75 Years and Now What?

Preparing for the 76th year of the HGS, I searched our past to see from where we came and to where we might be going. I was trying to understand what is unique about the HGS, and about us as members, so that we might focus on and nurture that quality. And that search provided some thoughts.
As I reviewed our history, I was struck again by how cyclical our industry is. The depth of our last downturn was severe because of the height of the preceding boom. Since its birth, the petroleum industry has had repeated ups-and-downs, as all industries do. We will continue to experience them, in varying intensity.
Through all these ups and downs, the HGS has not only endured but has grown. The last downturn produced the HGS job hotline, two more special interest groups (North American Explorationists and Emerging Technologies), the poster sessions, the Undergraduate Scholarship Foundation, and a more computer-aided office. The previous cycles included the donation of 500,000 driller's logs to the Houston Public Library and the establishment of the Calvert Memorial Scholarship Fund for graduate students.
And all of these developments were member-driven. Members started these new groups, new publications, and new services for fellow members, teachers, and students. We have more than 30 committees, more than 50 technical meetings and courses annually, and more than a dozen other activities involving students and HGS members. All of this is done with less than $500,000 annual cash flow and one full-time and one part-time employee. It is accomplished primarily because of the high volunteer commitment to making these things happen, year after year.
Some members donate only a day per year, perhaps counting ballots. Others donate considerable personal time and effort, in editing the Bulletin or a new publication or in keeping the office computers running. Others contribute by their membership, enabling the society to leverage its size to accomplish goals.
So why do we donate our time and effort so generously? The answer will vary from one person to another, but I see a common thread for all: they benefit technically, professionally, or personally by helping a greater community.
I grew up in the industry, with my father working for Schlumberger in the Texas panhandle. Even as a child, I knew my parents were part of a community. All worked together and played together and accepted each other all as one clan. Although the way we live has changed since then, we still know that sense of belonging. And we still work for each other through our society.
Therefore my vision of our next 25 years includes this volunteerism, this spirit of service. I see that as the focus of the HGS, what makes it unique. The challenge to us as we enter the next 25 years, as we stand at the portal of the 21st century is to enable and to encourage that public-spirited part of ourselves. For that has been and continues to be the cornerstone of the HGS.