Conference & Awards | Society for Museum Archaeology

Conference 2023 – Update from SMA Chair

Due to too many unforeseen circumstances, the SMA Committee has taken the decision to postpone this year’s conference, which was due to take place in Cardiff on the 16th and 17th November. I am sure you appreciate that this decision was not taken lightly but, among other things, it has proved quite difficult to organize sufficient papers to make the event viable. Working in a museum has become much more onerous these days and there is only so much committee members can be asked to do. We have tried our hardest and I hope you understand that it is better to postpone rather than try to organize something that will not be up to standard.
Several people have already put in a lot of work but the pressure is becoming more telling and we are running out of time and we must be decisive. We will be organizing a conference in Cardiff at some point and the Committee is meeting on the 16th November, prior to the AGM, to decide if that will be early next year or whether to leave a gap and try again in November 2024.
The Society does have to hold an AGM however, and that will take place on Thursday 16th November, as advertised, now at three o’clock in the afternoon. This will be an online event and we will send out log-in details in due course.
Some Committee members have already booked accommodation in Cardiff for the 16th November, so we will be hosting the AGM from there. I hope no other members are similarly inconvenienced but if you do end up having to come to Cardiff, let us know and we will organize some form of get-together.
I am very sorry that we have had to take this course of action. I look forward to welcoming you to our conference sometime in the near future and hope to see you, at least virtually, at the AGM.
Duncan H. Brown
SMA Chair

Society for Museum Archaeology AGM
Thursday 16 November, 3.00pm, online
The Society for Museum Archaeology AGM which shall take place on Thursday 16th November 2023 at 3pm online.
All members are encouraged to join us online. Details of how to log on, the agenda and committee vacancies will be circulated shortly..
For consideration and ratification:

Proposed amendment to the Constitution
The SMA Committee has proposed changes to Section 6.1 of its constitution. The changes result from discussions about how to ensure that the Society is ethically robust for the future.
The SMA Committee propose creating additional roles to the Committee to help with the workload as the organisation expands. These roles are:
• Assistant Editor
• Communications Officer (split from Membership Secretary role)
• Conference Officer (split from Training Officer role)

If you are unable to attend the AGM please respond to the proposed changes by email to Angie.Bolton@Oxfordshire.gov.uk or Deborah.Fox@Worcester.gov.uk indicating whether or not you would vote YES to the change or NO to the change as proposed.

Committee Vacancies
We would like to bring to your attention the following committee vacancies:

1. Vice Chair
2. Training Officer
3. Editor
4. Assistant Editor
5. Communications Officer (if approved)
6. Conference Officer (if approved)

Officers and members of the Committee will be elected on a straight majority at the AGM from a list of candidates, each of whom can be nominated in writing (email) by two members of the Society – please send nominations by 25th October 2023 to SMA Secretaries Angie Bolton at Angie.Bolton@Oxfordshire.gov.uk and Deb Fox at Deborah.Fox@Worcester.gov.uk. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Best wishes,
Angie Bolton and Deb Fox
SMA Co-Secretaries