>NH: I don't belong to SAA, so I don't have any incentive
>>to go to a SOPA meeting.
>
>BL: SOPA is not a regular archaeological society, and does not offer a
>broad range of member activities and services: the only meetings it has are
>board meetings and a brief annual business meeting. Typically, the
>business meeting is held in conjunction with the SAA meeting, as Heite
>points out.
Bill, you have just stated the problem. SOPA has "board meetings and a
brief annual business meeting." How do you expect people to get interested
in an organization where member participation is almost nonexistent? The
problem of SOPA, which would be repeated in ROPA, is indifference. Too many
archaeologists don't know about SOPA, and what it does. SOPA, in turn, has
done nothing to reach out, except for a few brochures distributed at a few
meetings.
In the past, I have suggested outreach projects for SOPA, but of course I
didn't attend the "brief annual business meeting" at which outreach might
have been suggested. I didn't attend for the reasons I stated, and which
you reiterated.
SAA and SHA are not professional societies, and they have no business
acting as if they were. They are scholarly organizations, to which anyone
may "subscribe" and attend meetings. SOPA, on the other hand, is the only
professional archaeological society in North America.
SOPA does not need to be sucked under the wing of two dissimilar
organizations. It needs to assert its unique role, and it needs to stand
alone. I see no argument in favor of the ROPA proposal that couldn't be
achieved by less drastic means.
SHA, SAA, and all the other organizations could formally adopt and endorse
the SOPA codes. What could be simpler? What could be cheaper? A simple
endorsement on the inside cover of the journal would be enough.
Then SOPA could sponsor events, such as luncheons at regional meetings,
seminars on ethics at national meetings, and could provide its code as
boilerplate to be included in contracts.
SOPA could do a selling job on the SHPO offices, persuading more of them to
follow the lead of California and require membership.
SOPA could reintroduce the office of state coordinator and give them
something to do.
There are lots of ways to enhance the mission of SOPA, but abolishing a
good thing is not one of them.
_______
. |___|__\_== [log in to unmask]
. | _ | | --] Ned Heite, <DARWIN><
. =(O)-----(O)= Camden, DE 19934 / \ / \
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