>Date: Sat, 05 May 2012 10:02:48 -0400
>To: sent <[log in to unmask]>
>From: "Robert L. Schuyler" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Final Message on Traveling
>
>Conrad et al:
>
>Although I agree with several things you say 
>below I do not think you understand the nature 
>of scholarly conferences. Telephones, emails, or 
>the www in general will never replace a 
>face-to-face meeting of colleagues. They are simply different things.
>
>The SHA Conferences, along with the journal and 
>the newsletter, are what keep the society active 
>and alive. The outstanding attendance in 
>Baltimore shows how important the meetings are 
>to the membership. I predict a BIG turn out in England.
>
>I personally - and I am fortunate because Penn 
>pays up to $1,000 for one meeting  a year; way 
>up from the $300 they used to pay - combine my 
>SHA Conference with a tour-vacation. I come in 
>early or stay late and try to really see and get 
>a feel for the meeting venue. In New Mexico I 
>rented a car and drove to visit the aliens in 
>Roswell etc. I have seen much of the USA and Canada because of the SHA.
>
>I always like it when SHA goes to a place I have 
>never visited before (e.g. South Texas).
>
>SHA is odd in that it falls in a middle ground. 
>It is an important, international, scholarly 
>organization and the most important organization 
>dealing with the archaeology of the Modern World 
>(AD 1400 to the present) but with its 2000 
>members it does not have an "economy of scale" 
>(cf. the AAA or AIA or SAA). It very much 
>depends on volunteers (e.g. Ron Michael and Tef 
>Rodeffer) and they have never let the society 
>down or the meetings down. It always will depend on such a mixed foundation.
>
>We really need to focus on student members, 
>retired members, and international members and 
>helping them attend SHA meetings and we have 
>been trying to do just that. Many of us 
>contribute each year to try to help these groups.
>
>I agree that there is a pattern of spending 
>money - a person who will remain unnamed 
>recently told me the ---------  was spending 
>money like drunken sailors. Just look at what a 
>federal agency recently did in Las Vegas. But 
>all in all the meetings have been 
>extraordinarily successful and a big plus for 
>the SHA. The drunken spending has been outside of the meetings.
>
>Try to think of ideas to help the member 
>categories listed above be members and attend 
>the meetings rather than trying to get rid of conferences.
>
>Bob Schuyler
>
>P.S. We have never been to El Paso, Phoenix, Las 
>Vegas - I do like desert meetings. Also Tucson 
>never fails as a meeting place in January.
>
>
>
>At 09:14 AM 5/5/2012, you wrote:
>>Bob-
>>
>>I recognize the importance of communication between professionals.
>>
>>I do not see the point of expenditure of such significant funds to do so
>>when budgets are tight and Archeologists have to rely upon
>>ordinary people to do volunteer work to get jobs done. It sends a disturbing
>>message.
>>
>>I think part of the problem is the demand for up scale conference settings
>>to do it in "style"  The conference industry will take all the money
>>you want to throw at it and I think we should throw them nothing.
>>
>>In Maryland I remember experiencing wonderful conferences in Delaware on the
>>shore in the least expensive hotel in the area in the winter
>>off season. In Alabama I recall excellent meetings at very small places.
>>
>>Conferences should not be regarded as vacations or rewards - they should be
>>for work.
>>
>>The internet exists- one can put pdf presentations on line and talk over
>>internet telephones, video presentations can be placed on servers- this
>>should be the future of a profession
>>which is short of funding.
>>
>>If conference costs for professionals with expense accounts for some strange
>>reason have to be so high I would propose the development of state programs
>>partnering with local Societies
>>to make it possible for volunteers who have assisted professionals with
>>their work to attend at a cut rate admission ($20 or less per day) if they
>>can demonstrate that they have put in
>>the volunteer time. These people need the information as much as
>>professionals.
>>
>>And don’t tell me about volunteering to help at conferences- I did that in
>>Tennessee and could hardly get to a presentation. And I hear volunteers
>>still had to pay parking in Baltimore.
>>
>>High conference costs are not just in archeology they are everywhere. We
>>need to make a less exclusive bigger tent and not a more high priced
>>conference center.
>>
>>Is the SHA doing anything to develop internet conferencing?
