International Rep Issue Gets OK
Delegates Approve Panel's Proposal
The AAPG House of Delegates' 29th annual meeting at San Antonio overwhelmingly approved recommendations by a Special Resolutions Committee that presented legislation to bring closure to the issues relating to international representation in AAPG.
As House Chairman Tom Mairs, Dallas, told the delegates, the international representation issue has been the focus of several years of study by various House committees that resulted in the ad hoc International Representation Committee's proposed bylaws amendment before the House.
Please log in to read the full article
The AAPG House of Delegates' 29th annual meeting at San Antonio overwhelmingly approved recommendations by a Special Resolutions Committee that presented legislation to bring closure to the issues relating to international representation in AAPG.
As House Chairman Tom Mairs, Dallas, told the delegates, the international representation issue has been the focus of several years of study by various House committees that resulted in the ad hoc International Representation Committee's proposed bylaws amendment before the House.
That amendment included the establishment of "International Regions" and continuance of United States-based Sections; a method for the international regions to select delegates from their regions; and a change in the composition of the Advisory Council.
The issues have been debated in various venues, including a special insert in the March 1998 EXPLORER. The continuing discussions prompted the House leadership to name the ad hoc Special Resolutions Committee, headed by past HOD chairman Dan Smith, of Houston, to attempt to bring a consensus proposal to the House that would be acceptable to all of the affected entities.
The SRC's recommendation to amend the IRC proposed amendment, as published in a special insert in the March EXPLORER, was approved unanimously by the House and included.
- Retaining the three past-presidents on the Advisory Council (as opposed to the IRC's proposal to have only one on the council).
- Placing the past chairman of the House on the Council (as opposed to the IRC's proposal for the chairman-elect to sit on the Council).
- Changing the Section and regional Councilor election petition requirements from 10 to 50 members.
- Eliminated the membership requirement for Advisory Council eligibility (as opposed to the IRC's proposal requiring a minimum of 15 years of AAPG membership and having served as a delegate or an AAPG standing committee member).
- Established a minimum regional delegate number equal to the number of affiliated societies in each region.
- Establishes non-voting Advisory Council-observer status of the chairman of the House of Delegates, executive director, AAPG president and representatives from Sections, international regions and technical divisions with less than 750 members.
The 198 delegates in attendance at San Antonio, which is 85 percent of the total 234 House delegates, turned down by a narrow margin a proposed amendment to the SRC amendment that was presented by Dwight M. "Clint" Moore of the Houston delegation.
The "2 for 2 Amendment" would have placed the immediate two past HOD chairmen on the Advisory Council, along with the immediate two past presidents. Moore was an abstaining vote on the Special Resolutions Committee, which approved the proposals ultimately adopted by the House in San Antonio.
Other proposed amendments to the Bylaws of AAPG that received unanimous approval as written were:
- Ad hoc Membership Committee's proposed amendment to admit no additional Junior members subsequent to April 11, 1999; to eliminate the classification of Junior membership by April 11, 2004; and to transfer Junior members to the Associate member category.
- Executive Committee's proposed amendment regarding Division presidents designation of a proxy, for one meeting only, to attend Advisory Council meetings in order to make Section 9 of Article V comply with Section 8 of Article V, amended at the April 25, 1993 annual meeting in New Orleans.
- Ad hoc Ethics Committee's proposed amendment to allow expulsion of any member who pleads guilty to certain misdemeanors and felonies in violation of the AAPG Code of Ethics.
The Executive Committee's proposed amendment regarding tenure, appointment and removal of AAPG committee chairmen and vice chairmen was approved following some alteration by the delegates. Tenure of the vice chairman was changed to one year rather than three years, and the entire Executive Committee, rather than the president, can remove any committee member, including the chairman and vice chairman, with or without cause.
In other action, the delegates approved the Florida Association of Professional Geologists and the Polish Geological Society as Affiliated societies. Approved as Associated Societies were the Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists and The Geological Society (London).
Significant recommendations involving future legislative action brought forward by House Committees and approved by the Delegates were:
- In an unprecedented procedure, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee's report, read by Peter R. Rose, proposed a "Resolution for Amendment" regarding the selection by the Advisory Council's Nominating Committee of AAPG officer candidates.
The change would require the Nominating Committee to select only two candidates for each office. Currently the nominating committees may recommend more than two candidates, and the Executive Committee then selects two from the list.
Subsequently, this recommendation and approval was determined to be null and void due to an infraction in the legislative process. The Rules and Procedures of the House of Delegates state that any amendments to be proposed by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee shall be submitted at least 90 days prior to the annual meeting to the chairman of the House for placement on the agenda.
This issue could be brought forward to the House as a proposed amendment next year during the New Orleans meeting by either an Executive Committee resolution or a fifty (50) member petition.
- The ad hoc Elected Editor Committee's report presented and recommended a Resolution for Amendment to the AAPG Bylaws, which was adopted and approved by the House delegates. The approved four-part motion requires that the editor is to be charged with policy oversight and editorial content of all technical publications; shall be selected from a two-candidate election; shall serve a single three-year term; and that the secretary of AAPG is to be charged with policy and oversight of all non-technical publications and communications.
This resolution for amendment will be considered on the House floor in New Orleans during next year's annual meeting.
Delegates also elected San Antonio consultant Lowell K. Lischer as chairman-elect of the House, and Houston consultant Deborah K. Sacrey as secretary/editor.
Lischer will assume office on July 1, and then will assume the House chairmanship in 2000 and serve through June 30, 2001. Sacrey will serve a one-year term beginning July 1.