Dear all,
Please do send any comments you may have been pondering, today!
Regards,
Sheila.
____________________________________________________________________________
Dear All,
This email is for those list members who are members of the Royal Astronomical
Society. I'm re-sending it in case the RAS' own list of email addresses
of solid earth geophysicists is deficient. Please do contact the RAS
directly with your thoughts on how the RAS might better serve members who
are solid earth geophysicists (RAS email address at end of this message).
Note the short deadline - next Thursday, 1st May.
The British Geophysical Association committee will be considering this matter,
and if you would like, you may
send a copy of your response to the RAS to me for the BGA Committee to see.
Regards,
Sheila Peacock.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: solid Earth geophysicist members [Scanned]
Date: Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:25:46 +0100
From: Ronald Wiltshire <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
CC: <[log in to unmask]>
Dear Colleague
This message is aimed at our solid-Earth geophysics fellows and I am
sending it to you because for RAS purposes you are described as a `G'
rather than `A' Fellow. If you are a 'G' fellow but not a geophysicist,
you don't need to read further.
Council has received a letter from 2 fellows who have previously held
senior positions in the Society making the following points about solid
Earth geophysicists in the RAS:
1. They became members of the RAS (as well as, or instead of, the
Geological Society) because of the advantages of being associated
with a physics based community
2. As a result of their RAS membership over the years, GJI has
developed into a major international journal from which the Society
as a whole benefits, not least financially
3. However, in recent years, they have derived fewer benefits from
their membership of the RAS whose activities cater disproportionately
for `astronomers' (meaning
astrophysicists, solar and planetary physicists and
solar-terrestrial scientists).
4. A particular concern is the lack of representation of solid Earth
geophysicists on Council 5. As a result it is difficult to persuade
younger members of the community to seek membership of the RAS - and
indeed there is a real risk of existing fellows resigning.
Council, naturally, takes these comments very seriously. As you know, in
the past year we created a new post of Policy Officer since we realised
we have to make the case for our sciences with the government and
research councils, as well as the public. However, since November, when
the implications of the last comprehensive spending review were
realised, Council has been preoccupied with the budget and operations of
the Science & Technology Facilities Council.
I don't apologise for this since we are dealing with what is, for many
of our members, a very serious situation indeed- and we remain
determined to do all we can to mitigate it. However, I acknowledge that
Council has not spent the time it might otherwise have done considering
the implementation of Professor Aftab Khan's review of Geophysics
Education, the operations of NERC or other matters more closely related
to your interests.
Accordingly, Council has agreed that we should consult all of our
solid Earth geophysicist members. Specifically we would like to know
what the RAS can do to better serve their professional interests. In the
light of feedback we plan to convene a meeting with representatives of
the community before taking suggestions to Council.
IF YOU HAVE READ THIS FAR AND YOU ARE A SOLID EARTH GEOPHYSICIST,PLEASE
TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE SATISFIED OR DISSATISFIED
WITH THE SERVICES YOU RECEIVE FROM THE RAS. IRRESPECTIVE OF YOUR ANSWER
PLEASE LET US HAVE YOUR SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING THE WAY THE SOCIETY
OPERATES SO THAT IT MAY BETTER SERVE YOUR INTERESTS.
Please send your replies to the Executive Secretary David Elliott (
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> ) - ideally by 1 MAY 2008.
regards
Michael Rowan -Robinson
( President)
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