Letter from the Chair-Elect
I was privileged to attend the mid-year meeting of the House of Delegates (HoD) in Houston, TX on Saturday, December 1st. We convened at the Westin Galleria. Those in attendance included
- Officers:
- Marty Hewitt, Chair; George Bole, Chair-Elect and Bob Webster, Secretary/Editor
- Committee Chairs:
- Paul Hoffman, Constitution and Bylaws; Paul Britt, Resolutions; Steve Sonnenberg, Rules and Procedures and Candidate for Chair-Elect, HoD; and Bob Webster, Newsletter and Minutes Approval
- AAPG Officers, Delegates, Candidates, and Committee Members:
- Gretchen Gillis, AAPG Editor; Pat Gratton, Past-President AAPG and AC Representative; Jeff Lund, Membership Planning, AAPG; Deborah Sacrey, Candidate for Chair-Elect, HoD; and Erik Mason, Candidate for Secretary/Editor, HoD
- Absent but Represented by Proxy:
- Ed Dolly, Nomination and Election; Jim McGhay, Honors & Awards; Patrick Gooding, Credentials; and Sigrunn Johnson, Candidate for Secretary/Editor, HoD
Steve Sonnenberg, Eric Mason, Paul Britt, and George Bole discuss issues at the December 2, Mid-Year Meeting. Many topics were discussed including eight Committee Reports, two Invited Guest Reports, Review and Action Items and New Business. Except for a list of the Action Items, following, I’ll not go into detail; I leave that up to Marty, our Chair.
I will comment though on the thoroughness with which each topic was discussed then resolved. Kudos go to Sonnenberg, Britt and Hoffman as they led us through Rules and Procedures, Resolutions and Constitution and Bylaws, respectively. Their comments were to-the-point and thoughtful. They solicited and received valuable input, and their patience was outstanding.
Of no less importance were the discussions led, and comments made, by the other members of the HoD representatives at this meeting. Lund reviewed a process by which we eventually may simplify membership categories, while Gratton reported on the roles and responsibilities of the Advisory Council.
The Action Items resulting from this meeting follow.
- Webster will do a poll on interest in having a digital DV at the annual meeting.
- Honors & Awards – Marty will get with Jim McGhay to make sure citations get done in time.
- Marty will set up an ad hoc committee to re-evaluate assignment of delegates to regions and sections.
- The Rules and Procedures Committee is to work on suggested changes for next year as described during the meeting.
- Legality issues need to be addressed with AAPG counsel regarding proposed changes to AAPG Constitution and Bylaws and Rules and Procedures.
- The Resolutions Committee Chair is to try to contact individual delegates assigned to the sections, rather than to the non-responsive chairmen with the affiliated societies in danger of being disaffiliated. The appropriate AAPG EC Vice President should also be involved .
- The concept of sponsoring faculty members at universities, as described during the meeting, should be followed up by the Executive Committee, Constitution and Bylaws and the Membership Committees.
- Marty will seek to get clarity from John Hogg regarding his recommendation for the Regions names issue.
- Results of the joint Membership Committee/AAPG Tulsa staff meeting and recommendations will be reviewed with delegates in the annual meeting.
I continue to be impressed by the quality of volunteer leadership the HoD has to work with, and especially with the support we receive from headquarters.
With best regards, I hope to see many of you delegates in San Antonio next April.