SUPPLEMENT TO METEORITICS, VOL 31#6 The Meteoritical Society Newsletter DECEMBER 1996 A report of the business carried out by the Society over the past year, compiled by Monica M. Grady, Secretary. One of the things I cherish about Meteoritical Society EDITORIAL meetings is the discussion periods after talks and, I have to President’s Editorial Hap McSween confess, I like a good fight as much as anyone. Criticism and Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a response serve a vital role in insuring that observations and friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger. - Franklin P. Jones measurements are properly made and interpreted. However, One of the unofficial duties of the Society's President is to some members (I share this concern) are troubled by comments listen to gripes of all kinds. Often these criticisms have merit, and questions that are unnecessarily aggressive and and I would like to share a few of them with you, in the hope disrespectful, particularly when they are addressed to students. that the Meteoritical Society might improve by addressing To be sure, this happens only rarely, but it takes only one them. Don't get me wrong - I consider our Society the most instance to mar a student's perception of the scientific vibrant scientific organisation that I know of, but any enterprise (this applies not only to the student on the hot seat, organisation can benefit from some fine tuning of its policies but also all the other students in the audience). In general, the and adjustments to the way it operates. Society does a marvellous job of nurturing its future All societies, I suppose, tend to be run by the most generations, and it has been suggested that we should hold all experienced or best known members, those who have paid our colleagues to a high standard of civility while carrying on their dues, so to speak. It has been suggested, however, that the scientific debate. makeup of the Council should reflect the Society's membership We are lucky that our research happens to focus on topics in the broadest sense. In the past, the Nominating Committee that are inherently interesting to the public. However, we have has paid attention to diversity in geography and discipline in pushed and quantified the disciplines of meteoritics, selecting its nominees, but not so much to diversity in age and cosmochemistry, impact cratering, and planetology to the point experience. Many younger members of the Society, in where new discoveries and ideas may be difficult to particular, feel that their concerns may not be adequately comprehend, sometimes even by other practitioners. All of us represented on the Council. Future slates of nominees might would benefit if greater attention were paid to clear benefit from having a student member or a recent graduate communication, and it has been suggested that the Society who likely shares their concerns. The Council has already develop new mechanisms for promoting its research indicated that the names of members of the Nominating discoveries and delivering this information understandably to Committee should be made available to the business meeting the broader scientific community and to the lay public. prior to the selection deadline so that they can be contacted In closing, I should note that I have enjoyed my stint in with suggestions of nominees for various offices. leading this wonderful organisation, and I thank you for the As I write this, I have recently returned from the Olympics honour and privilege of serving. In listening to your concerns, I in Atlanta. After watching many events on television, I was have learned that the Meteoritical Society, like all struck by how much more exciting they were when viewed live organisations, must change with the times, and it is important at the Olympic stadium. In the same way, the Meteoritical that such change be steered by honest criticism. You should Society's annual meetings are "science live," and our oral and realise that it is welcome, and the new Officers and Council poster presentations of research in-progress convey a invite your concerns. heightened sense of excitement compared to the final, polished NEW COUNCIL publications. "Science live" also allows one to appreciate that A new Council takes office in January 1997. No candidates scientific research is carried out by humans, not robots, and were proposed other than the slate of Officers put forward by that we sometimes make mistakes and even change our minds. the Nominating Committee. The following will therefore These are valuable lessons for students, and we must insure comprise the new Council of Officers: that our younger members have opportunities to attend the annual meetings. Organisers, aided by generous gifts from the Vice-President: Michael J. Drake (US) Barringer