Thomas R. Holtz,
Jr.
Vertebrate
Paleontologist
Department of Geology
Director, Earth, Life & Time
Program
University of Maryland
College Park
Scholars
College Park, MD
20742
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/tholtz.htm
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:
301-405-4084 Email: tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax
(Geol): 301-314-9661 Fax (CPS-ELT):
301-405-0796
To the Members and Friends of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology,
The Executive Committee and the Host Committee for the SVP annual meeting extend their thoughts and prayers to all who have been affected by the terrible tragedies of this past week in the United States. We have received messages of concern from within the United States and across the world about whether we would be holding the 2001 SVP annual meeting, planned for Oct 3-6 in Bozeman, Montana.
After careful review and discussion, the members of the Executive Committee and Host Committee unanimously support the continuation of our annual meeting in Bozeman. We are anticipating that all events will go on as planned, with slight modifications in the schedule to allow Society members to pay respects to the victims and support the survivors and their families.
In the words of SVP Vice President Hans-Dieter Sues and our next SVP President in a recent email to me, "As Americans, we should not let ourselves be defeated by the masterminds of the assault on the United States who are an affront to human decency and civilization." We must carry on with the great work that our scientific society does in revealing the history of life on earth.
I will be meeting with Sean Allen and the SVP Headquarters team in Chicago this Wednesday to finalize all arrangements for the annual meeting. Our agenda also includes providing a means whereby all SVP members will have an opportunity to contribute to a fund to support the victims of the September 11 tragedy and developing contingency plans in the event that travel arrangements or other aspects of our annual meeting change as a response to external events We will be proactive in providing you any new information for the annual meeting through email via the SVP membership list and other lists as appropriate. Information will also be posted on the SVP web site.
Richard Stucky, President
Pat Leiggi, Chair, Host
Committee
Society of
Vertebrate Paleontology