I have been asked to report on our experiment in NW Ohio with the first Section regional dinner meeting. This follows the example of the Northeast Section,. There each region is a state. In our case regions could be four corners, and the center, or whatever works. Their meetings range from having a talk on campus, preceded by dinner in the campus cafeteria, to a full course dinner at a local restaurant. All forms have worked well. They have been very successful.

On Oct 3, 1996, we had a talk at BGSU on "Differential Equations: Past, Present and Future", by Douglas Meade, U. of South Carolina. Doug was already coming to campus for a colloquium, so the department picked up travel expenses. Twenty six attended. Several more from off campus said they would have come, but there were conflicts. Many of us gathered for dinner prior to the talk in the Towers Inn restaurant on campus. See the Section web page for the sample announcement.

The reaction was positive, with some suggesting that we continue, and even offering their sites for future meetings. So I would like to encourage others to try this idea out. The Section is willing to lend its name, provided it is asked, and incurs no expense. If arrangements are known far enough ahead, the Newsletter can be used to announce the event. Certainly the web page can be used. Or a direct mail may be necessary, which is what we did. If I can be of help, let me know.

Thomas Hern

The original announcement

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