The 115th annual meeting of the Association will be held in Boston at the Sheraton Boston, the Boston Marriott Copley Place, and the Westin Copley Place Boston. Hotel reservation information is included on pages 48 and 49 of this issue of Perspectives. The meeting preregistration form will appear in the October issue, and will also be mailed with the annual meeting Program sent to members during the first week of October.

Many of the profession's most distinguished members will be present to deliver papers and over 900 scholars, including 82 foreign scholars, will participate in the three-day meeting. In addition, more than 48 specialized societies will meet in conjunction with the AHA. Each society will hold its own sessions, luncheons, and/or meetings, as well as some joint sessions with the Association.

Eric Foner of Columbia University will deliver the presidential address the evening of January 5, and the Awards for Scholarly Distinction, the Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award, the Beveridge Family Teaching Prize, the Gutenberg-e Awards, the John E. O'Connor Film Award, the Nancy Lyman Roelker Mentorship Award, and the 2000 Honorary Foreign Member will be announced. In addition, 18 book prizes will be awarded, two for the first time: the J. Russell Major Prize for the best book on the history of France and the George L. Mosse Prize for the best book on European intellectual and cultural history since the Renaissance.

Accommodations

AHA annual meeting sessions as well as affiliated society sessions and events are scheduled in the Sheraton Boston, the Boston Marriott Copley Place, and the Westin Copley Place Boston. Blocks of rooms have been reserved at several hotels: the Sheraton, the Marriott, the Westin, the Hilton Boston Back Bay, and the Omni Parker House.

The Boston Marriott Copley Place, at 110 Huntington Avenue, will serve as coheadquarters and will house the AHA book exhibits and AHA and affiliate sessions. The Sheraton Boston, located at 39 Dalton Street, will serve as co-headquarters and will accommodate the Job Register and AHA sessions and affiliate events. The Westin Copley Place Boston, 10 Huntington Avenue, will host AHA and affiliate sessions. Additional accommodations will be available at the Hilton Boston Back Bay, located at 40 Dalton Street, and the Omni Parker House, located at 60 School Street.

Negotiated rates for the Sheraton, Marriott, Westin, and Hilton are $99 single, $110 double and for the Omni Parker House $79 single, $110 double. Although the Omni is a short taxicab or subway ride from the meeting hotels, it offers a lower-priced option for cost-conscious attendees. The additional person charge at all five hotels is $20. All rooms are subject to city and state occupancy taxes of 12.45 percent per room, per night. Rates in effect three days before and after the January 4-7 meeting dates, with the exception of the Marriott, honoring rates two days before and three days after the meeting.

Making a Hotel Reservation

Beginning September 5, hotel reservations must be made exclusively through Passkey.com, the Greater Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau's exclusive housing vendor.

Reservations can be made via a special link on the AHA's web site (http://www. theaha.org), Passkey.com's call center, fax, or mail (only when accompanied by a check deposit) until 8:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) on December 19.

Passkey.com's call center, which can be reached toll-free at (888) 442-8298, will accept reservations during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday. International attendees may call (312) 396-2122 to make a reservation.

To make a suite reservation, call the bureau's housing manager at (617) 867-8208.

Meeting attendees can also fax the form on p. 48 to Passkey.com at (312) 705-2562 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, if they are using a credit card for payment. Forms with credit card payments should not be mailed.

Forms can be mailed-only if deposit payment is by check-to Passkey.com/AHA, P.O. Box 3191, Boston, MA 02241-3191.

Confirmation

A confirmation will be sent from the bureau for all new reservations, modifications, and cancellations. Reservations that include an e-mail or fax address will be sent a confirmation letter within 72 hours. Otherwise, the bureau will print and mail a confirmation letter, which may take up to 10 to 14 days for receipt.

