The Delegates' Voice
Newsletter for the House of Delegates of AAPG

Committee Reports:

Honors and Awards

by Brenda Cunningham, Chair

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

It is time for you, the Delegates, to submit nominations for the year 2001 House of Delegates Honors and Awards! Our committee eagerly awaits your nominees for the following awards:

1) House Certificate of Merit --Presented yearly to the outgoing Chairman of the House of Delegates and any other officers chosen to be so recognized at the end of their term of office.

2) House Long Service Award --Presented in recognition of persons who have served as Delegate for a minimum of four terms, and have, in addition, taken an active role in the affairs of the House.

3) Distinguished Member of the House --Presented in recognition of the unique or exemplary service to the House through committee work. Chairing of committees and service as an officer will be considered, but not required.

4) Honorary Member of the House --The highest award of the House, presented at the annual meeting in recognition of a record of consistent, dedicated, and exemplary service to the House of Delegates through committee work and officer service (not required).

Please submit nominees and the appropriate supporting documentation no later than February 15, 2001 to Brenda Cunningham at b-k-c<at>home.com, or 2000 Neely Avenue, Midland, TX 79705-7451. You are encouraged to contact any of the committee members if you have questions. More information may be found on the AAPG website under the House of Delegates Rules and Procedures.

The members of this term’s Honors and Awards Committee are:

Rules and Procedures return to top

by Larry Jones, Chair

The HOD Rules and Procedures Committee has been asked to finalize recommended changes and additions to the existing rules and procedures by several committees and HOD officers for presentation in Denver:

a. As the result of experiences in its first year of total operation, the Honors and Awards Committee has proposed two additions to its subsection.

b. A “disaffiliation” authority and process for inactive affiliated societies is being evaluated at the request of the Resolutions Committee.

c. The work of the Ad Hoc Procedures Committee in their Report of April 16, 2000 requires certain additions to the R & P and these individual points are being considered.

d. The committee is exploring the need for new language relative to HOD committee appointments and tenure.

It is the recommendation of the R&P Committee that the following changes and additions be incorporated in Section III, A. 1. g.:

Delete: "New awards may be established as follows":

Replace with: "rules and Procedures for granting awards":

Add: (5) No HOD Honors and Awards Committee member shall receive an HOD award while serving on that committee.

and

(6) No AAPG member shall receive more than one House award in any one year. A member being voted two or more such awards in the same year shall retain the highest award and relinquish the lower one(s). The award ranking shall be 1) Honorary Member, 2) Distinguished Member, and 3) Long Service. This will not preclude that member from receiving one or more of the other awards at a later time.

Ad Hoc Committee return to top
Audit

by Will Green, Chair

During the New Business portion of the HOD meeting in New Orleans a motion passed to create an ad hoc committee to report on the need for AAPG to have an independent financial, personnel and staff audit every five years. Chairman Lischer appointed Will Green (Chairman), Ed Picou (AAPG Treasurer), Terry Hollrah (AAPG immediate past Treasurer) and AAPG candidates for president-elect, Dave Campbell and Dan Smith, to this committee.

The committee has found that AAPG has had annual financial audits for many years as a good business practice and to protect its non-profit status with the IRS. The Executive Committee contracted for an independent audit of staff and personnel in 1994, and three years ago retained a personnel consultant for a period of time.

The ad hoc committee has addressed specific questions, which will be answered in the final report, which will be published in The Delegates’ Voice prior to the annual meeting. Any delegate wishing to comment is welcome to send an e-mail to wgreen<at>midland.cc.tx.us.

Resolutions return to top

by Marty Hewitt, Chair

The HOD Resolutions Committee is charged with making recommendations concerning all advance petitions, resolutions or motions offered by Delegates, Affiliated Societies and Regions or by charge from the Chairman of the House.

At the time of submission of this report, there have been no requests from geological organizations for either affiliation or association with the AAPG.

At the 2000 meeting of the HOD in New Orleans, the Resolutions Committee under the leadership of Valary Schulz, made a procedural recommendation comprised of a series of steps to deal with Affiliated Societies that have become inactive. The concern was fýr members of the Association who have no voice in the business of the House. Additionally, when new members in those geographic areas apply for membership in AAPG, there is no one available to perform the “Delegate check.” Consequently, applicants are being accepted for membership based on the information in their application, with no peer review process. The straw vote taken on this recommendation was approved unanimously and now resides with the Rules and Procedures Committee for formal incorporation in the Rules and Procedures of the House. The 2000--2001 Resolutions Committee continues to monitor Affiliated Societies that have become inactive either by failing to elect a Delegate or failing to have Delegate representation at the Annual Meeting.