Crater Company, have always found funds to Secretary Monica M. Grady (UK) 2nd term support student travel, but additional funding sources (such as Treasurer Joseph I. Goldstein (US) 2nd term might be provided by the Meteoritical Society Endowment Councillor: Andrew M. Davis (US) Fund) are needed. Young researchers just out of graduate William K. Hartmann (US) school are especially vulnerable to loss of travel funds, because Gregory Herzog (US) 2nd term it often takes years to secure their own support. Also, it has Petr Jakeš (Czech Republic) been suggested that future Councils should weigh the merits of Hiroko Nagahara (Japan) 2nd term particularly exciting but very distant or expensive venues Ludolf Schultz (Germany) versus more mundane meeting sites that involve lesser costs. Paul Warren (US) Meeting organisers might also consider less expensive (and Brigitte Zanda (France) correspondingly less grandiose) social events and banquets, in order to hold registration costs down. 1 FINANCES Shinner, Lawrence Taylor, Robert Walker, Ann Welbon, Treasurer’s Report Joseph I. Goldstein Walter Werner, Michael Zolensky and Kenzo Yagi. Next year's (1997) dues statement will be sent before the The balance sheet for 1995, given below, shows the end of the year. The Treasurer would appreciate your prompt Society to be in a healthy financial position. The royalties from response; late dues payment often result in temporary Pergamon (Elsevier) Press for the publication of Geochimica et suspension of your subscription to Meteoritics and Planetary Cosmochimica Acta continue to accrue. We have collected a Science. If you have any questions about your dues or total of $75,735.40 through the end of 1995, an increase of membership status, the easiest and fastest way to reach the $20,735.73 from the first of the year. Treasurer is by email, ([email protected]). BALANCE SHEET METEORITICS AND PLANETARY SCIENCE December 31, 1995 Editor’s Report Derek Sears Bank balance 12/31/95 $37,147.35 Forced to confront a Chairman of the Publication Money Market Account $26,462.63 Committee urging me to take the journal to ever greater Total 12/31/95 $63,609.98 heights, and a Treasurer working to keep down costs, I Bank balance 1/1/95 $55,213.56 remarked this year that editing a journal is more like riding a (excl. Pergamon, Elsevier) wild steer than captaining a large vessel! However, the image Net gain, Jan. - Dec. 1995 $8,396.42 of controlling a mighty vessel filled with the precious cargo of Net Capital as of 12/31/95 $139,345.38 our research does appeal. So, my report reads that Starship MAPS has completed another series of successful voyages, Includes royalty from Pergamon, each fully laden with bigger and better cargo than before, Elsevier of $75,735.40 without any wreckages or even being blown off-course by the storms it encountered. In fact, the editorial board are very As of June 30, 1996 our Net Capital is $168,009.24 which proud of the cargo we transported last year. This is an exciting includes additional royalty payments from Pergamon subject, and hardly a day goes by without an interesting new (Elsevier) and interest from our investments of $18,039.93. idea being tossed into the holds. Council authorised $75,000 of this to be transferred to the Meteoritics & Planetary Science is succeeding in attracting Meteoritical Society Endowment Fund. As of June 30, 1996, most of the major meteorite, crater, tektite and interplanetary the endowment for the Nier Prize stands at $53,969.19. dust papers being produced, and probably most of the meteor Although our net capital and reserves for the society look papers. It is also doing very well in attracting asteroid papers, quite good, there will be a small budget deficit of about $3,000 and we will work to maintain this trend. But we now need a for 1996. Unfortunately this deficit will grow in 1997 and major effort towards encouraging cometary papers to the beyond because of increased costs for producing our society’s journal. With this in mind we were very pleased that Anny- journal, Meteoritics and Planetary Science. Because of this Chantal Levasseur- Regourd joined the board this year. We budget deficit, the Council voted for a $10 dues increase for also welcomed Rick Binzel, Scott Sandford, and Bill Hartmann each full member from $60 to $70. Although the dues increase as part of our efforts to broaden the appeal of the journal, and seems large, this is the first increase in 3 years. Urs Krähenbühl, Alex Deustch, Ed Scott and Ernst Zinner We have arranged to accept payment for the 1997 society joined the group to maintain and enhance existing strengths. dues by Visa or Master Charge. This change was prompted by This is a fine bunch a colleagues that it is a privilege to know the numerous requests from non-US members for this and work with.