>>
>>Conrad Bladey
>>Professional Archeologist and Peasant
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Robert L. Schuyler
>>Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2012 8:28 AM
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: SHA Session on Traveling
>>
>>I think I am one of many who misunderstood the title of this
>>discussion assuming it was about a session at SHA 2013 on
>>"traveling." I only realized with Alasdair's message what was the real
>>topic.
>>
>>As an active member of the SHA and a Past President I would like to
>>agree with Alasdair, and perhaps others, but only up to a point. We
>>already had a great meeting at York and Leicester sounds like a
>>excellent location - Cardinal Woolsey is buried in Leicester and he
>>spent money like all the past SHA Boards. The Board needs to leave
>>flowers on his grave.
>>
>>We need to normally meet in "Greater North America" (USA, Canada, and
>>the West Indies) and occasionally go to Western Europe, especially
>>the Islands (England, Ireland, and Scotland). If we move beyond those
>>boundaries the meetings get much too expensive for everyone, not just
>>for students, retired members, and underemployed members. Even in the
>>USA we cannot go to Alaska or Hawaii - simply too expensive for the
>>air tickets. Australia, South Africa, South America, Eastern Europe,
>>are simply too far away and so too
>>expensive.
>>
>>It would be great to meet in Cape Town, Accra, Sydney, or Buenos
>>Aires but even Mexico City is probably too expensive.
>>
>>Inside North America we need to keep our general 2 to 1 pattern -
>>within every three meetings one should be in the Far West if
>>possible. We have a large membership on the West Coast.
>>
>>Finally we need to try to help our members outside of "Greater North
>>America" to come to the North American meetings.
>>
>>So, be thankful we have been invited to Leicester by our colleagues.
>>Our following meetings are well spread out in North America - I
>>think: Quebec City, Seattle, Washington D,C, and then our 2017
>>anniversary meeting in Fort Worth-Dallas, Texas (= founding meeting in
>>1967).
>>
>>Bob Schuyler
>>
>>At 05:02 AM 5/5/2012, you wrote:
>> >As both an SHA officer and the Program Chair for Leicester I'm obviously
>> >exceptionally biased, but I would reiterate what Philip Levy notes (see
>> >below).
>> >
>> >On a purely personal 'speaking only for 
>> myself' level, I recognise that the
>> >Leicester conference represents a significant expense for many North
>> >American colleagues.
>> >
>> >But while holding the SHA conference in Leicester may present challenges
>> >for some of our North American members, it represents an excellent
>> >opportunity for British and continental European colleagues to participate
>> >in an SHA conference, and for North American and European colleagues to
>> >engage with each other in a manner that's usually impossible at a North
>> >America venue that usually represents a significant - often impossible -
>> >expense for Europeans.
>> >
>> >Given that this is only the second time that SHA has left North America
>> >(I'm imperfectly including Jamaica as 'North American'), I hardly think
>> >that 2 non-North American conferences in the almost 50 year history of our
>> >society represents a wholly unfair geographical balance given the
>> >international nature of our discipline.
>> >
>> >And historical archaeology is genuinely 
>> international.  On a personal level
>> >I've just returned from the truly excellent Argentinian Historical
>> >Archaeology Congress in Buenos Aires, SPMA often travels outside the UK
>> >(including conferences in North America), I'm presenting in a historical
>> >archaeology session at the EAA meeting in Helsinki this September, and I
>> >always enjoyed ASHA conferences when I was living and working in Australia.
>> >
>> >We look forward to warmly welcoming as many as possible of our North
>> >American colleagues in Leicester this coming 
>> January, and hope you'll enjoy
>> >the extensive opportunities to network with colleagues from other
>> >continents.  We've already received several 
>> excellent symposium submissions
>> >from colleagues in both North America and Europe, and this promises to be
>> >an exciting conference for everyone who attends.
>> >
>> >If nothing else, we can promise you significantly better beer than we
>> >usually get at an SHA conference ;)
>> >
>> >Alasdair Brooks
>> >
>> >---------------------------------------------- 
>> --------------------------------------------------------
>> >Date:    Fri, 4 May 2012 14:56:13 -0400
>> >From:    "Levy, Philip" <[log in to unmask]>
>> >Subject: Re: SHA Session on Traveling
>> >
>> >And, to be fair--it is cheaper this year for our British friends and
>> >colleagues who normally have to pony up more than we Americans do year by
>> >year.
>> >PL