Now that the PEWS PROCESS dialogue re the selection of panels has died
down a bit, may I suggest for now that we (ASA PEWS folks) do the following
for next year: use the WSN to develop panel proposals for the Aug "96
meetings or send proposals to Dale Wimberley, our Sec't Treasurer, or
me, our current ruling oligarch, to be compiled for our incoming Chair
and Council in August. Why? Mainly to broaden and democratize the initial
panel suggestion process beyond the handful of PEWS members who happen
to show up at our annual business meeting. Secondarily, while panel
ideas should still be proposed at the business meeting as in the past,
an existing pool of suggestions will greatly reduce the pressure to consume
scarce meeting time begging for panel proposals, while also emancipating
the new chair/council from the need to focus on panel solicitation during
the few weeks they have for panel submission to the ASA, permitting them
instead to concetnrate on evaluation and discussion of existing proposals.
In response to on-going concerns re the exclusion of many PEWS members
from internet dialogues, I will be repeating this call in the PEWS NEWS.
Two further issues: first, Dale Wimberley has suggested we establish
a PEWS-dedicated electronic network rather than continuing to clog the
WSN with PEWS business. Any reactions? Second, I am asking Dave Smith,
Diane Davis, and Shelley Feldman (not yet confirmed) to think a bit about
our collective response to the membership problem..and to consider various
possibilities already aired on the WSN, in PEWS NEWS, and elsewhere.
These council members, constituted here as a "membership committee,"
will make suggestions to be discussed at the Aug council meeting and
noted at the business meeting, thereafter to be passed along to the incoming
chair. Meanwhile, let's stick with the PEWS PROCESS label to quickly
identify input letters on the WSN. Fred Deyo, chair, PEWS.