1985

Through the Years | Conferences | Presidents | Awards | Stegner Lecture | The Pike

10th NMEA Conference

July 29-August 2, Williamsburg, Virginia
Theme: The Chesapeake: Prologue to the Future

Executive Committee

President: Jeff Sandler (ME) (1984-85)
President-Elect: Art West (MA)
Treasurer: Jack Driscoll (MA)
Secretary: Bonnie Blackburn (TX)
Executive Director: Prentice K. Stout (RI)
Editor of Current: Fleda Jackson (DE)
Editor of NMEA news: Karen Aspinwall (MD)

Board of Directors:

(1984-86): Susan Gammisch (VA), Millie Graham (GA), James Hannaham (DC), Susan Leach (OH),
(1985-87): Karen Aspinwall (MD), Sharon Meeker (NH), and Michael Jackson (NC).
*Historian's note: The above information was obtained from the 1985 Conference Program.

Chapter Representatives:

• CAMEO (Consortium of Aquatic and Marine Educators of Ohio): Kathy Seall (OH)

• FMSEA (Florida Marine Science Education Association): Steve Bass (FL)

• GAME (Georgia Association of Marine Educators): Tom Howick (GA)

• GOMMEA (Gulf of Maine Marine Education Association): Rob Moir (MA)

• MAMEA (Mid-Atlantic Marine Education Association): Sue Gammisch (VA)

• MME (Massachusetts Marine Educators): Phil McLaren (MA)

• NAME (Northwest Association of Marine Educators): Vicki Osis (OR)

• NJMEA (New Jersey Marine Education Association): Mary Masterson (NJ)

• NYSMEA (New York State Marine Education Association): Lou Siegel (NY)

• OCEANIA: Barbara Klemm (HI)

• SAME (Southern Association of Marine Educators): Shelia Brown (MS)

• SENEME (Southeastern New England Marine Educators): Sandy Ryack-Bell (MA)

• SWMEA (Southwest Marine Education Association): Bruce Stewart (CA)

• TMEA (Texas Marine Education Association): Rick Tinnin (TX)

• *Historian's note: The above information was obtained from the 1985 Conference Program.

Committees:

• Aquarium: Don Wilkie (CA)

• Awards: Jim Lanier (NC)

• Conference 1985: Sue Gammisch (VA)

• Conference 1986: Rosanne Fortner (OH)

• International: Jeff Sandler (ME)

• Minorities and Women: Jim Hannaham (DC) & Millie Graham (GA)

• National Youth World of Water Awards: Jim Hannaham (DC) & Lundie Spence (NC)

• Nominations: Art West (MA)

• Professional Development: Barbara Klemm (HI)

*Historian's note: The above information was obtained from the 1985 Conference Program.

Awards:

James Centorino Award: Jeff Sandler and Deb Hall (ME)
President's Award: Fleda Jackson (DE) and Sue Gammisch (VA)

Conference Highlights:

Coordinated by Sue Gammisch, the conference was marked by her usual attention to detail, professionalism, and just plain fun.

This conference had many firsts: a Presidents' Reception, a professional exhibit hall, an aquatic auction, program monitors, a symposium (Chesapeake Bay Symposium), a plenary session (Geologic History of Chesapeake Bay), conference sponsors to keep costs low, an introduction of conference hosts, and a governor giving a keynote address. Governor of Virginia Charles S. Robb delivered his address in Virginia's colonial capital, Williamsburg.

Three-hundred and forty-six registrants joined about 150 guests in Williamsburg. Sessions were divided into tracks, which included: Chesapeake Bay Symposium, Aquarium, Biology, Educational Strategies, Elementary, Estuaries, Sensory, Geographic Sampler, Maritime Heritage, Middle/High School, Potpourri, and Water. A "Presidents' Reception" in the Wrenn Building gave past and current presidents a chance to meet with state and U.S. senators and representatives.

Photos, from top left: (Photographer unknown. Source: NMEA news Vol. 2, Issue 1, 1985.)

• Lisa Johnson and son Jeremy (BC) dissect a squid in Harriet Donofrio's (DE) workshop titled: “The Squid; Just Alittle Cut-up.”

