SCHEDULE FOR ORGANIZERS OF AUGC
 

October

  1. Appoint the organizing committee.  Ensure that all members expect to be around in one year's time. Approximate order of importance or reliability is:  Chairman, Finance, Secretary and/or Vice-Chairman, Accommodation, Social Events, Field Trips, Talks Coordinator, and Publicity.
  2. Establish your financial procedures and open a bank account.
  3. Prepare a short promotional PowerPoint show to use at the AUGC this year, encouraging students to come to your school next year.

November-December

  1. Discuss general organization with Department Chair and establish what the Department will do to help.
  2. Establish dates. Check that there is no clash with mid-term exams or with other meetings (Check with Atlantic Geoscience Society, Student Union etc.).
  3. Develop a tentative program and budget.
  4. Submit a budget to APICS Geology Committee.  This must be done before January 15.
  5. Make tentative accommodation bookings.
  6. Decide on the location of field trips. Identify leaders, and tell them that a brief guide is needed by September 1.

January-February

  1. Solicit both donations and representatives from companies, universities, AGS, MAC, etc.  (Send them a tentative budget and program).  Acknowledge all donations promptly.
  2. Decide on a guest speaker, and invite him/her early if s/he is known to be busy or distinguished.

March-April

  1. Write to both clubs and department chairs of other universities, informing them of dates and tentative program.  Remind them to be looking for potential speakers now.  Also inform APICS, Atlantic Geoscience Society, Provincial Departments of Mines, Mining Society of Nova Scotia, Geolog, Newfoundland Section of G.A.C., N.E. Universities Geological Conference, Western Geology Conference, etc.
  2. Contact APICS, CSPG, and Mining Society of Nova Scotia to establish judges (will you nominate or shall we appoint?).  See additional notes on awards and judging.

September 1-15

  1. Review budget.  Modify if necessary.  Set registration fee.  Have a contingency plan for bad weather.
  2. Send out to all clubs (and department chairs) details of dates, costs, program, accommodation, and transportation/parking information for delegates.  (If any information is missing, send it later; don't delay in sending out the rest of the information).
  3. Request each club to send numbers of attending, names of delegates, and name of speaker and title of talk by two weeks before the meeting.  Get department chairs to ensure that faculty do not organize clashing course work, and to encourage faculty to attend.
  4. Confirm all accommodation bookings, and room booking for social events and talks.  Confirm all food and drink arrangements, including packed lunches.
  5. Book room for the AUGC constitutional meeting.
  6. Confirm departmental arrangements for time of classes, extra copying, etc.
  7. Book buses for fields trips.
  8. Plan contents of registration kits.  Get University maps, etc.
  9. Confirm field trips with leaders.
  10. Contact APICS, CSPG, & MSNS to request prize money.
  11. Start arranging for judges for the awards.

September 15-30

  1. Do anything from early September that has been missed.
  2. Write a brief guide to each field trip if leaders do not have them ready.
  3. Inform your University information officer or newspaper about the meeting.

Two Weeks Before Meeting

  1. Confirm speakers, judges, etc., including accommodation.
  2. Ensure you have sufficient people to help with registration, audiovisual, putting up signs, social events, etc.
  3. Decide on financial procedures at the meeting.
  4. Remind last year's award winning Universities to return the plaques/trophies for awarding this year.

One Week Before Meeting

  1. Assemble final schedule of talks.
  2. Compile final registration material.
  3. Ensure you have all necessary audiovisual material, including spare data projector, extension cables, screens, laser pointers (and batteries), and operators.
  4. Review budget.  Modify plans if necessary.
  5. Assemble accommodation room plan to minimize delegate costs.
  6. Inform campus security.
  7. Get signs prepared.
  8. Get visitor-parking permits, if necessary.
  9. Inform local ratio stations, newspapers.

At the Meeting

  1. Look after the money.
  2. Look after any special guests, including judges.
  3. Ensure the information and photograph release forms (one per winner) are filled out: This information is required so that we can release names to award sponsors and post names and photos on the website. These should be filled in at the conference and mailed to the APICS office as soon as possible after the conference (address below). You should keep a photocopy in case they get lost in the mail and if you choose to publicize any winners yourself. These should also have their mailing address and not just an email in case some follow up is needed for some reason.
  4. Fill out the Conference Attendance Summary Form from APICS: this information is for APICS Council (the Deans of Science at all Atlantic Universities and the Chairs of all APICS committees) and the APICS Earth Science Committee and future conference coordinators. Please complete the attached spreadsheet and send to me as soon as possible after the conference.

After The Meeting

  1. Balance finances and forward surplus to next organizers.
  2. Write a report, including constitutional amendments.
  3. Write a brief report for Geolog, send a copy to all those who made donations to the meeting.
  4. Fill out the Award Recipient Collection Form: This form collects all the information about award winners – their names, names of their presentations, what they won, etc. Please complete this and send by email within a week of the conference so I can get the awards announced on a timely basis. I also need this information to let award sponsors (of the funding I manage) know who has won their award.