[SCMSL] URGENT -- SCMS CONFERENCE CANCELLATION

[Eija Niskanen]

I am sorry for the Josai people, and would have liked to see the
conference take place, if for nothing else, as a show of appreciation
for their effort.

Many people are still coming to Japan. There is a discussion on
arranging an unofficial meeting at the facebook SCMS (unofficial)
site.

I certainly would like to get together.

Eija

On 5/13/09, Roger Macy <macyroger at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
> Well, I am pretty dismayed by the reaction of many SCMS members.  The burden
> of additional precautions at the personal level was surely manageable.  I'm
> sorry for those whose careers are affected.
> Even if I wanted to cancel my flight, I don't think this would be grounds
> for claiming on a personal insurance.  Presumably, the sub-set of SCMS
> members who are either already in Japan, or have other commitments in Japan
> with family, friends and colleagues, is more strongly represented on this
> list ?
> Are there circumstances in which we can meet ?
> Roger
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Mark Roberts
> To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
> Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 3:57 AM
> Subject: FYI: [SCMSL] URGENT -- SCMS CONFERENCE CANCELLATION
>
> Very unfortunate news.
>
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>
>
> From: SCMS Membership List <scmsl at lists-cmstudies.org>
> Date: May 13, 2009 11:36:39 AM JST
> To: "scmsl at lists-cmstudies.org" <scmsl at lists-cmstudies.org>
> Subject: [SCMSL] URGENT -- SCMS CONFERENCE CANCELLATION
> Reply-To: scmsl at lists-cmstudies.org
>
>
> Dear Colleagues:
>
> It is with a very great regret that we are announcing the cancellation of
> the SCMS conference in Tokyo scheduled for May 21-24, 2009.
>
> Late last week we learned that the Government of Japan and the Chiyoda
> District Government had requested that Josai International University cancel
> the conference due to concerns about containing the H1N1 ("Swine Flu")
> virus.  That request, and the conditions that were subsequently imposed
> under which the conference might occur, resulted in daily discussions among
> the officers of SCMS, members of the Board of Directors, the Society's legal
> counsel, and representatives of Josai.
>
> We have determined that proceeding with the conference under the conditions
> ordered by the government presents too many risks for our members and the
> Society.  These include the personal risks to individual members (including
> possible quarantine, additional expense, and considerable stress), potential
> liability to SCMS, as well as pressures on the Society's small
> infrastructure.  Moreover, the survey conducted yesterday (564 of 748
> registrants replied) indicated that almost one-third of those responding
> chose to withdraw from the conference.  Many of those who said that they
> would still attend indicated that they would do so out of a sense of
> obligation or said that they would spend minimal time at the conference.  It
> was also clear that some registrants who did not respond to the survey, but
> who communicated in other ways, were waiting for more information before
> making a decision.
>
> We are extremely grateful for the efforts of JIU, on behalf of SCMS, for
> negotiating with the national and local governments to create conditions
> under which the conference could move forward.  But it is clear that members
> felt that those conditions would not be conducive to a satisfactory
> conference experience.  The high cancellation rate - with more likely -
> presented us with a depleted program rather than the robust intellectual and
> social experience our members have come to expect of the SCMS conference.
>
>     * You are urged to cancel your hotel reservations and flights
> immediately, unless you plan to travel to Japan for pleasure.  You should
> contact your airline to arrange for credit on your airfare.  We will be
> working with Japan Travel Bureau to reduce or eliminate hotel cancellation
> penalties.
>     * Conference fees will be refunded, or individuals may request that
> their registration fee be used for the 2010 conference in Los Angeles.  More
> details will follow.
>     * We are working on plans to retain as much of the Tokyo conference as
> possible as a part of our Los Angeles conference.  We will provide more
> information as soon as possible.
>     * We will be creating a forum on the SCMS website for individuals to
> register their comments.
>     * If you have already arrived in Japan and need assistance, please
> contact the SCMS office staff as soon as possible.  Others can expect their
> e-mail messages and phone calls to be answered in the order that are
> received as soon as the staff can respond.
>
> This has been a severe trial for the SCMS leadership, and we realize that
> the uncertainty caused by this global health situation has created great
> confusion and anxiety among our members.
>
> We are extremely disappointed that we have had to make this decision,
> especially in light of the tremendous amount of planning and work that our
> members, the SCMS staff, and our exhibitors committed to this conference.
> Again, we offer our heartfelt gratitude to the Chancellor of Josai and Josai
> International Universities, Dean En Fukuyuki, Shinozaki Kayo and the rest of
> the staff at JIU who generously offered his or her services above and beyond
> any duties, responsibilities, or obligations and on top of their already
> considerable responsibilities at JIU.
>
> We are saddened that we will not be able to meet in Tokyo, but when the dust
> settles, we look forward to a combined Tokyo/Los Angeles conference to
> celebrate our fiftieth anniversary, which will represent the very best of
> who we are and what we do.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Patrice Petro, President
> Anne Friedberg, President-Elect
> Stephen Prince, Past-President
> Eric Schaefer, Secretary
> Paula Massood, Treasurer
> Scott Curtis, Member of the Board
> F. Hollis Griffin, Graduate Student Representative
> Michele Hilmes, Member of the Board
> Priya Jaikumar, Member of the Board
> Victoria Johnson, Member of the Board
> Charles Wolfe, Member of the Board
> Michael Zryd, Member of the Board
> _______________________________________________
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>
>


-- 
Eija Niskanen
c/o Hirasawa
Koenji-kita 4-2-10
Suginami-ku
Tokyo 166-0002