AMERICAN POLAR SOCIETY 75th Anniversary
Meeting and Symposium
The Polar Regions in the 21st Century
Globalization, Climate Change and Geopolitics
* P O S T P O N E D to 2 0 1 3 *
Dear Governors, Members and Friends,
Due to a number of circumstances, including some entirely beyond our control, I am compelled to report that the 75th Anniversary Meeting and Symposium has been postponed one year to 2013. The reasons are many: First, the IPY Conference in Montreal and the AGU Science Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. are being held at roughly the same time as our event and have cut into our audience. Registrations have not reached a level that would have encouraged us to proceed. Second, a substantial grant we anticipated receiving failed to materialize. Third, the leadership and staff of The Explorers Club will have changed significantly by mid-April. Our arrangement with the Explorers Club was made with the previous administration and staff.
In addition, many of you have advised us that a visit to New York City was too financially daunting.
We have listened to you and are exploring more central venues with reasonably priced accommodations and catering fees.
I am proud of the stellar line-up of speakers we have assembled and am confident that most if not all of them will sign on for 2013. So this is just a temporary setback, not a defeat. We are moving forward at full speed.
In the meantime, I would like to offer two options to those of you who have already registered for 2012. Option 1 is a full refund of your money, no questions asked. Option 2 is to consider yourselves pre-paid for 2013, with the difference between what you paid for a New York-based event and what is likely to be a lower registration fee for 2013 being donated by you to the American Polar Society as a charitable contribution.
I urge you to select Option 2. You will remain fully registered for the 75th Anniversary Meeting & Symposium at its new date and time (to be announced soon). Further, if it cost $250 for an individual registration fee for a New York-based event, it may only cost $175 for a suitable, centrally located venue with a Polar history. The “leftover” $75 will be used to enhance and publish the forthcoming Special 75th Anniversary Issue of The Polar Times.
So please e-mail the APS Membership Center at aps@bluestreakme.com or write today to American Polar Society Membership Center, P.O. Box 300, Searsport, ME 04974, to make your preference known.
We regret the inconvenience. But with more time to prepare, we will have a more exciting event to welcome you to in 2013.
Sincerely,
Fred
Alfred S. McLaren
Captain, USN, (Ret.), PhD
President
PS Please feel free to let me know any additional ideas that you may have for making the 75th Anniversary Meeting & Symposium in 2013 the most memorable APS symposium yet. I can be reached at alfredsmclaren@aol.com.
Registration fee: $250.
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