By Stephen Wilson, P.Geo. APGO President

The Council of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario is a board that manages the affairs of the Association. Duties of Council include establishing policy; setting the annual budget of the organization; setting the strategic goals of the organization; reviewing and providing direction on issues pertaining to the profession of geoscience brought to the attention of Council by the Executive Director, a Councillor, Association member, or other entity.

As most members are aware, elections for vacant Council positions are held each year. The Professional Geoscientists Act establishes the framework for Council and APGO By-Law 8 establishes the rules and methodology for the election and appointment of APGO Councillors. By-Law 8 was written in a way to ensure that a similar number of positions become vacant each year. This prevents a drastic loss of experience in any one year For the 2010-2011 Council year, elections will be held for the positions of Councillor At-Large (one position), Councillor North-East Region, Councillor Central Region and Vice-President. The By-law requires that a nominee for Vice President have served at least one year on Council. All positions are for a term of three years, with the Vice-President serving as President and Past President in years two and three respectively.

I would strongly encourage any members with an interest in governance or a passion for their profession to consider one of these positions. Being part of a body that regulates a profession is an experience that is unlike anything most of us encounter in our jobs. There is no financial remuneration, but there are a sizable number of rewards. These include:

• Helping to shape the direction of your profession in this province.
• A complete change from your career.
• Working with some really dedicated, intelligent people.
• Networking with many senior level people, both geoscientists and others.
• Learning about the various branches of geoscience.

Standing for election to Council requires you to consider your situation and ensure that if you are elected, that you can provide the support that the APGO requires from the Councillors in order to function effectively.

Points to consider include:

Meetings

1. There are usually six meetings of Council per year. The meetings generally last from 9 AM to 4 PM and are held primarily in Toronto to keep down travel costs. (Expenses are reimbursed by the APGO). It is important to attend as many meetings as possible, and to prepare for the meetings by reading the documents and agenda items that will be discussed and/or voted on during the council meetings. The Association provides teleconference facilities for those unable to attend in person, but being personally in attendance is much preferable.

2. Attending the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Toronto in June. This usually coincides with the last meeting of the outgoing Council (morning of the AGM) and the first meeting of the new Council (next day).

3. Every few years, Council conducts a strategic planning session, which takes a full day.

4. Special Meetings of Council are held as required to hear appeals of decisions of the registrar and/or registration committee. There are typically one or two per year. The registration regulation requires that appeals be decided on by five members of council, none of whom are in a position of conflict.

5. All councillors serve on committees. Much of the “heavy lifting” of the APGO is done by the committees, many of which require at least one member Council on the committee. The workload varies greatly between committees, with some rarely meeting (once or twice per year) and others more frequently (Environmental Geoscience Subcommittee meets monthly). Councillors generally serve on two to five committees. Most committee meetings are held by teleconference and are usually an hour to two hours long.

6. Council encourages the five regional councillors to reach out to geoscience students at local universities. This is usually accomplished by making a presentation at a geology function. Often, another Councillor or APGO member goes along to assist. Depending upon the Region, there may be one to four such presentations each year.

Time Commitment

The workload varies depending upon committee work and the degree of commitment of the individual councillor. I have generally spent about 40 hours per year on Council and another 25 or so on committee work over the past seven years, not including prep time for Council or committee meetings.

It is important to ensure that your employer is on-side if you decide to run for Council. The larger firms are generally very supportive, but it can be challenging for a small company.

If you think that you might be interested, or you simply want to find out more about how Council operates, please feel free to contact myself, Andrea Waldie or any of the other Councillors (http://www.apgo.net/council.htm). We would be happy to answer your questions.