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Notes from the SCAR President, number 37 (18 May 2011)
SCAR Executive Committee Meeting 2011
Colleagues,
I hope that this note finds everyone well! I will be brief and primarily draw your attention to the SCAR Executive Committee meeting to be held in July 2011 in conjunction with the International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences (ISAES) XI in Edinburgh, Scotland [by the way - ISAES XI has exceeded its limit of 450 registrants and over 500 abstract submissions!!!].
The SCAR Executive Committee is authorized to act on your behalf during the intersessional period and this meeting in the odd-numbered years ensures continuity in SCAR operations and decision making year-round. As is customary, SCAR's Executive Committee (expanded by ex officio inclusion of Standing Group and Committee Chief Officers) and the SCAR Secretariat will consider a full agenda of items similar to that considered during the biennial Delegates meetings. I ask that you take a few minutes to review the agenda and provide any comments or questions you may have regarding the many issues to be discussed (cc to me and Mike Sparrow). While supporting papers are still being developed and uploaded, you will be able to access these documents in the "Members Only" section of the SCAR website. Between now and the meeting, please refer to the site to review documents as they are posted. Your input and advice is not only welcomed but needed! Over the next few Presidential notes, I will highlight agenda items of particular importance and ask for comment.
You may have noticed that meeting separate from COMNAP is a departure from past practice. I want to assure everyone that this is a strategic decision to conserve resources and to optimize the impact of the SCAR Executive Committee meeting by combining it with a major SCAR event. It in no way indicates any less commitment to a full and active partnership with COMNAP. In Buenos Aires it was decided to select the location for the Executive Committee meetings each time to best utilize people's time and resources for highest impact and joint meetings with COMNAP will be scheduled in the future. In addition, I have decided to attend the COMNAP meeting in Sweden in August and deliver the SCAR report, and those members of the SCAR Executive Committee that are present will meet with COMNAP representatives to discuss common issues.
Just a few quick news items, it looks like we are on pace to set a record for the number of applications for the Muse Prize and the SCAR/COMNAP Fellowships! Planning for the 2012 biennial meetings is moving forward and a first circular and website will be available soon. The Secretariat remains extremely busy, including planning and managing the 4th Cross-linkages workshop in Ottawa a few weeks ago (thanks to Kathy Conlan/Steve Bigras and the Canadian Museum of Nature for hosting the meeting and for arranging for me to meet with the Canadian Polar Commission). The first meeting of the Bi-Polar Action Group II (BiPAG II), that is joint with the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), was hosted in Cambridge this week as well. If you have the opportunity, please let the Secretariat know how much we appreciate all that they do!
Ending on a sad note, I am sure most of you have now heard that Antarctic historian and jurist Jorge Berguño passed away a few weeks ago. Jorge was a fixture for many years at most meetings dealing with the Antarctic and his presence will be sorely missed. He was always a soft and well-spoken gentleman and a person of great insight and unusual perspective.
Chuck K.,
President of SCAR
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