1990
15th NMEA Conference
August 5-12
The Big Island of Hawaii (University of Hawaii at Hilo & Kona)
Theme: Islands in the Sea

 

President: Valerie Chase (MD) (1989-90)

President-Elect: Vicki Osis (OR)

Membership Secretary: Michael A. Rigsby (CA)

Treasurer: A. Quinton White, Jr. (FL)/ Allison Rials (FL)

Secretary: Sharon Walker (MS)

Membership Secretary: Nora L. Deans (CA)/Michael Rigsby (CA)

President Valerie Chase ( Photographer is unknown)

Editor of Current: Nora L. Deans (CA)

Editors of NMEA news: Lindy Millman and Nora Deans (CA)

 

Board of Directors: (1987-90): Wendy Allen (SC), Margaret Philbrick (WA), Craig Strang (CA), (1988-91): Dianne Baxter (CA), Pam Sears (OH), Bruce Stewart (TX), Eugene Williamson (OR), (1989-92): Karen Blyler (FL), Mary K. Masterson (NJ), J. Philip McLaren (MA), (1990-93): John Dindo (AL), Kathleen Heidenreich (WA), Rick Tinnin (TX)

Chapter Representatives:

  • CAMEO (Consortium of Aquatic and Marine Educators of Ohio): Rosanne Fortner (OH)/ Cindy Stong (OH)
  • FMSEA (Florida Marine Science Education Association): Patrick Purcell (FL)/ Mark DeCrosta (FL)
  • GAME (Georgia Association of Marine Educators): Mary Watkins (GA)
  • GOMMEA (Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association): Sharon Meeker (NH) /Eleanor Dickens (ME)
  • MME (Massachusetts Marine Educators): Candace Storm Martinez (MA)/ George Duane (MA)
  • MAMEA (Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association): Karen Travers (DE) / Wallace White (MD)
  • NJMEA (New Jersey Marine Education Association): Mary K. Masterson (NJ)
  • NYSMEA (New York State Marine Education Association): Joel Teret (NY)
  • NAME (Northwest Association of Marine Educators): Bill Hastie (OR)
  • OCEANIA: E. Barbara Klemm (HI)/ Dan Van Ravensway (HI)
  • SCMEA (South Carolina Marine Educators Association): Rhett Wilson (SC)/ Phil Astwood (SC)
  • SAME (Southeastern Association of Marine Educators): Leslie C. Bruce (MS)
  • SENEME (Southeastern New England Marine Education Association): Sandra Ryack-Bell (RI)
  • SWMEA (Southwest Marine Education Association: Linda Hagelin (CA)
  • TMEA (Texas Marine Education Association): Jack Clason (TX)

Committees:

  • Membership Committee Chairs: Wendy Allen (SC) and Rick Tinnin (TX)
  • Research Committee Chair: Rosanne Fortner (OH)
  • Conservation Committee Chair: unknown
  • Conference: Sue Gammisch (VA)
  • Chapters Committee Chair: unknown
  • Publications Committee Chair: unknown
  • Curriculum Committee Chair: unknown
  • Awards Committee Chair: Kathleen A. Heidenreich (WA)
  • International Committee Chair: unknown
  • Women/Special Needs Committee Chair: unknown
  • Nominations Committee Chair: unknown

Awards:

James Centorino Award: Barbara Klemm (HI)

Outstanding Teacher Award: Vincentina Cassaro (NJ)

President’s Award: Rick Tinnin (TX) and Millie Graham (GA)

 

 

Conference Highlights:

Co-chairs Barbara Lee and Ann Coopersmith from the OCEANIA chapter planned this conference as a trip to paradise on the Big Island of Hawaii. The first two days at Hilo provided field trips to explore the surrounding areas, above and below the water’s edge. The welcome luau set the pace for an relaxing and educational experience with old and new colleagues on a tropical island. During the Hilo portion of the conference, members also participated in the Marine Science Symposium, concurrent sessions, family excursions, Sea Swap and the auction. They viewed exhibits and videos and still photographs that had been entered in the video and marine photography contests.

Conference Program (Photograph by Susan Leach Snyder)

 

Susan and Jim Snyder (OH) dressed for the Luau.

Photographer is unknown

 

 

 

Rick Tinnin (TX) captured a mermaid.

 

 

Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder

At the auction, Gene Williamson (OR) held THE PIKE. Note PIKE was dressed for the occasion with its hula skirt and lei.

 

 

On the sixth day, people went by caravan to Kona for the second part of the conference. Once there, they participated in Hawaiian food tasting, a beach party and dance, a day of Hawaiian culture by the sea at Pu’uhonua ‘o Honaunau National Park, and a variety of Kona Field Trips, including hiking through an active volcano, spelunking ancient lava tubes, scuba diving or snorkeling, and taking a submarine ride.

Is that Bill Hastie (OR) hiking through a volcano?

Nearly 600 people registered for the conference, making it a financial as well as an educational success. At least 30 states and 6 foreign countries were represented. The Massachusetts Marine Educators became the proud owners of THE PIKE for 1990-91 by paying in excess of $500 at the auction.

 

Additional Highlights of 1990:

Membership dues increased to $25 on January 1, 1990.

In January, 1990, the membership office moved from the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher and from the able hands of Jim Lanier and Pam Grubbs to Pacific Grove, California. Michael Rigsby took over the responsibilities of Membership Secretary and, with the help of Ruth Van Sandt, was keeping our data base up to date. The mailing address for Current, NMEA news, and the membership office was the same: NMEA, P.O. Box 51215, Pacific Grove, CA 93950.

In April, the NMEA board met for an exhausting but rewarding mid-year meeting at the National Science Teachers Association. NMEA found out that it had been accepted as an affiliate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the largest scientific society in North America! Millie Graham (GA) and Rosanne Fortner (OH) were to represent NMEA on several AAAS committees.

In April, the membership was almost 1,200. In NMEA news (Summer 1990), Valerie Chase (MD), NMEA President, attributed the large number of members to good publications, two large conferences, and the chapter membership competition. In mid-November, NMEA news reported that the membership total was 1,277, and the Membership Committee was "looking to top 1,500 members as the result of the 1990-91 chapter membership contest." During the 1989-90 competition, FMSEA won the ship's wheel for adding the highest percentage of new NMEA members, while CAMEO earned 52 Pike points (the highest number for any chapter) for each new NMEA member.

The Annual Report for August 1989 to July 1990, was published in Current, Volume 10, Number 2, 1991. In her report, Valerie Chase (President 1989-90) stated that one of the accomplishments in 1990 was “the production of a conference ‘cookbook.’ This invaluable guide will be updated each year, giving a headstart on success to the brave souls who agree to chair NMEA conferences.

Thanks to hard work by Sharon Walker and her committee, our bylaws have been rewritten to reflect the way NMEA actually functions, and job descriptions for officers have been included. The bylaws were distributed to the chapters, voted on twice by the board , and approved at the annual business meeting.”

In 1990, NMEA members received two issues of Current: The Journal of Marine Education, one was titled, “Computers & Technology” and the other “Estuaries.” NMEA sought outside funding for the support of Current. As a result of those efforts, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Sanctuaries and Reserves Division assisted with the publication of the “Estuaries” issue.

This is the first year that the NMEA Board Members and other officers' terms of office were listed inside the journal.

Photographs by Susan Leach Snyder

 

Click on Current to obtain a complete listing of articles in the 1976 - 2008 journals.

 

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