Meeting opened 17.08 hours by the chairman, Dr. David Owusu-Ansah.

Chairman's remarks

The chairman welcomes the members of the GSC who are attending the meeting. The chairman remarks that due to the absence of the Treasurer, Jean Allan, in Ghana, the Financial Report for the organization will not be read at the annual meeting. Instead, GSC financial report will be published in the next Newsletter.

Last year's minutes

It is moved and seconded that the minutes of last year's meeting are approved.

Incoming notices

• At the 1998 annual meeting, members expressed concern about the limited access to theses and other academic products at Ghanaian universities. At that meeting, it was proposed that efforts be made to include thesis titles in future GSC Newsletters. Chairman reported on the efforts he has been making at the University of Ghana to get departments interested in submitting titles for GSC Newsletters.
• The GSC received a project proposal on Manhyia Archives improvements from the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana. Due to a lack of adequate resources, the GSC cannot support the project. Chairman reported that the proposal has been sent to the Ford Foundation on behalf of the Institute of African Studies.
• John Hanson reported that members Brenda Chalfin and Eugene Mendosa would like to compile a list of scholars working on Northern Ghana and, perhaps, to organize a conference on Northern Ghana at the University of Colorado at Denver in 2001. Those interested in the project were called upon to e-mail the organizers at bchalfin@du.edu or emendons@carbon.cudenver.edu.

Reports

• Larry Yarak reports on the journal Ghana Studies. The first issue (1998, vol. 1) is out. An officiallaunch at the University of Ghana was planned, but not yet executed. The first issue suffered a small disappointment: the editorial introduction was deleted in the printing process, and submitted advertisements did not occur, also due to problems in the printing process. For the immediate future it is planned that vol. 2 (also dated 1999) will be published early in 2000. Volume 3 (dated 2000) hopefully will be out around next year's ASA meeting.
• Vol. 2 will contain 5 papers from the GSC session of the 41st Annual ASA meeting in Chicago, as well as 3 additional articles to be determined by the editors. Vol. 3 will contain a special section edited by Emmanuel Akyeampong in commemoration of the "Yaa Asantewaa Rising." Akyeampong explained the project and called for additional papers: Deadline: 1 June 2000.
• Larry Yarak thanks the external readers for their work on the first issue of Ghana Studies. The 42nd ASA saw two very good sessions sponsored by the GSC. It is hoped that the papers can be ?published in Ghana Studies. The journal "cover" will carry different Ghanaian symbols each year, representing all types of Ghanaian themes and people.
• The Transactions of the Historical Society of Ghana, which was revived some years under the auspices of Albert van Dantzig, but lapsed with him falling ill and retiring, seem to be back on track again. Recently an issue appeared on the history of the Asafo.

Announcements

• Finances: Checks for the payment of membership must be addressed to The University of Minnesota, but until further notice, please, mail the checks to the chairman at: David Owusu-Ansah, History Department, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA 22807.
• All Summer Programs for study abroad at the University of Ghana are now faced with the imposition of an exorbitant fee of US$2000. According to members who have been confronted with this fee, the process appeared unfair, especially since all these programs already pay fees to the hosting departments/institutes, the new fees was seen as an attempt by the Office of Dean of International Students to undermine summer programs at the University of Ghana. It was noted that non-summer programs at the university are cleared with the Department of International Studies and do not have to pay this fee. GSC chairman was called upon to find out more about the summer charges and report to the organization at the next ASA.
• Suggestions are made from the floor to look closer at an existing link-program at Cape Coast University and the possibility of closer cooperation with the Institute of Cross-Cultural Studies at Tamale are viable alternatives to studies abroad at the University of Ghana.

Call for panels 43rd ASA in Nashville

The GSC can sponsor 2 panels at the 43rd ASA.Suggestions are invited from the floor. Panels will be considered on a first come first serve basis. From the floor the following solid suggestions were made:

Other business

Rufai at University of Chicago seeks information and contacts in relation to a project on Yoruba migration into Accra (including migration from Brazil, from mid 19th to the early 20^th Centuries).

GSC meeting came to a close at 8:10pm.