Councilor's Corner - February 2008

2008 marks a very special time for me as I begin my 3-year term as a Councilor for the Rochester Section and as I take on a new leadership role on the National level - that of Chair of the ACS Membership Affairs Committee (MAC).

I plan to use my upcoming articles to give my fellow Rochester Section members a view from within this vital Committee. It is, after all, the Committee that deals with membership recruitment, retention, benefits, Services, dues and categories.

In this first article, I wanted to cover the important decision that will be made by the Council at the National Meeting in New Orleans in early April. After a Governance Review Taskforce submitted their recommendations for the whole ACS and after multiple years of work, MAC has proposed to Council the biggest change in Society Membership ever. As a review, based on the present structure:

o Undergrad Students are welcomed into the ACS as ‘Student Affiliates”
o Applicants who have a BS degree in chemistry from an ACS approved program can become full members immediately, but those who do not come from an ACS approved program have to have three-years work experience in the field of chemistry
o Applicants with a 2-year degree have to have five-years work experience in the field of chemistry
o High school teachers, with 5-years work experience in science instruction, can become members

Keep in mind, that the last two categories only became effective since 2001! Also,
there are three levels of membership: Full Membership, Associate Membership and Affiliate Membership.

As I mentioned, the petition being proposed represents a comprehensive revision of the qualifications required for membership and for affiliate status in the ACS. In response to a developing consensus that the current qualifications for membership in the Society are unduly narrow and too restrictive, the amendments, while indicating the Society's focus on chemistry, would make anyone with a Bachelor’s or higher degree in chemistry or in a related field of natural science, engineering, technology, or science education eligible for membership. In addition, an individual with an Associate's Degree in chemical science or a related field of technology would also be eligible, as would any qualified pre-college chemistry teacher. These latter provisions would eliminate the current requirement for a number of years of work experience to be eligible. The proposal would retain a provision allowing the Admissions Committee to approve for membership those whose chemical knowledge and training is attained in the course of work experience. These changes would enable all who currently qualify as Associate Members to become Full Members, allowing the ACS to drop the unnecessary membership category of “Associate Member”. This proposal makes no changes in the various dues category for Full Members.

An amendment to the current Bylaw establishing specific requirements for Society Affiliate status would open this membership category to anyone interested in Chemistry.

There is also a developing consensus that undergraduate students should be eligible for Society membership status, as they are in most of our sister organizations. These amendments replace the Associate Member category with a Student Member category, granting Student Members all the rights of membership except those of holding national office. This includes the right to vote in Society elections. The proposed provisions governing this membership category are patterned after the current Associate Member category, and Divisions and Local Sections would have the option of allowing, but would not be required to allow, Student Members to serve as officers in the Division or Local Section, except for Councilor and Alternate Councilor. Divisions and Local Sections would also be enabled to waive or discount their dues for Student Members. Because the current Associate Member category is rendered unnecessary, it is proposed to effect these changes by straightforwardly replacing the term “ASSOCIATE MEMBER” with “STUDENT MEMBER” and Student Affiliate Chapters would become Student Chapters.

So, at my first National Meeting as MAC Chair, and as your Councilor, you can see that I have my hands full. However, this is a great proposal that, most feel, will bring the ACS membership requirements into today’s real world.

As I stated, I will bring forth more information about my role as MAC Chair in future articles, as it is important to know what your Councilors are doing and how they are serving you – the ones who honored us by electing us to the positions we hold.

Please remember that I, and Jim Reynolds, are your voices on the national level. Feel free to contact me at 477-4903, email me at:

d.richard.cobb@kodak.com

or write me at:

15-C Greenleaf Meadows, Rochester, NY 14612.

Thank you!

D. Richard Cobb

Message from the Chair - January 2008

Happy New Year!

As I look forward to 2008, I can say that I am very excited about the prospects that the new year holds. In particular, I am looking forward to the visit of Nobel Laureate Roald Hoffmann for our Annual Dinner on February 15. When I invited Dr. Hoffmann, I mentioned that I was first introduced to him via a video in my high school chemistry class - and now I get to meet him in person!

I am also looking forward to meeting many of you in person over the course of this year. Whether it is at the annual dinner or at one of the other events scheduled for 2008, please take some time to talk to me in person. We have a number of events in store including old favorites like the Harrison Howe award and symposium, the popular High School Awards Celebrations, as well as new events designed to reach out to the community around us.

I hope that you will join me in making 2008 a great year for the Rochester Section of the ACS!

Sincerely,

Rich Hartmann
2008 Chair
Rochester Section, ACS
585-389-2585
rhartma0@naz.edu