PLANT SCIENCE COOPERATIVE COMMITTEE 
 
    A meeting was held in Cincinnati at the Sinton Hotel on 
May 24, 1947 and was called to order at 9:30 A.M. Members 
present were: Stanfield, Steere, Johnson, Kramer, Dreyer, and 
Howlett ( Johnson was substituting for Walker) 
 
     Tt was votod to call this Committee the "Plant Science 
Cooperative Committee". 
 
     The proposed American Institute of Biological Sciences 
was discussed at length. Questions raised included: intangible 
values; prestige; specific functions; interference with in- 
dividual society functions; extra dues for members of smaller 
groups; overlapping of dues; worth of the AIBS to small socie- 
ties; relative cost of c entralized printing; is the AIBS too 
larg6 to centralize all functions; what is the true function 
of the proposed organization; status of foreign members in 
memlsoy societies; could a Plant Science Institute function 
in this canacity; methods of raising funds for membership in 
the AIBS; it the level of the objectives of the AIBS desirable; 
who would be the Director of the proposed organization. 
 
     It was generally agreed that the "sales talk" for the 
proposed oeganization was misleading and might not indicate 
functions that were advisable; the Committea agreed that the 
centralization of all functions at this time would be unwise. 
 
     There was agreement that the IBS should represent all 
biology at the highest level and one which would not usurp 
specific society functions; as experience indicates and fig- 
ures could be presented, certain cooperative activities might be 
undertaken by the AIBS. There was general agreement that some 
form of Botanical Committee or Group is needed even if the 
proposed AIBS is achieved. 
 
     It was felt that the present objectives of the AIBS are 
at too low a level and that priority should have been given to 
certain objectives in the publicity to date. 
 
     It was furthor agreed that there should be a concise 
presentation of pertinent data relative to the AIBS to members 
of all organizations by mail and also a full discussion in a 
meeting of thn Excautive Committees of all botanical organiza- 
tions. In this connoction it was reported that all representa- 
tives of the Organization Committoe of the 'lBS will make re- 
ports to their respectivo Executive Committees and these in 
turn will authorize transmission of those data to the member- 
ship if such is approved.  It was agreed that memberships are 
not informed relative to ths aims of the proposed AIBS and 
the question will require careful study. In general, it was an 
obvious conclusion that the AIBS must clarify its aims and