under consideration last year. The awards panel could ask for that, making it easy for a committee to make award decisions if we want to go that way. But some publishers might not be able/willing to do that, so it would be good to have a physical address as well.
Some of the other board assignments can wait, but the Awards Chair assignment probably should be made soon.
I am so impressed with Joe Plicka and his vision! He and I had a long conversation. AML is in good hands. Note that our board fell apart over the past three years simply because people had other things happening in their lives and as we tried to replace them, we couldn’t find people who would agree to do it. The new venue of BYU-H is great. Joe and I talked about creating a board and named some people who could help. SO, the big thing is this: If you are asked to serve on the board, and if you believe in the future of AML, your response needs to be YES! and THANK YOU! I plan on being at AML, which will be in March of 2016. Joe has wisely seen that he needs to get things well-organized before launching. Plan on attending. Hey, it’s Hawaii! And by then, there will even be adequate lodging.
Uh oh. This feels like praise. Praise leads to expectations. Expectations are scary. 🙂
I’ll be asking around about board assignments in the coming weeks. The bylaws mention an election. Is that viable? What do you think?
It’s nice there is some interest in the past of AML, an organization that I’ve so much enjoyed over the years, despite its on-again, off-again nature.
Things aren’t quite in as much disarray as is suggested here. When he was president, John Bennion arranged for all existing AML annuals to be archived in BYU’s Special Collections, along with a CD of all of the AML-List archives and other papers. Put John on your presidents list and give him a call. We indexed the AML annuals in the Mormon Lit database and full texts can be found in the BYU library or via me (http://mormonlit.lib.byu.edu/lit_work.php?w_id=4218)
Steven Sondrup, secretrary of AML from its inception until probably the 90s, did a wonderful history of AML to the present. You should look it up in the AML Annual (unless, of course, it was among the lost papers–those that we thought were going to be published in the annual but were not…). His was a great view of the earliest days.
John Tanner served as AML president for two years, as did I.
This is getting me thinking about AML and its legacy and future. Maybe I’ll develop a blog post.
Gideon, see my comment below and my pushy suggestion vis-a-vis an AML history tab on the website.
Thanks for linking to this stuff.
I just wrote to Steven Sondrup at his BYU address (he is in the Department of
Humanities, Classics, and Comparative Literature) to see if he has a copy of the history he wrote.
Ha ha ha ha! Two or three terms! That’s good stuff.
But I can see where you’re coming from. If we can pull off this conference in 2016, I’ll certainly be in the thick of it through then. I think these next few months will reveal what works these days and what doesn’t. And if something works . . . then why discombobulate it I guess.
I think there absolutely needs to be a “History” or “About” tab on the future AML homepage that links to a nicely written entry on AML’s founding, evolution, and presence over the last 40 years. Part encyclopedia entry, part marketing tool. And pertinent curiosities like your chart above.
Who might write that? Not to point fingers . . . but, Gideon, seems like you might be halfway there?
I believe Melissa Proffit served as president somewhere in there.
This is the president list from when I became involved in AML:
2000 Marilyn Brown
2001 Cherry Silver
2002 and 2003 Gideon Burton
2004 Melissa Proffitt
2005 (I was acting president–wouldn’t let anyone call me president)
2006 Linda Adams
2007 and 2008 Eric Samuelsen
2009 and 2010 Boyd Petersen
2011 and 2012 Margaret Blair Young
2013 Glenn and Kathy Gordon
2014 Joe Plicka
The articles of incorporation paper is signed by Lavina Fielding Anderson, Stephen Sondrup, and Levi Peterson and is dated 27 Jan 1981, so the president list should go back that far.
The incorporation paper is dated 23 June 1981, so the list of presidents should go back to that.