Letter from the Chair-Elect
The Annual Meeting of the House of Delegates will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2009 in Denver, CO. I have been a delegate for 20 years and look forward to serving for many more years. I want to encourage all of you to attend the meeting and also to be prepared and informed. In my preparation to become the Chairman of the House, I was reviewing the duties of the members of the House, amongst other things. The duties of a House Member are:
- Being familiar with the Association’s Constitution and Bylaws;
- Being acquainted with the Association’s current policies and programs;
- Informing the leaders of their society or region regarding the Association’s program of activities, especially as it relates to cooperative participation and service;
- Processing requests from the Executive Committee for information regarding eligibility of applicants for membership in the Association;
- Serving as local certification committeemen by processing requests from the Board of Certification for information regarding applicants for certification by the Association;
- Actively soliciting applicants from eligible geologists for membership in this Association.
I want to encourage all of you to work on the last bullet. Have you solicited any applicants during the year? If not, please do so! Membership is an important gauge to the overall health of an organization. In the Association’s strategic (long-range) plan, our goal is to be indispensible to energy-related geoscientists worldwide.
At this year’s meeting, several important amendments to the AAPG Bylaws are being proposed. These proposed amendments have been vetted by the House Constitution and Bylaws Committee, AAPG legal counsel, Craig Blackstock, and House officers. The vetting process results in some modifications before they are presented to the House of Delegates for consideration. One of the main duties of a member of the House is to “be familiar with the Association’s Constitution and Bylaws” and you should also be “familiar” with the proposed changes. Please let us know if you have any questions.
I am looking forward to the coming year and serving as Chairman of the House. Please send me your questions, comments, and any recommendations. I look forward to seeing you in Denver.