Deposit

The Boston Housing Bureau and the five hotels require a standard deposit of $150 per room reservation. Deposits will be accepted by credit card or by check payment. If payment is by check, the check must accompany the housing request form. If payment is by credit card, hotels may charge the deposit fee at any point on or after December 14. Some hotels may opt not to charge the deposit until the guest checks in and the full amount for the guest's hotel stay would appear on the bill at checkout. Please note that reservations will not be processed without a deposit.

Cutoff Date

Although the bureau will continue to accept reservations through December 19 based upon availability, the cutoff date for the AHA's official block is December. After December 6, remaining inventory in the block will be released and rooms will be available at the AHA's convention rates on a space-available basis until December 19. If all hotels sell out, the bureau will continue to assist attendees to secure housing.

Changes, Cancellations, and Refunds

Meeting attendees can continue to make, modify, and/or cancel reservations from September 5 through December 19, 2000, via the AHA Housing Bureau. Reservations secured by check deposit will be assessed a $15 processing fee if cancelled at any time. Reservations secured by credit card may be made, modified, and/ or cancelled without penalty from September 5 through October 25, 2000, after which cancellations will be assessed a $15 processing fee. Any cancellations made on or after December 20, 2000, will result in forfeiture of the entire $150 deposit.

No-Show Penalty

All hotels will assess a penalty of one night's room/ tax in the event of a no-show.

Early Departure Fee

Some hotels may assess an early checkout fee of up to $50 in the event of a guest departing prior to their reserved checkout date. To avoid this fee, please inform the hotel of any change in planned length of stay at or before check-in.

Making Travel Arrangements

Association Travel Concepts (ACT) has been selected as the official travel agency for the AHA's 115th annual meeting. As the official agency, ATC has negotiated discounts with United Airlines, US Airways, Amtrak, and Alamo Rent-A-Car to bring you special airfares, train fares, and car rental rates that are lower than those available to the public. By calling ATC, you will save 10 to 15 percent off on United (I.D. # 598QX) and U.S. Airways (I.D. # 27621162) tickets purchased more than 60 days prior to the meeting. For tickets purchased less than 60 days prior, the discounts will be 5 to 10 percent off of the lowest available fares. Some restrictions may apply. Discounts apply for travel January 1 through 10, 2001.

ATC will also search for the lowest available fare on any airline serving Boston's Logan Airport. ATC also provides personalized service, advance seat assignments, special meal requests, frequent flier programs, electronic ticketing, e-mail access for convenient booking of your tickets, and more.

To take advantage of these rates and benefits, call ATC at (800) 458-9383. ATC can also be reached by fax (619) 581-3988, e-mail: atc@assntravel.com, and through their web site at www.assntravel.com. ATC is available for reservations from 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday.

To book train travel, call Amtrak at (800) 872-7245 or contact ATC at (800) 458-9383. Make sure you refer to fare order number X-68N-965 when making your booking; discount fares will be available January 1-10, 2001. The offer is not valid on Auto Train, Club, or Custom Class service. Fare is valid on Metroliner Service during off-peak weekday travel and all departures on weekends.

You can also arrange to rent a car through Alamo, with discounted rates effective from January 1 through 10, 2001. Contact ATC at (800) 458-9383, noting I. D. # 75911 GR.

Ground Transportation

You can reach the hotels easily no matter how you choose to travel. Arriving by air: Logan International Airport (http:/ /www.massport.com) services the Greater Boston area, and is located just four miles from downtown Boston. It has five passenger terminals, each with its own ticketing, baggage claim, and ground transportation facilities. Boston taxis are available at all terminals 24 hours a day, with service to downtown Boston charged a metered rate. The trip takes from 25 to 40 minutes, depending on traffic. Approximate fare from Logan to the Marriott is $15.35, to the Sheraton and Westin $18.10, to the Hilton $18.60, and to the Omni Parker House $10.80. City Transportation Service operates a shuttle service to downtown, and has booths located outside baggage claim areas. The one-way fare is $7.50 -per person, paid in cash to the driver. The shuttle departs every half-hour Sunday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. On Saturday, the service is available every hour from 8:00a.m. until 8:00p.m. Public transit is also available at the airport, with free shuttle bus service from all airline terminals to the airport subway station. Passengers take the Blue Line of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)-web site at www.mbta. com-referred to as the "T" -and transfer to the Green Line, exiting at Copley Station (for the Marriott and Westin) or Hynes Convention Center/ICA Station (for Sheraton and Hilton). Annual meeting attendees staying at the Omni Parker House exit at the Blue Line's Government Center Station, walking two blocks down Cambridge Street. Transit fares are $.85 locally and $.85 to $2.00 for zone changes. The "T" starts operating at 5:00 a.m. and the last train leaves downtown Boston at 12:45 a.m.

