1. The Eastern Branch Program Chair is usually appointed by the President-Elect very shortly after his/her election about two years before the meeting takes place. The newly appointed Program Chair thus serves as a member of the current year's Program Committee to observe and participate in program development. The current year's Program Chair should involve the newly appointed Program Chair in all aspects of program development.

2. The Program Chair should begin selecting key program members as early as possible. Key people should include at least one person from each of the ESA specialty sections plus the Program Editor. It is best if most of these people are selected by the time of the Annual Meeting preceding the year of the Chair's responsibility one year out. Utilize the volunteer list and recommendation of the President-Elect as necessary to formulate the Program Committee. A smaller Committee membership (12 required) should be less cumbersome to work with than a large one of 20 or more.

3. Key members of the Program Committee can meet with the Program Chair at the Annual Meeting one year out to discuss subject areas. Begin to identify symposia and workshop moderators (probably some or all of these moderators will be key members of the Committee). Other committee members should be assigned to the film festival (if one is to be held) and to oversee the display presentations, biographic sketches, etc. The Graduate Student Committee will supply a representative to the Program Committee, organize a symposium, and paper session moderators and projectionists.

4. Calls will begin coming in sometime before the Annual Meeting (one year out) with requests to serve on the Program Committee and organize symposia/workshops. Accept suggestions, but without too many early or firm commitments. Generally it has appeared that 12-14 symposia and 3-5 workshops should be more than adequate for an Annual Meeting program. Further program ideas and members can be developed as an off-shoot of the National ESA program. The program Chair could decide to select some important topics which will be developed as symposia. It is important to make early contact with some of the Standing (IDEP, ARPE, Employment, Public Information) and Ad Hoc Committee Chairs for their interest in participating in the program; also contact the Applied Biological Control Group. Try to develop at least one symposium which will be of interest to members of each ESA specialty section. Also, work with the President to incorporate his/her ideas into the program.

5. Work as needed with the Secretary to help organize the Planning Meeting usually held 8 months before Annual Meeting (early July). This is a two-day meeting with the first day devoted to Program Committee activities.

6. Notify Committee members at least one month prior to the Planning Meeting as to place and time of the meeting (first day only for Committee members).

7. The agenda for the Program Committee planning meeting may be as follows (modify as desired):

a. Welcome - Remarks by Eastern Branch President and Secretary

b. Introduction of Members and Committee responsibilities - Program Chair

c. Miscellaneous announcements - discuss deadlines

d. Block out program events (see Appendix I)

e. Discuss and attempt to finalize symposia and workshop topics

f. Report from Program Editor

g. Discuss moderator-projectionist policies

h. Discuss moderator-projectionist policies

i. Tour hotel meeting rooms and facilities (Local Arrangement Chair should be present)

j. Final discussion as needed

k. Adjournment

8. Prepare summary report for Executive Committee on the second day of the Planning Meeting (Program Committee members need not be present for second day).

9. Mail Planning meeting wrap-up information to Committee members. Remind them that symposia and workshop titles must be received by 7 months before annual meeting (early August) for listing in the meeting flyer. The flyer should also include other program highlights. If needed, revise paper submission forms for this mailing. Set deadline for the complete listing of symposia workshop participants. Generally this deadline is close to the deadline for submitted papers 5 months before annual meeting (late October). Confirm membership status of all invited speakers. Request special needs for each symposium/workshop and work closely with Local Arrangement Chair throughout the program planning.

10. Honoraria for selected speakers will be permissible up to the budgeted amount (usually $1000-1500 total). Plenary and banquet speakers, if any, are covered by another line item in the budget. Any amount is excess of the budget must receive Executive Committee approval. Amounts of $25-100 per invited speaker may be given on a first-come, first-served basis or as the Program Chair deems appropriate. Symposia moderators will make their requests for speaker honoraria usually between 7 and 6 months before annual meeting (August and September). Except for honoraria and waivers of registration to certain invited speakers, it appears that no Branch or ESA money is available to the Program Chair or Committee members for travel, typing, etc.; it may be a worthy endeavor for each Program Chair to request additional funds from the Branch.

