The Power of the Pen
It seems like only two weeks since I had to write the last President’s Letter for the Bulletin. The policy manual actually suggests that the President’s Letters all be prepared the year before as President-Elect. Writing your column a year ahead of time is not practical for this age of instant information and dynamic events worthy of discussion. With that said, I have consistently pressed the deadline each month as issues come up, often literally at the last minute of the last day. This month is no different. I would like to thank our Editor, Caroline Wachtman, for her patience in that regard and for the fine job with the Bulletin each month. Having been Editor, I can say that the Editor’s job is a most time-consuming job that comes with both accolades and criticism. In an organization composed of very diverse technical expertise such as ours, some will be pleased with the content while others may not be.
The publishing world is undergoing rapid changes, as can be attested by other geological societies as well as other non-professional societies. The Bulletin format is under review by a select committee to see if it is in keeping with the times and technology. Format, frequency, and content are all being looked at, and this review will likely stretch into the next fiscal year. Many of you have said to me that they miss the printed Bulletin in their mailbox each month. But in the 1990’s the Bulletin brought in over $100,000 each year in advertising, largely offsetting the cost of printing and postage at the time. Since then, advertising revenue has come down, production costs have risen, and postage has entered orbit. We are working on increasing advertising, but do not foresee making the Bulletin a break-even venture for an in-print version for general distribution. So, the question is; what, if anything, would members pay to receive a printed Bulletin again? Watch the email newsletter for more on this, I would like to hear your opinion.
GeoGulf24 and HGS
I had the pleasure of manning the HGS booth at this year’s GeoGulf in San Antonio. I have never worked the booth for a full show. It really was fun, and many of you who attended came by the booth. I had several members renew their dues and signed up several new members. Mainly though, the value was in presenting the HGS brand, and supporting the GCAGS who helped support our 100th anniversary year. There were about 200 attendees, three technical sessions, short courses, field trips and social events. Next year’s GeoGulf25 is under way to be held in Nacogdoches and promises to be an exemplary event. The year after is in planning, and then it will likely circle back to Houston as early as 2027.
Supporting local HGS events is increasingly critical to us as AAPG is encroaching on the HGS market with symposiums, continuing education classes and even talk about monthly meetings and social events in their Reimagine campaign. As many of you know, I am an AAPG Past President and support them, but Houston, while the largest city in the geological world, is still a small geology market and HGS’ survival is equally important to all of us.
Election Draws to Close
Everyone should have seen the ballot for next year’s Board by now, and I hope all who did have voted. The Ballot closes on May 10th, so if you have not yet voted, please put down this column right now and vote! I am hoping for a record turnout.
Call for Awards
This is the time of year to award the companies, sponsors and volunteers for their support of HGS through awards recognition. If you know of a member that you think deserves an award for their work and support of HGS, please email me with their name and reason for nominating them. The Board looks forward to your involvement and help.
Upcoming Events
Next year under President Patterson’s purview, several events are already underway. The Student Expo was a tremendous event last year and this year promises to be even larger this September. The HGS-GESGB Africa Conference in September and the Grand Canyon Raft Trip are locked and loaded in their every-other-year rotation. Watch the calendar and email newsletters for other events.
As always, I look forward to seeing all of you at the May HGS meetings and events. Be there or be square.