Arriving by train: Amtrak operates two stations in Boston, South Station at Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street and Back Bay at 145 Dartmouth Street. All hotels are a short cab ride from either station, with the Back Bay station the nearest to the convention hotels.

General Information

Group Meetings and Reunions:

Societies and groups that have not already made arrangements to hold sessions or other meetings should send their requests for room space as soon as possible to Sharon K. Tune, Convention Director. Please specify preferred date, inclusive hours, attendance forecast, and any special equipment desired.

Business meeting: Resolutions for the business meeting signed by 25 members of the Association will be accepted until December 15; those received by October 15 will take precedence and will be published in the December Perspectives and must be no more than 300 words in length. Resolutions should be sent to the Executive Director at the AHA office, with a copy to the Parliamentarian, Michael Les Benedict, 106 Dulles Hall, Ohio State University, 230 W. 17th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210.

At its meeting on May 15-16, 1980, the Council adopted (and amended May 9, 1994) the following bylaw pursuant to Article VII, Sections 1-5, of the constitution: No motion, resolution, or other business shall be passed by a division of the members at the annual business meeting unless there is present a quorum of one hundred members in good standing.

Location of Offices and Events

AHA sessions will be held at the Sheraton Boston, the Boston Marriott Copley Place, and the Westin Copley Place Boston. The Local Arrangements Committee office and Press Room will be in the Marriott's Vineyard Room and the AHA Headquarters /Staff Office in the Marriott's Yarmouth Room. The Job Register will be located in the Sheraton's Grand Ballroom. Registration desks and meal ticket cashiers will be located in the Marriott's Grand Ballroom Salon E and the 4th Floor Registration Booth. The Book Exhibits will occupy the Marriott's University of Massachusetts Exhibit Hall.

AHA Registration: Advance Registration: Members are urged to preregister at the reduced rate of $65 (nonmembers $85; students and unemployed $40; precollegiate teachers $15). The preregistration form will printed in the October newsletter and will be enclosed in the Program mailed to members in early October. Advance registration must be received by Friday, December 1.

Registration at the Meeting: The registration desks at the annual meeting, located in the Grand Ballroom Salon E of the Boston Marriott Copley Place, will be open from noon to 7:00p.m. on January 4; from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on January 5, and from 8:30a.m. to 4:00p.m. on January 6. Registration at the meeting will be $80 (nonmembers $100; students and unemployed $45; precollegiate teachers $15). Locator files and the Information Desk will be located at the permanent registration desk on the Marriott's fourth floor.

Admission to all sessions, exhibits, and the Job Register requires a registration badge.

Refund Policy: Advance registrants who are unable to attend the convention may request a full refund of their registration fee if a written request accompanied by the meeting badge is postmarked by I on December 15, 2000. No refunds will be issued for requests postmarked after December 15, 2000.

The exhibits will be located in the Marriott's University of Massachusetts Exhibit Hall and will be open January 4 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m., January 5 and 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on January 6 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Job Register

The Job Register will be located in the Sheraton's Grand Ballroom. Hours of operation will be January 4 from 12:30 to 6:00 p.m., January 5 and 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and January 7 from 9:00 a.m. to noon.