One additional item this year that the Resolutions Committee has been charged to review by Chairman Lischer is the current demographics of the HOD, specifically with respect to potential cyclic problems in populating the various standing committees of the House. This becomes especially important when assigning Delegates to committees that require staggered 2-year terms.

Our review of the data as provided by AAPG Headquarters is as follows:

We currently have 251 Delegates with 77 in their first year, 85 in their second year and 89 in their third year. A total of 32 Delegates in their first year have served multiple terms, 24 in their second year have served multiple terms with 36 in their third year serving greater than one term. The committee felt that it was important to look at multiple terms to get a feel for experience.

According to the HOD Rules and Procedures, a total of between 43 and 47 Delegates are required to serve on House standing committees (depending on how many committee members the Secretary/Editor requires for the Newsletter Committee). Of these, 18 positions (Rules & Procedures, >onstitution & Bylaws, Resolutions, Future of Earth Scientistý) require 2 year terms. Ideally, the Delegates to populate these Committees will come from those starting their second year. A review of the data suggests that there are certainly enough Delegates to fill these Committees and enough “experienced” Deleüates with greater than one term’s service who have a feel for the business of the House who could fill the Chair’s role. The Resolutions Committee feels that it is critical to make an effort to include several first year Delegates on committees thereby affording an opportunity for natural leaders to come forward and for first year Delegates to become familiar with the operations of the House.

The bottom line is that we feel the pool of available and experienced Delegates is more than adequate and will not present a cyclic problem in populating standing committees. Please feel free to contact any of the committee members, listed below, with comments or questions related to this report and the business of the Resolutions Committee.

Credentials return to top

by Stewart Chuber, Chair

As in previous years, the House of Delegates will hold their annual meeting at the national convention, this year in Denver, on Sunday, June 3, 2001, starting promptly at 8:30 a.m. and scheduled until business is finished or 3:00 p.m., whichever comes first. Registration for the group, which may total 240, will begin at 7:00 a.m. when delegates can check in with the Credentials Committee, and pick up some juice, a hot cup of coffee and a snack while talking with friends. Any member of AAPG who is not a Delegate is welcome to attend the HOD annual meeting, but he must sit outside (usually behind) the delegate voting area while the meeting is in session.

Comprising the Credentials committee are this year’s House of Delegates officer candidates: for Chairman, Don Clarke from Long Beach, CA, and Terry Hollrah from Oklahoma City, and for Secretary-Editor Marty Hewitt from Calgary and Brian Keith from Bloomington, IN. Delegates will meet the officer candidates when they register.

All delegates are urged to attend the year 2001 HOD meeting. Any Alternates should be designated and made known to Donna Riggs at AAPG Tulsa Headquarters by April 1 in order to be certified. She may be contacted at 1-800-364-2274.

We look forward to seeing you in Denver to conduct the important business of AAPG.

Nominations & Elections return to top

2001-2002 Officer Candidates for House of Delegates

Chairman-Elect
Terry Hollrah --Mid-Continent Section / Don Clarke -- Pacific Section

Secretary/Editor
Martin Hewitt -- Canadian Region / Brian Keith -- Eastern Section

This concludes my report.

Regards,
Deborah K. Sacrey

Future of Earth Scientists return to top

by Don Lewis, Chair

Chairman Lischer has charged the Future of Earth Scientists Committee (FoES) with looking at the employment situation for earth scientists. His charge to the committee is two-fold:

1. Over the next year or two, what do hiring trends look like? Where will the ,obs be, geographically and professionally?

2. What is the long-term potential for new and alternative applications of the earth sciences?

One source of information is the American Geological Institute surveys, including an employment survey currently being distributed. Other data sources are scattered. If any delegate knows of statistical data, particularly outside the United States, providing contact information or references to Don Lewis or to any committee member would be appreciated.

Committee members are Mike Clegg, Rick Ericksen, John Kaldi, Brian Keith, Don Lewis (chair), and Steve Sonnenberg.

In this issue …

Constitution and Bylaws Committee

Officers Columns:
> Chairman's Corner
> Chairman-elect
> Secretary/Editor

Officer Candidates
> Chairman-Elect:
Donald Dean Clarke
Terry Hollrah
> Secretary-Editor:
Martin D. (Marty) Hewitt
Brian Keith

Committee Reports:
> Audit
> Credentials
> Future of Earth Scientists
> Honors and Awards
> Nominations & Elections
Articles
> Rules and Procedures

Important Dates:
> Deadlines for 2000-2001 HOD Business
> Mid-year House Leadership Meeting

Facts:
> Birth of the House of Delegates
> Are You Aware That

Download this issue