Annual Report 2007: FY July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007
Mid-Continent Section
The purposes of this Section are to advance the scientific and educational aspects of geology, develop working relationships among it members by sharing ideas and information.
The strengths of our Section are that we are small in numbers and mostly independents from small companies who are willing to work together. Opportunities are formed by networking and sharing ideas so we don’t have to become experts in everything. The relative low costs of drilling and completing allows small independents with limited capital the opportunity to operate their own companies.
The disadvantages of our Section is that most of our members are in retirement or entering the retirement age, they work for themselves with very little time to get involved in Sectional activities and are working in a mature area and exploring for smaller reservoirs.
Goals
We plan to continue to have a section meeting every other year including cities other than Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Wichita. We would like to have off-year field trips or a get together for informal meetings other than at AAPG annual convention. Other goals include:
- Assist Jim McGhay on the development of digital libraries.
- Develop interlinks between the Mid-Continent Section Libraries both paper and e-mail.
- Continue our matching scholarship grants from the Section to our local societies who are giving scholarship to students working on geology or related degrees.
- Promote Teacher Training and the Teacher of the Year award.
- Award college students scholarships to attend Mid-Continent Section AAPG convention.
Action
Mid-Continent Section Meeting will be held in Wichita in 2007 with Ernie Morrison as general chair. Jim McGhay continues organizing and meeting with AAPG Libraries to work on developing more Internet libraries and working with the three Societies in the Section, which has Internet libraries.
Mid-Continent Section is giving out several matching scholarships each year to its member Societies. Individual Societies continue to have teacher workshops or field trips either at our Mid-Continent conventions or as stand-alone workshops. Student Scholarships and assistance are given to students attending our convention.
Oklahoma Geological Society has developed a Teacher Research room with information and specimens for classrooms. Kansas Geological Society has yearly workshops for teacher throughout the state.
Finance
The Mid-Continent Section receives 35% of the profit from its convention put on by the Societies. This money is used for scholarships and grants to give to the Section’s Societies on a matching for research grants or scholarships.