Once
more I am taking up golf. I was an enthusiast at a young age, and
often played more than 72 holes per day. My son now has the bug,
so once more I am "trying out" this very frustrating sport.
It's always
amazing how many steps you have to remember to make a good golf
swing. It's equally amazing how nice the ball sails when you do
the steps right, and how awful you look when you skip a step.
Golf is
basically the same game as when I played 25 years ago, except for
the innovations made in golf club design. My old Chi Chi Rodriguez
clubs are no match for even the cheapest clubs. I love the effectiveness
of new clubs, although I miss my old "woods."
Innovation
is a key word for the future of AAPG.
Based on
our new strategic plan, AAPG members and staff are being asked to
think outside of the box to improve our Association. AAPG now serves
many disciplines as our membership is composed of geologists, geophysicists,
engineers, geographers, etc. This reflects the integration seen
in many companies and universities.
Many innovations
are targeted toward AAPG's products and services. Digital publications
are becoming more common as more information and research is moving
through computers and the network of the World Wide Web.
The BULLETIN,
for example, is moving to a primary digital format and secondary
hardbound format, as discussed by the AAPG president and editor
in June's EXPLORER and BULLETIN. We are in the process of conducting
a member survey to ask your opinion on the change and which format
is preferred.
Many of
our special publications are submitted as purely digital products
for distribution as CD-ROMs. Although these have sold well, many
members still prefer a vestige of hardbound for their shelves, so
the Publications Committee and staff, based on the recommendation
of authors, have developed a new format for a very innovative new
generation of memoirs.
Memoir
79, The Circum-Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean: Hydrocarbon Habitats,
Basin Formation and Plate Tectonics, is a thin hardbound book that
contains extended abstracts for quick perusal of the content —
but the remainder of the book (975 pages) is included on a CD-ROM
in the back.
Like my
golf clubs, I am getting used to the new efficiency of reading electronically,
but sometimes I like to sit down with a real, good book. Memoir
79, edited by Claudio Bartolini, Richard Buffler and Jon Blickwede,
is the best of both worlds — and we have received a very good initial
response from members and the general public.
Another
area of innovation is education and training. We have just received
a new set of online carbonate modules that are being developed jointly
with the American Geological Institute and the Bureau of Economic
Geology.
The member
survey that we conducted last year indicated you wanted more online
education opportunities, and these new modules represent some of
our most innovative online learning products. AAPG now markets more
than 20 online modules.
AAPG's
latest in-house innovation is our new association software (see
related story, page 34), which was approved by the AAPG Executive
Committee last year. The iMIS and Great Plains software packages
were launched in July. Now you will be able to maintain contact
information, including your mailing and e-mail addresses, online
without requiring an e-mail or phone call.
In addition,
you will be able to:
- Maintain
your member biography — ultimately including a summary of qualifications
for work opportunities.
- Buy
books and materials, register for meetings and classes, pay dues
and make Foundation contributions online — all in the same easy
"shopping cart" and with one transaction, including the ability
to check the status of your orders as they move through processing
at AAPG.
- Change
your password whenever you like, and to whatever you want it to
be.
Everything
that you do on the Web is fully synchronized with what the AAPG
staff sees on our computer screens. If we make a change, it is instantly
displayed in your Members Only area. If you make a change, it is
instantly available to us.
Like putting
all of the steps together in golf means a good game, putting all
of the new innovations together at AAPG means improved service to
our members. We appreciate your patience as we implement each step
in the strategic vision, and welcome any new ideas or suggestions
for improvement.
The primary
goal for the game of golf is to end with the lowest possible score.
As stated by our new strategic plan, AAPG's big audacious strategic
goal is to be indispensable to all professionals in the energy-related
geosciences worldwide.
The innovations
that members and staff are implementing should move us significantly
closer to that goal.