nesmicroscopy.org, as of November 2011
Dear Fellow Microscopists,
The end of another year is on the horizon and the holidays are upon us. Several important changes have occurred since I last addressed the membership two years ago. In particular, the Society now has a more accessible and efficient online presence that provides a foundation for future growth. To see some of these changes please visit http://www.nesmicroscopy.org/, and follow us on NESM Facebook and Twitter @NESMicroscopy. In addition, we are now using the resources of an event planning website (Eventbrite). These changes, along with the transition from mail to email based communication several years ago, brings us closer to maximizing use of mainstream information sharing technologies.
NESM membership seems to have plateaued in recent years. The 2011 Society membership stands at a total of 87. This includes 55 regular members, 6 student members 4 retired members and 22 corporate members. In general, these numbers reflect a healthy membership; however, the Board continues searching for ways of increasing membership in all categories with an emphasis on younger microscopists on the upward arc of their careers. To assist the Board in anticipating and understanding future needs of the Society, the Board has recently drafted a member survey. When you receive the survey, please take the time to respond. This information will greatly aid the Board in developing strategies for serving the membership.
Financially, the Society has maintained a strong positive balance (over $10,000 balance) for at least the past 20 years. The Executive Board has made conscious efforts to minimize meeting registration costs. In part, this is done through the generous support of our corporate sponsors. Through the use of web-based event planning software and PayPal capabilities, tracking finances and member activity has been immensely simplified. In addition, these electronic transaction recorders significantly reduce the burden of manual accounting.
The NESM meeting attendance remains reasonably strong. The Board has been excited to observe the strong attendance at recent meetings including the Fall Meeting at Harvard’s Center for Biological Imaging which had 53 attendees, with 21 attending pre-meeting workshops. With proper planning and execution the Board expects to continue providing interesting and timely meetings that attract a diverse group of microscopists.
The beginning of the year started out a little rough, but everything is back on track with the Board making many positive and healthy changes. As Interim President, I would like to thank all the membership for their continued support to the Society. The corporate sponsors deserve special thanks for participation and stable financial support. In addition, I would like to thank fellow Board members for their efforts in keeping the Society running smoothly. Finally, I would also like to wish the incoming NESM President and board members success.
Sincerely,
Richard Schalek
2011 NESM Interim President
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