• Participants prepare Hot Potatoes and Kombu (kelp) at Candace Storm's (MA) workshop titled: “Jellyfish & Peanut Butter.”

• Educators try out a unique method for mapping tidepools in Rob Moir's (MA) workshop titled: “Tidepool Transits without Transects.”

• Julian Kane (NY) exhibits Kane models of foraminifera in the NMEA Exhibit Hall.

• Franklin Spoor (VA) demonstrates the age-old art of paper marbling, which uses carrageenan.

• Mrs. Fish (alias Deb Hall) helps a young starfish and oyster withstand a sudden storm (alias Mr. fish, alias Jeff Sandler) in “Tails of the Chesapeake.”

• Two members swap marine education materials at the annual Sea Swap, an event chaired by Barbara Klemm (HI), and Sharon Meeker (NH).

• Incoming President Art West (left) and friends “pick crabs” at the Seafood festival.

• Enjoying crab at the Seafood Festival

• Ned Smith and Sue Gammisch auction off a shell punch bowl at the NMEA auction.

• Bob Gammisch (VA) explains how the Sidescan Sonar Fish is used aboard the Langley to map the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay.

• Linda Schaffner (VA) and participants collect Chesapeake Bay organisms on “The Benthic Boundary” field trip.

During the conference, there were special tours for the spouses of NMEA Conference participants. The tours included: a Colonial Williamsburg Tour, a Plantations Tour, and a Williamsburg Pottery Shopping Spree.

Sea Grant educators met with James Drewry of the Senate Commerce Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; "The Press Gang" gave us Chesapeake chanteys as the Stegner Memorial Lecture. Evening celebrations included a seafood festival, wine and cheese reception, and an evening at the Mariners' Museum.

The first annual NMEA auction netted $2,000 in what may have been the most profitable conference so far. In all, $14,000 went to NMEA and $5,000 went to MAMEA, the host chapter.

At the general business meeting on the last day of the conference, out-going President Jeff Sandler and Executive Director Prentice Stout recognized members of NMEA for their service to the organization and to marine education over the past year. Jeff handed certificates to VIMS secretaries for their help with the Conference Planning Committee; Karen Aspinwall and Prentice Stout each received an official Mr. and Mrs. Fish t-shirt for their work on the NMEA newsletter and as Executive Director, respectively; Sue Gammisch also received a t-shirt for her work as 1985 Conference Committee Chairperson.

Certificates of recognition were given to Lundy Spence (NC), Jim O'Connor (DC) and Jim Hannaham (DC) for their successful efforts to launch the National Youth World of Water contest, which was in its second year.

Prentice Stout presented two President's awards-one to Fleda Jackson for her work as editor of Current, and one to Sue Gammisch for organizing the most successful national conference to date.

Art West awarded Jeff Sandler a ship's wheel with a brass plate for his work as President 1984-85.

A host of field trips by boat, canoe, and van rounded out the week. Full-Day Trips were titled: Chesapeake Corporation Tug and Mill Tour, Geologic History of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia's Historic Triangle, and Scuba Diving in the Chesapeake Bay. Half-Day Trips were titled: Fish Hatchery Tour, Salt Marsh Birding Safari, The Watermen's Museum, Life in a Salt Marsh, Peninsula Nature & Science Center, Rice's Fossil Pit, Baywatcher Boat Trip, Evolution of the Ship, The Benthic Boundary Layer, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Canoe Trip, and Virginia Institute of Marine Science Tour.

For those with energy, there was, of course, dancing every night.

Additional Highlights of 1985:

The change of the name of the organization from National Marine Education Association to National Marine Educators Association was accomplished on January 19, 1985 by Prentice Stout (RI). He argued that a fresh start would be better than trying to clear up any questions about past status on tax returns. According to Prentice Stout, the tax-exempt number he had been provided when he became executive director in 1983 turned out to be an employee identification number, not a tax exemption number. He also asserted that the tax exemption granted to NMEA in care of the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C., on March 28, 1977, became void. According to the IRS, the NMEA needed an employer identification number even if we had no employees. That number is required on all of our returns and correspondence with the IRS. Controversy and confusion swirled around these assertions. What is normally a fairly simple process took years to complete and resulted in changing the name of the organization and paying attorneys' fees. (Historian's Note: The source of this information is James A. Lanier's article titled "The National Marine Educators Association...Historical Notes...",that appeared in Current: The Journal of Marine Education, Volume 8, No.2, 1988, p.6.)

