Letter from the Secretary/Editor
To all of you that made it possible for me to serve as the House of Delegates Secretary/ Editor 2008 – 2009; Thank You Very Much! I am looking forward to managing the HoD tasks this year together with the Chair, George Bole and Chair-Elect, Steve Sonnenberg.
In this issue of The Delegates’ Voice you will find letters from some of the Chairs of the HoD committees, the European Region, Canada Region and from the Southwest Section. I hope to always be able to include letters from the International Regions and the US Sections. In this issue, you will also find letters from the AAPG President, the Energy Minerals Division president, and letters from Delegates. Last, but not least, please pay attention to the proposed changes to the Bylaws.
What are our duties and responsibilities?
First of all, thank you George, for distributing the HoD CD to all the delegates with information about the responsibilities and the duties of the delegates and information regarding the Association. This is important information for the new delegates and a good reminder for the rest of us of why it is important to:
- keep ourselves updated on HoD business by reading The Delegates’ Voice
- attend the House of Delegates’ meeting in connection with the AAPG Annual Meeting to vote for changes to AAPG legislatives affairs.
All legislative affairs within the scope of the Constitution and Bylaws of AAPG are vested in the House of Delegates which means it is our responsibility to ensure a strong, healthy and sustainable foundation for the world’s largest association for geologists; an association where honesty, integrity, loyalty, fairness, impartiality, candor, fidelity to trust and inviolability of confidence are in focus. In an international environment, it matters that we, the Delegates, are able to communicate a common level of professional standards among the members.
How do we fulfill our duties?
As delegates we represent each of the geoscientists who are members of AAPG. It is therefore important that we act as bridges between the Association, the House of Delegates and the Executive Committee, and the Association’s members by bringing concerns and suggestions from the members to the Association, and by bringing information of the decisions and doings of the Association to the members. We should make sure that the members are aware of this part of our duty as delegates so that they feel free to contact us. Part of this communication is also, of course, that you as a Delegate should make your voice heard in The Delegates’ Voice by writing letters to express the concerns and comments of the members of your Region or Section. Such contributions, along with a picture of yourself, should be
sent to me
Why are our duties important?
AAPG needs volunteers in several areas and the House of Delegates is one such area.Why have we chosen HoD as our way of serving AAPG? It is probably the best way to make sure that the members in your Region or Section have influence over the Association. By being a delegate we have been given the responsibility of setting the level of professional morality and defining professional responsibility for AAPG members. For us geologists, this really matters! By having chosen to be a Delegate, you have shown that it really matters for you as well!
Enjoy the rest of 2008 until we meet again in the December issue of The Delegates’ Voice.