PRESIDENT'S COLUMN

By PATRICK J.F. GRATTON

Continuity, Geothrills and Geohelp

PATRICK J.F. GRATTON
2004-05 AAPG President

Tsunami Disaster Prompts Response by Association

The recent Asian tsunami, an event that will go down as one of history's worst natural disasters, has created an outpouring of heartfelt assistance from all over the world. The tsunami has killed more than 150,000 people in Asia and east Africa, but millions more are in desperate need of aid that will help them survive.

AAPG wants to do its part. The Executive Committee is gathering information and is planning a program to provide geologic education materials to affected educational and government institutions for both replacement and use for future planning.

Watch future EXPLORER for details.

AAPG also has set up a fund to match relief effort contributions made by the AAPG headquarters staff. A list of reputable agencies gathering funds and involved in the aid endeavors are listed on the AAPG Web site.

These subjects are not directly related (I hope!) but are treated in sequence in this column.

First, some observations about continuity.

Effective leadership requires continuity and good corporate memory. The staff of the Association has continuity, but our elected leadership is challenged in this respect.

Our system, which provides for a president-elect and a chair-elect of the House of Delegates (HoD), addresses the problem. But I've observed that even so, there are discontinuities due to short terms of office of Executive Committee (EC) members.

In a simpler lineup of tasks and issues, our system of one-year apprenticeships would easily solve the problem. But AAPG's business and service lines have become complex and very numerous. In order to be well acquainted with all is a challenge even after a two-year learning experience, much less after one year.

Accordingly, I've initiated the practice of inviting the candidates for president-elect to our EC meetings. As guests they have no vote, but I usually ask for their comments on topics of discussion. Since usually there are sensitive and competitive items on the agenda, these guests are admitted only after those issues are acted upon.

This approach also is being used in the Budget Review and Finance Committee meetings. The president-elect chairs the committee and the treasurer is the vice chair. The committee is appointed by the president -- ordinarily from recommendations made by the president-elect. These recommendations usually include candidates for president-elect and for treasurer (in the years when there are candidates for the treasurer's post).

In both of these cases, participation not only makes for better education and continuity but also engenders "ownership."

On Oct. 10, 2004, the EC unanimously approved a resolution recommending the HoD, with advice from the Advisory Council, to consider an amendment to the Bylaws to allow candidates for president-elect to attend the EC meetings as non-voting members.

Having seen the utility of president-elect candidates Tom Ahlbrandt and Lee Billingsley attending EC meetings, I believe institutionalizing this arrangement would greatly benefit the Association by improving continuity and corporate memory in our leadership.

Your EC is commonly called upon to make decisions for events several years in the future. These include locations for annual meetings and international conventions, plus commitments for representatives or joint ventures. By involving the senior officer candidates in the decision discussions we improve accountability.

I rarely recommend books, but a recent publication is so well based in geoscience and modern politics that it seems worthy.

Michael Crichton's State of Fear is a true geothriller and an easy read.

Ronald Bailey's review in the Dec. 10, 2004 Wall Street Journal provides unusual insight on many elements of the novel.

Independent of this suggestion the EXPLORER had arranged for a book review (see related story) by Chris Steincamp, vice president of the Division of Environmental Geosciences. These two analyses will help you understand the importance of State of Fear.

As this is being written, the magnitude of yet another geologic disaster is being realized worldwide due to the tsunami that destroyed so much and so many lives in the circum-Indian Ocean. Our hearts go out to those suffering, and we are saddened by the tremendous loss of life.

Your Association will be offering our specialized assistance to education institutions impacted by the Sumatra tsunami, and I encourage members to contribute to some of the numerous private relief agencies focusing on assisting the survivors.