Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their society.
I am going to be quite brief this month. Do you know that feeling when you have done all you can do to mature a prospect, complete your grant application, pitch your ideas to the leadership or client or whatever you do in your professional role – to bring a very large and important project to a decision point?
That’s a bit what it feels like for those of us who have been doing our best to reimagine and build a fresh path for AAPG, one that will focus on what members want: energy geoscience advancement and technology sharing, networking, career advancement opportunities and community, all within an updated framework that can bring our finances back into balance.
If you have been following along, you know that over a two-year period, quite a bit of precious volunteer time and critical staff support have gone into analyzing and understanding our membership and financial trends, polling and soliciting input from members, drafting ideas and testing them with larger groups, using feedback to revise and improve the proposals, and now crystallizing it all into a clean set of bylaws to be considered for adoption. I am in awe of the many people who gave their time and expertise so generously.
The Decision Before Us
Well, the time has come for the output to be voted upon. During April and May, our House of Delegates will consider the new, simpler bylaws for AAPG and then vote either yes: they can be passed along for a full membership vote; or no: kill the new bylaws without asking the membership.
In the positive case, in June to July all members will have the opportunity to vote yes: adopt the new bylaws, or no: retain the current governing documents.
The call to action now is for you, the membership, to decide if you want to have that chance to vote for yourself on the future direction of the Association. To express your opinion on a democratic path forward, you can find the names of your HoD delegates here: www.aapg.org/about/aapg/leadership/house-of-delegates-hod/delegates.
What are some of the key advantages of the updated framework for AAPG?
- Taking AAPG back to its technical roots with a clear focus on the science and technology of energy. This includes elevating the current divisions to a seat at the leadership table and creating additional seats to represent members with core interests in oil and gas
- Lighter governance, much less proscriptive procedures and the agility needed to run an organization in the 21st century
- An organizational structure that supports and enables volunteers to run the programs they care about, and therefore a reduced staff requirement
- A clear business focus on products and customers to best assure AAPG’s financial well-being
There are obviously many details under these headlines. You can find a resource page at www.aapg.org/reimagine. For additional factual information, I also recommend reading the letter in this issue of the EXPLORER authored by Sarah Barnes, secretary of the Executive Committee.
I will close by pointing out that this effort is supported by a 7:1 vote in the Executive Committee, 80 percent of our living past presidents and the Corporate Advisory Board composed of representatives from the companies who sponsor many of AAPG’s activities. I have high hopes that the House of Delegates will vote “yes” to allow the new proposed Bylaws to be considered by our membership this summer.
There is a bright future ahead. This is the critical time for all members to take an interest and make their voices heard!
Claudia Hackbarth