Officers
Challenges to Delegates
Welcome to the first issue of The Delegates’ Voice for 2011-12!
Secretary/Editor David Cook is enthusiastically continuing our tradition of making this publication interesting and relevant as the primary communication vehicle among the AAPG Delegates.
To start the year, I would like to review my vision, and then update you on recent actions of the AAPG Executive Committee affecting Delegates and the membership application process.
As Chair I hope to achieve two primary goals:
- First is “energizing” Delegates to become more proactively involved as communicators to their Affiliated Societies, Sections and International Regions. A major goal is to help step up recruitment of new AAPG members.
- Second is to continue efforts to make the AAPG membership application process “more welcoming” for the applicant and efficient for both the applicant and the Association.
Challenges to Delegates–Please Do These Things:
- Read Article IV, (especially Section 5) of the AAPG Bylaws describing the duties of Delegates and take note of your multiple responsibilities. We have many duties other than processing membership applications and attending the HoD annual meeting at ACE!
- Note item (g): “Delegates shall actively solicit applications from eligible geologists for membership in the Association.”
- Join an AAPG GIS-UDRIL Demonstration Webinar online to learn about the unique resource AAPG offers through Datapages, Search and Discovery and GIS-UDRIL. Webinars are the 3rd Tuesday of every month. Check the AAPG Datapages website for details.
- Read AAPG Geoscience Director Jim Blankenship’s article in this issue of The Delegates’ Voice on AAPG’s digital database and how to use it.This resource can be a huge recruiting tool for us to demonstrate something exciting that differentiates AAPG. Note that under the “AAPG DataPages/Search and Discovery, Special Collections” drop down menu, you can find streaming videos of “Discovery Thinking Forum” presentations from past ACEs in which our colleagues describe the personal excitement of the “Discovery Process.” What a great connection to see what exploration is all about!
- Search for and recruit new AAPG Members, and particularly Young Professionals, not only to join AAPG, but to stand for election as Delegates. We need to have more representation in the HoD from the dynamic younger segment of our profession! Use what you learn in items 2 and 3 to recruit! Consider writing an article for your local newsletter or bulletin or making an announcement at a meeting.
Recent EC Actions on the Membership Application Process
AAPG Membership Communication and Coordination Committee Chair Andrea Reynolds presented proposals for process changes to the EC on July 1. As a result, the EC approved a change at its August 2 meeting to begin publishing the names of AAPG Member applicants and sponsors on the AAPG website as soon as the Tulsa Membership Department vets the application and sponsors.
This change (publishing more quickly electronically and no longer waiting for the next printed issue of the Explorer ) should speed up the processing of applications significantly and is within the current requirements of the Bylaws.
An article in the next Explorer by Vicki Beighle will explain this change to the AAPG membership.
The EC also endorsed the creation of a “Delegates’ Handbook” to be a more comprehensive document including use of practical definitions and examples to aid application processing. Finally, the EC endorsed a survey of AAPG members on the “value of certification.” These projects are underway.
Another effort in the Tulsa Membership Department is a review of Association files by Vicki Beighle and her staff to review member records to identify AAPG Associates who have geoscience degrees and may well qualify to become Active Members of the Association. When complete, the HoD Leadership will consider ways to systematically work on this issue, which I refer to as “Associatitis.”
I look forward to working with Chair-Elect Randy Ray, Secretary/Editor David Cook and the HoD.