Committee Report: Minutes Approval
HoD Annual Report for 2008-09
I choose to begin my report by thanking all who have supported me as the House of Delegates (HoD) Chair and supported the activities of the House this past year. I especially thank the Headquarters Staff, the HoD Officers, the HoD Committee Chairs and their members, the Executive Committee, the Advisory Council, and the Section Delegate Foremen. Without their help and support in applying the “glue” to hold things together and the “grease” to keep things running smoothly, many deadlines and obligations would have been extremely difficult to meet. Not to mention the “damage control” activated on more than one occasion to keep things “on course”.
Section and Convention Meetings
This past fiscal year, the House has been represented at:
- Five Section meetings (Rocky Mountain, Gulf Coast, Eastern, Southwest and Pacific);
- The European Region Energy Conference in Oslo, Norway;
- The Annual Convention and Exhibition (ACE in Denver, CO);
- The International Convention Exhibition (ICE in Cape Town, SA); and
- The Prospect and Property Meeting (APPEX in London, UK).
The early morning breakfasts and the receptions, though partially social, provided a venue for me, President Scott Tinker, and Executive Director Rick Fritz to keep our Delegates and guests informed:
- About the affairs of the Association;
- Through officer candidate introductions;
- About the Global Corporate Structure concept;
- The financial status of the Association;
- Of our regional office start-ups in Bahrain, Singapore and London; and
- Through feedback on membership growth, professional women in the earth sciences and activities at our Geo-DC Office.
Mid-year Meeting
The mid-year meeting was held in Houston on January 17, 2009. There were 19 members in attendance:
- Five from the Executive Committee;
- Four HoD Committee Chairs;
- Three HoD Officers;
- Three HoD Officer Candidates;
- Two Advisory Council Members; and
- Two guests.
We received reports from the HoD Committees, a review of the Global Corporate Structure concept, and a Headquarters Operations Summary. There were nine proposed changes to the Bylaws submitted for consideration. Of these, eight made the cut and were considered by the House in Denver. The proposed changes as well as the House results have been published in The Delegates’ Voice and Explorer.
HoD Meeting-Denver
The meeting was attended by 197 certified voting delegates. There are 225 total delegates in the HoD. A record attendance of 87.6% of the total available delegates was set.
Outcome of Proposed Bylaws Changes
ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP, SECTION 3. Active Members: The three-year requirement before a member can be considered for Active membership was changed to one year in a close vote of the AAPG House of Delegates at the Denver Annual Convention.
The debate centered on whether the three-year Active membership eligibility requirement provides an indication of professionalism and whether the time requirement was a stumbling block to Active membership.
The proposal garnered the required two-thirds majority by two votes. A motion for a no-membership-time requirement was voted down.
ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP, SECTION 8. Election to Membership: Another proposed Bylaws change that required endorsers for Active members to know the applicants for at least one year also was voted down.
A section of the original motion passed that provides the Executive Committee may not waive the endorsement or professional experience requirements, which is now one year by the previous vote.
ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP, SECTION 6. Students: Delegates voted to return to committee consideration a proposal to provide student membership only to full-time students.
ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP, SECTION 5. Honorary Members: Withdrawn was a proposal to change the bylaws to include recipients of the Michel T. Halbouty Outstanding Leadership Award as Honorary members.
ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP, ARTICLE V. ADVISORY COUNCIL, and ARTICLE XIII. DUES: Four items dealing with legal language “housekeeping” were approved, including a change clarifying that the Advisory Council will not recommend recipients for awards of a technical nature, such as the Matson Award for best paper at an annual meeting.
Global Corporate Structure
Delegates also discussed a new “Global Corporate Structure” concept with information provided by Marty Hewitt, chair of a special presidential committee that incorporated input from various committees that have studied the topic since the 2004 AAPG Strategic Plan.
AAPG President Scott Tinker told delegates that HoD consideration was another step“to move forward on a concept for a legal, governance and structure for AAPG to operate worldwide while protecting AAPG assets.”
The concept and voluminous background and explanatory material previously were sent to delegates, reported in the Delegates’ Voice and available on the AAPG Web site.
Hewitt, past HoD chairman, said “a sense of the House” was being sought, with the intention of honing the concept by the Executive Committee and Advisory council for consideration by the HoD Constitution and Bylaws Committee, with a goal of a vote by delegates on a proposal at their 2010 meeting during the AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition in New Orleans.
Assuming HoD approval of that proposal, the measure would go to the AAPG membership for final ratification. If the timeline is met, implementation would be in 2011.
Following 26 minutes of discussion, the House voted to move on to other business.
House Elections, Awards
Delegates elected David Hawk, a Boise, Idaho, consultant and recently retired as director of energy natural resources for J.R. Simplot Co., as HoD chair-elect, and Laura Zahm, of the Bureau of Economic Geology, the University of Texas at Austin, as secretary/editor. Both will assume office on July 1, and Hawk will serve as HoD chairman in 2011-12.
House honorees included:
- Terry Hollrah, Oklahoma City – Honorary Member of the House.
- Susan Landon, Golden, Colo. – Distinguished Member of the House.
- Marilyn Taggi Cisar, Cypress, Texas – Long Service Award.
- Donald K. Murray, Lakewood, Colo. – Long Service Award.
In closing I wish Steve Sonnenberg, HoD Chair, along with David Hawke, Chair Elect and Laura Zahm, Secretary/Editor, a successful run at the House helm next year.
I especially want to thank Sigrunn Johnsen our outgoing HoD Secretary/Editor for all her fine efforts at publishing the Delegates’ Voice.
I plan to see most all of you in New Orleans in 2010.