AASP Primary Records Program

AASP BOARD OF DIRECTORS AWARD

The American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists bestows upon Robert T. Clarke the AASP Board of Directors Award in recognition of his long and faithful service to the association.

ROBERT T. CLARKE
Presented by Vaughn M. Bryant, Jr.

It is fitting that Robert T. Clarke should be the first recipient of the American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists Board of Directors Award. This is the highest AASP award offered in gratitude for service to the Association. In 1978, Bob received the AASP Distinguished Service Award. The announcement of that award, and the accompanying citation of his many service contributions is included in Volume 8 of Palynology.

Volunteerism is contributing time and skills on behalf of a cause without financial reward. Most do it in the hope that an organization or cause will succeed and achieve its goals. Often volunteers contribute for a brief period before moving on to other things. Not so for Bob. His AASP volunteerism began in 1967 as one of the 30 founding members and has continued unabated for more than two decades. He has been President, Secretary-Treasurer, Editor, and Councilor. Bob was instrumental in establishing the AASP Foundation in 1977 and continues to be a Trustee and Treasurer of the Foundation. Without his insights, his enthusiasm, and, above all, his hard work, we would not have our own palynology journal, a respected AASP Contribution Series, a Century Club, or an AASP Foundation. No award, no citation, no level of praise could adequately reflect the hours, months, and years of time Bob has given to AASP as his way of offering something back to the profession of palynology.

There is no one in AASP more deserving of this, the AASP Board of Directors Award.

RESPONSE BY ROBERT T. CLARKE

Thank you Vaughn and thank you members of the Board of Directors of the American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists. It is indeed an honor to be presented with the first AASP Board of Directors Award.

As I look around the room today, I see many familiar faces. I have been fortunate to meet and become friends with you during the past 20-25 years. Many of you at various times have also volunteered your time and efforts to serve as elected officers or members of one committee or another. By a show of hands of those here today who have served the AASP in one capacity or another, we can see just how many members have been involved in making this a viable Association. One measure of any scientific organization s strength is the widespread support and involvement by its many members, not just one individual. AASP certainly has that widespread involvement.

I greatly appreciate the support that Mobil has given me over the years to participate in AASP activities. They have provided clerical assistance, reprographic facilities and travel funding in order to allow me to actively participate in AASP functions. During the past 15 years, since the inception of the AASP Foundation, I have become more interested and involved with helping to publish and distribute the various AASP publications. With the Association's concurrence I would like to continue attending to these same tasks ... until one of us says "enough."

Thank you again for this prestigious award.


AASP Newsletter 35(4): 6, 2002.

ROBERT T. CLARKE ELECTED TO HONORARY MEMBERSHIP OF AASP

By David Pocknall, Past President AASP

At the 2002 mid-year board meeting in St Catharines, Canada the board considered, and unanimously passed, the nomination of Robert (Bob) T. Clarke to Honorary Member status. Nobody has better exemplified volunteerism than Bob Clarke. Since the inception of the Association almost 35 years ago, Bob has provided countless hours of his time and his many talents to ensure the growth and continued existence of the Association.

Bob is a founding member of the Association, has served as President, and he is currently Treasurer for the AASP Foundation. He, together with his wife Carol, are always present at scientific meetings where AASP has a presence, promoting the science of palynology and selling AASP publications. Most members will have interacted with Bob in some way; anyone who has published an article in Palynology, written a Contribution Series, contributed to the 3 Volume book, the proceedings of the 9th IPC, or the newsletter, or dealt with the AASP Foundation will have experienced the breadth of Bob's volunteerism and dedication to AASP.

His diligence and painstaking editorial work has made sure the palynological and general scientific community receive publications of the highest quality. He has been previously recognized through receipt of an AASP Distinguished Service Award (in 1978) and an AASP Board of Directors Award (in 1994) and this further endows upon Bob the thanks that he richly deserves from our association. He and his wife Carol have been enormous supporters of AASP over many decades so in effect it is a family honorary membership.

Bob joins William Evitt and Aureal Cross as Honorary Members. Please join me in welcoming Bob to this select group and at the earliest opportunity offer Bob your congratulations.