On January 27, 1985, Original Articles of Incorporation were issued for the National Marine Educators Association. On January 29th, a Certificate of Incorporation was issued and on January 30th, Stout and others attended the Organizational Meeting.

According to a Memorandum to the "NMEA Board and NMEA Chapter Presidents" (July 11, 1985), Barbara Klemm (HI), Chair of the Professional Development Committee, recommended that a Computer Software Assessment Subcommittee be established. The purpose of this subcommittee was to provide descriptive and evaluative information to NMEA members on: 1) computer software available for marine education and 2) effective ways of using software in marine education.

Klemm proposed the creation of a Professional Development Subcommittee on Summer and Academic Year Opportunities, composed of one representative from each of the NMEA chapters by Oct. 1, 1985. Ann Coopersmith (HI), who had been performing the function of collecting opportunities for educators single-handedly until Klemm established this committee, would serve as the Chair of the subcommittee.

Klemm proposed the creation of a Teleconferencing and Electronic Bulletin Boards Subcommittee. Its general charge would be to explore the use of teleconferencing and electronic bulletin boards as a means for facilitating communications among NMEA members and organizations.

A need for a NMEA policy on tours arose during the 1984 NMEA Board Meeting. In response to this, Klemm recommended that a Subcommittee on NMEA Tour Sponsorship be created with its goal: to develop recommended policy standards for NMEA sponsored and co-sponsored marine educational tours.

In addition, Klemm was looking for chapter representation for each of the following Professional Development Subcommittees:

1. Summer and Academic Year Opportunities: Chair: Ann Coopersmith (HI)

2. Sea Swap: Co-chairs: Sharon Meeker (NH) and Susan Leach (OH)

3. Computer Software Assessment: Co-chairs: Skip McLamb (VA) and Susan Walton

4. Teleconferencing and Electronic Bulletin Boards: Co-chairs: Barbara Klemm (HI) and Prentice Stout (RI)

5. Standards for NMEA-Sponsored Tours and Workshops: Chair: Millie Graham (GA)

Active membership in NMEA was increased to $18.00 from the previous $15.00 per year.

According to the Board Meeting Notes, dated July 29, 1985,

• Membership was reported by Prentice Stout (Executive Director) for John Driscoll (Treasurer) to be 1345. Jeff Sandler (President) stated that the goal for 1986 was for membership to reach 2000.

• President Jeff Sandler stated, "A new addition to NMEA conferences will be the presidents' reception to give us new political clout."

• A motion passed that a portion (25%) of moneys made from a conference will go to the chapter that hosts the conference. It was agreed that this would be retroactive for the Williamsburg Conference.

• A motion was passed that the Executive Director establish an account for the purpose of providing upfront money for conferences to be repaid by the host chapter to the national office.

• A motion was passed to establish a chairperson in charge of membership.

• A motion passed that a historian keep records of annual meetings, etc. and be appointed by Art West (1986-87 President).

• A motion passed to have some kind of activity at the 1986 conference to recognize the 10th anniversary of NMEA.

• Affiliation with NSTA was in the works.

There was no mid-year meeting in 1985.

Three issues of NMEA news were published in 1985. In the second issue, President Art West, summarized the activities that took place place following the Williamsburg Conference. One event he highlighted in his "President's Column" was the World of Water Awards. (Click on the image to enlarge it.) He stated, "The National Youth World of Water Awards Ceremony, held at the Scripps Oceanographic Institution at La Jolla, California, convinced me that this project is a remarkable exercise of dedication to our youth by the energies of NMEA members--an activity truly worthy of our most careful planning for the future."

In 1985, NMEA published three issues of Current: The Journal of Marine Education. The first issue was a special issue titled, “Youth World of Water Awards.” In this issue, pictures and text described the first Youth World of Water Awards Conference that was held September 9-11, 1984 in Washington D.C. Profiles of each student winner and his/her teacher was included in the issue. The third issue was titled, “Special Issue Marine Mammal Bibliography.”