ACS NEWS
25 Local sections meet in Dallas Southwestern sections hold three-day meeting, fifth in Council committee's series Officers of 25 ACS local sections in the Southwest met last month near Dallas for an intensive three-day conference on local section programs and problems. The meeting was the fifth in a series of regional conferences sponsored by the ACS Council Committee on Local Section Activities. Special programs for high school teachers and students, establishment of topical groups to serve more members, continuing education programs, and section administrative operations were among the topics creating the most interest among the delegates. Also discussed in detail were such matters as membership problems, the speakers tour service, long-range planning, and public relations activities. In a keynote address opening the meeting, Dr. George W. Campbell, chairman of the committee, said, "If the ACS is to provide additional and meaningful service to its members, most of the work must be done at the local section level by local section members." The delegates were urged to consider formation of topical groups to provide in-depth discussions of specialized subjects. Such groups tend to strengthen the overall section program by helping to meet the individual needs of the members and ultimately increase member participation in other local section functions. Many sections are now forming subsections, especially in areas where members must travel long distances to attend a section meeting. Several sections covering particularly large areas were cited as potential prospects for subsection formation. High school teachers. Programs and projects involving high school teachers (and students) are active fields for ACS local section efforts today. A number of specific activities were suggested to encourage improved science education: awards to outstanding teachers and students, speakers bureaus to serve local schools, safety symposiums, vocational guidance, summer job aids, scholarships, and radio and TV science quiz shows. Considerable discussion was devoted to the quality of science fairs in secondary schools. The delegates suggested that the ACS might undertake a study to develop a set of guidelines for planning and operating high school science fairs. Local sections may also
seek to upgrade the fairs in their respective communities. The Society's current activity in continuing education, including short courses at national meetings and traveling short courses, is one of the most important programs developed by the ACS in recent years, the conference delegates agreed. Many local sections also have been active in continuing education and have offered short courses, continuation courses, and lecture series. New techniques for communicating technical information, including telewriter systems, lectures by telephone, closed-circuit TV, and videotaped lectures were suggested as other means by which local sections could seek to serve their members more effectively. Membership campaigns. The emphasis on ACS membership recruitment was shifted from the national office to the local sections this year and indications are that new member enrollments in 1966 will exceed nearly all previous years. The rate of resignations from ACS is decreasing, the delegates were told. Of those members resigning, 30% have been in ACS four years or less and 60% have been members 10 years or less. Section officers should be constantly mindful of the needs of the newly enrolled members. Three local sections speakers tour circuits were represented at the conference. Costs of the tours have re-
mained fairly constant in recent years, but the relative cost goes up when speakers are requested from areas of the country a long distance from the tour circuit. Formation of long-range planning committees is on the increase and the section officers were encouraged to establish such a group in their respective sections. The scope of the committee should be unlimited, the delegates were told, and ideas should be generated on a broad basis, from local section administrative problems to matters of national ACS policy. Public relations. The impact of science on society and the need for the scientific community's involvement in the decision-making process require that scientists be concerned about public opinion. Favorable public attitudes toward chemists and chemistry can best be promoted at the local section level. The conferees were encouraged to improve their communication with the local press, school administrators and teachers, local government, and business leaders in their section territories. In the final formal agenda item, Dr. Campbell urged the representatives to take advantage of the many opportunities to provide service to the members of their respective sections. He cited such areas as continuing education, manpower services, regional meetings, topical groups, and subsections. Marshall W. Mead, manager of the ACS Local Section Activities Office, conducted the conference, aided by Dr. Campbell. Two other members of the LSA Committee, Dr. Lyle C. Behr and Dr. Reed M. Izatt, and two ACS staff members also participated. The next regional conference will be held in the fall for local sections in the midwestern and North Central states.
INFORMAL CONFERENCE. Delegates from 25 ACS local sections in the Southwest gathered at Grapevine, Tex., last month for a three-day conference to discuss problems and programs of mutual interest. The meeting, the fifth in a series, was sponsored by the ACS Council Committee on Local Section Activities MAY 30, 1966 C&EN 57