Note: ESA Bylaws prohibit Officers & Committee Members from soliciting funds for Branches or the National Society (Article 9, Section 2). It is possible to receive such funds, but they need to offered by the donor (Eastern Branch, Executive Committee, Oct. 6, 1985).

11. Lay out symposia and workshops into the available time slots, being careful to eliminate time conflicts of speakers with their other commitments (notify organizers if final time slots differ from planned slots). Four or five concurrent sessions are appropriate. Fit these events into hotel meeting rooms allowing good traffic flow and using room of appropriate size as estimated by the moderators. If requested, submit list of tentative room needs and settings to hotel and Local Arrangements Chair.

12. When all submitted papers have arrived, arrange by section, assign a number, and fit into the program; arrange so that there are not time conflicts of similar subjects between sections. usually the afternoon following the Plenary Session is set aside for submitted papers and display presentations. Graduate student paper competition papers should be scheduled back-to-back in their own specialty Sections and should not be in time conflict with student papers in other Sections, and early in the session. Additional time slots may be used for submitted papers on other days, depending on the number of papers submitted. Members usually complain if submitted papers compete with symposia.

13. Prepare the draft of the program manuscript. This draft must include everything from the front cover to the back cover (check with Secretary for return address and ESA-approved paid postage statement on back cover). See file for examples. The Program Chair should write, or arrange to have written, the biographies of officers, awardees, keynote speakers, etc. (The President will provide biodata for the Plenary Session speaker, as well as his own, and may send directly to the Program Editor.) The sections 'Important Information' and 'Program Summary' also need to be written. Obtain a complete list of all Eastern Branch committees and their members from the Secretary or directly from the Committee Chairs for inclusion in the draft. Obtain from the President a list of speakers who will make announcements at the Plenary Session. Prepare a hotel map showing all meeting rooms. Prepare author index if being included in program.

14. Program chair will prepare and present a progress report for a meeting with Executive Committee 4 months before annual meeting (November). A final tour of facilities with Local Arrangements Chair will be valuable.

15. Submit program manuscript to Program Editor by about 3 1/2 months before annual meeting (November 15) (the Editor will process and deliver it to the Printer by the end of the month (November 30). Mailing of program by the National ESA Headquarters should be accomplished 2 months before the annual meeting (early January).

16. Prepare an accurate mailing list of non-ESA member and non-Branch member program participants.

17. Obtain from the Secretary a supply of literature and forms related to motel and meeting registration. About 100 packets is sufficient. (The Secretary may elect to carry out this task. Check with that officer.)

18. Complete the mailing to non-ESA member and non-Branch member invited speakers (symposia/workshops). The speakers must receive program and hotel registration materials; also, they must be sent a letter clearly stating that registration is complimentary (does not include banquet ticket) and that an honorarium, if any, will be available at the registration table. Check with Secretary to assure that keynote speakers have received this information. (The Secretary may elect to carry out this task.) Send list and honoraria amounts to Treasurer, Secretary, and Registration Chair.

19. Mail program and registration materials to non-members as requests come in for this information. Submit finalized list of room and setting needs to hotel and Local Arrangement Chair; also inform Local Arrangements Chair of symposia and other requested needs.

20. At the latest possible date (because of last minute cancellations), complete a list of Program Change to be made available at the registration desk. This list should include canceled papers, added papers (with abstracts), error corrections to program, change in speaker affiliations, etc. Work with Secretary to duplicate this list including any changes or corrections he suggest in the program if desired. Do not allow students to add papers for the competition after the program is distributed.

21. Prepare the Program Committee final report for presentation at the Annual Meeting. Mail to Secretary and to all committee members, at least by immediately following the Annual Meeting.

22. Update Committee Guidelines as necessary and submit to President-Elect at least one month prior to Annual Meeting. Turn over all appropriate files to incoming Program Chair at Executive Committee/Committee Chairs meeting following Annual Business Meeting.

23. While at the meeting, obtain head counts of attendance at each of the symposia/workshops and paper reading sessions. You may ask moderators to make these counts or you may do it yourself. The counts are useful for gauging room size requirements for the next year.

24. After the meeting, write thank you letters to Committee members and others who made a significant contribution to the program, and submit to the Archivist-Historian a copy of the program of the Annual Meeting for deposition with the Branch archives.