75 Years Doing What?

As our society reaches the very significant milestone of its 75th anniversary, an appropriate concern might be to examine our mission and objectives. Have we been pursuing the objectives we set for ourselves? What have we done lately?
Reading the society''s constitution, the founders had a clear idea of why they were creating an association of geologists that has lasted for three-quarters of a century. The tasks to be accomplished were clearly stated in Article I, Section 2:

• to stimulate interest and promote advancement in the geosciences
  
• to disseminate and facilitate discussion of geological information
  
• to enhance professional interaction among geoscientists; and
  
• to aid and encourage academic training in the geosciences.

Having spent twelve months as president of the Houston Geological Society, I am pleased to report that these four objectives pretty much sum up what we are doing, and doing quite effectively, with some new and creative twists.
Our regular and special interest meetings now total more than forty per year, each with a technical presentation. We certain- ly encourage professional interaction with premeeting social hours, now highlighted by vendors'' corners and poster sessions. Our famous social events include athletics and fellowship whether we are tennis players, golfers, skeet-shooters, fishermen or just like to eat shrimp. We meet annually with our fellow professionals: landmen, geophysicists, and this year, engineers and log analysts. Field trips and continuing education certainly aid dissemination of information and professional interaction and help keep us current in scientific advances.
Academic training has traditionally been supported through our extensive and growing support of undergraduate and grad- uate scholarships. New initiatives include our major support of the North Harris College Geoscience Technology Training Center, where academic training for mid-career geoscientists is unique and essential to keep our members in tune with changing technology. The summer Technofest is another innovative means of facilitating members''famfliarity with new soft- ware and services.
Stimulating interest and advancement of the geosciences for the general public is a major new area of effort. Our Houston Museum of Natural Science Volunteer Geologist program, the HGS Internship at the museum, and our financial support of the Science & Engineering Fair of Houston are all efforts to bring geology to the citizens of Houston, especially to younger students. We publicly acknowledge outstanding geology majors at seven local universities, invite students to attend our echnical meetings, sponsor AAPG student chapters at Rice and Texas A&M, and designate an HGS Outstanding Geoscience Teacher of the Year.
I have to admit that planning for the 75th Technical Symposium and 75th Anniversary Gala have caused me to personally review HGS history in more detail than 1 would have otherwise. Every time I find a new historical document or hear a past- president tell a story, I am struck by how consistent the society has been in its pursuit of the original objectives and how relevant they seem today!