SDAFS 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
SDAFS Midyear Meeting, 2002
Come, Participate, Contribute, Enjoy   

1. Plenary Session. For Saturday morning, Larry Olmsted has put together a comprehensive plenary session to launch the celebration. Distinguished speakers will recount the history of fisheries in the Southeast, the development of agency and institutional infrastructure to deal with those changes, the growth and maturation of the Southern Division as a focal point for professional interaction, and tidbits of up-close-and-personal reflection of experiences with the wise and not-so-wise activities of the past 50 years. Visionaries, young and old, will peruse the crystal ball for clues to the next 50 years. Finally, if an enlightened professional exists outside the South, we’ll find that person to confirm our greatness.
    
2. Personal Experiences Session. In addition to reminiscing at the plenary session, Scott Van Horn has identified a number of gray-heads to swap stories in a reminiscing (“geezer gab”) session on Saturday afternoon. Invitations have been sent to many, but anyone with experiences to share are encouraged to show up and recount their memories of history as they lived it. Old and young are invited to join in. If you received an invitation from Scott, and haven’t responded, please do so. Any who haven’t been contacted, or can’t attend, are encouraged to pass along memories (including pictures) to Scott (vanhorsl@mail.wildlife.state.nc.us; 1517 Geer St., Durham, NC 27704). These comments may even make it into the plenary session “tidbits”.
    
3. Poster Session. In conjunction with the Saturday night social, Mike Van Den Avyle has organized a tremendous poster session to highlight the many advancements in fisheries of the Southeast. Chapters, technical committees, and others will be showing off their accomplishments. If your chapter isn’t in the process of preparing a poster, please consider doing so. Mike is willing to work with you! Special interest posters are welcome on virtually any aspect of southeastern fisheries presented in historical context. Got an idea? Contact Mike (mike_vandenavyle@fws.gov).
    
4. Contributed Papers. The Anniversary Committee encourages individuals to respond to the 1st Call For Papers with submissions on historical aspects. A number of such papers have been presented at chapter meetings, recounting such aspects as changes in agency roles, responsibilities of a fishery biologist, educational preparation, and the dimensions of fisheries science itself.  Consider responding to the Call For Papers with a historical contribution— or, better yet, organize a historical session (but if you do, please coordinate with the Anniversary Committee via Rich Noble (richard_noble@ncsu.edu).

Come, Participate, Contribute, Enjoy