Submitted by Catherine Long (diggergirl77@gmail.com)

SGA President Catherine Long “talks archaeology” with a visitor to the ArchaeoBus exhibit at the Georgia National Fair in October 2010.

The 2010 Fall Meeting was truly remarkable—several new board members and officers, awesome tours around St. Simons Island, a large representation from the membership, and more. I was amazed at the energy that was evident during the weekend. Perhaps that energy was effectuated by the invigorating tour of the coast that was led by guest archaeologists and knowledgeable speakers. Kevin Kiernan was responsible for organizing the weekend, and I’m sure everyone is in agreement that he did a spectacular job. If you were unable to attend the Fall Meeting, you certainly missed a real treat.

There are transitions to the SGA Board and Officers to report. Four new Board Members include Leslie Perry, Don Thieme, Inger Wood and Matt Newberry. New officers are Vice President/President-Elect Tammy Herron and Secretary Pam Baughman. Kelly Woodard will serve as the Editor of The Profile. We look forward to the great ideas and initiatives that will be generated.

We thank the following individuals for their dedication and service to SGA—Tom Gresham, Dennis Blanton, Stephen Hammack and David Mincey. Tom has kept up with the membership records of the organization, meeting minutes, served as Postmaster for incoming SGA mail (which he continues), and assists with the ArchaeoBus. Dennis Blanton served as President for the past two years and has provided leadership in many areas including chapter relations, Archaeology Month, ArchaeoBus, SGA Meetings and more; Stephen Hammack has assisted with the membership committee, public education and continues to work with increasing the membership of SGA; and David Mincey has provided insight from a chapter perspective to the group. We truly appreciate your willingness to assist in making SGA a stronger and better organization.

SGA has been busy over the past several weeks and represented at several events. Several Board Members attended the annual CoastFest and reported large crowds estimated at 7000 people. This provided yet another opportunity to educate and engage the public about archaeology. Abby the ArchaeoBus made an appearance at the Georgia National Fair in Perry for a week. Organized by Rita Elliott the Bus enjoyed many visitors and had hands-on activities to learn more about archaeology. Manned by many volunteers the bus made a great impression and helped share the mission of educating fellow Georgians about the importance of its archaeological sites.

I am excited about the next two years and how we may garner interest and support in educating the public of Georgia’s rich archaeological history. It is important that we continue to train the next generation in the message of stewardship. I look forward to working with you all to preserve these sites for current and future study. In these times it is important that we establish communication and collaboration with other organizations and groups that support the preservation of Georgia’s past. By working together we can raise awareness and appreciation of our heritage and grow our membership to include others with the same passion.

We welcome your input and suggestions to make the Society for Georgia Archaeology the best it can be. But we need your help! Please send chapter information and archaeology news to Kelly so that we may all know the great things you are doing for Georgia Archaeology!

Sincerely,

Catherine Long, SGA President

Posted online on Thursday, November 4th, 2010