Submitted by Catherine Long (sgapres@thesga.org)
It is that time of the year when good things happen. The weather is cooler and the leaves change into a delightful array of colors. If you are like me it is also one of the busiest times of the year. Here at SGA we have been gearing up for several big events and working hard to continue to make SGA a vehicle to educate the public about Georgia’s rich archaeological heritage.
Two of these public education events are coming up in October: CoastFest (Brunswick) and the Georgia National Fair (Perry). Support SGA by volunteering to help at events like these. Extremely large audiences (several thousand) varying from adults to children will be present—what a unique opportunity to pass along this message to Georgia’s citizens. If you would like to serve in this capacity it would be greatly appreciated (click here for more information about volunteering at the Georgia National Fair). Oftentimes we never know the impact we can make on an individual.
The Frontiers in the Soil Committee is hard at work helping promote the sale of the last remaining copies of these books. For those who have an interest in Georgia archaeology these are great resources to have on hand. Set in a fun cartoon style they are also appropriate for kids to explore and learn about Georgia’s rich archaeological heritage. These books will be for sale at the annual Georgia Social Studies Conference held in Athens and the SGA website. In addition to this fantastic book—Frontiers in the Soil Teacher’s Resource Guide has activities that can be taught in the classroom and meet the Georgia Performance Standards. No matter what your age it is a delightful publication to have in your possession—don’t forget the holidays are coming up so it may be the perfect gift!
SGA’s current strategic plan is to move forward with making the organization more visible across the state and the nation. Earlier this year the Board voted to join the Society of Affiliated Chapters of the Society for American Archaeology (membership will begin in 2012). This will provide support from our colleagues on a myriad of topics and provide a heightened awareness of the organization. The leadership of the professional publication Early Georgia and The Profile (the newsletter) will remain important resources. Under the leadership of Tom Pluckhahn, Early Georgia has continued to be the scholarly journal that scholars, students, and membership (institutional too) are proud to have on their shelves. Sharing the news of the archaeological community continues by The Profile Editor Kelly Woodard. Maintaining an attractive and engaging website is a high priority of the leadership who will continue to solicit support from the archaeological community in submitting articles for it. Another goal is to improve the online membership and e-store as discussed below. With the explosion of social media SGA is continuing to utilize Facebook to reach students and others who use these technologies. Continued student involvement in the presentation of posters and papers at annual meetings and student membership are critical keys to the future leadership of SGA.
Sammy Smith is spearheading the initiative to review the best online venue for SGA to be able to move its membership and fundraising to an online system. She has whittled down the online payment service providers (for non-profit organizations) to PayPal, Google Checkout, and Amazon Simple Pay with Google Checkout as the anticipated best fit for SGA needs. The logistics of implementing this process will happen shortly. Another potential for the SGA website is the development of an SGA e-store. Ongoing review of logistics and a possible plan are underway.
Plans are underway for Archaeology Month 2012 as the Committee (led by Tammy Herron) gears up for another successful poster, lesson plan and Spring Meeting. The Committee is looking at the Bicentennial of 1812 and how best Georgia archaeology can be featured throughout the state. Don’t forget to check for upcoming details on the website.
The annual Fall Meeting will be held in Athens on Saturday, 22 October, and promises to be an exciting time! Lynn Pietak is gathering a final list of papers—if you have a great project to report on please submit it. This meeting will feature SGA’s own Jack Wynn leading as the discussant. As a non-themed meeting, this is the perfect opportunity to share in the current archaeological news in Georgia and enjoy the campus of the University of Georgia (a longtime supporter and partner of the SGA). Jared Wood assisted in securing the Zell B. Miller Learning Center for the day’s program.
In addition to the annual meeting there will be a live auction at the Terrapin Brewery in Athens.All funds will be used to support the Endowment Fund of SGA. This fund is used to protect Georgia archaeological sites. The Audacious Archaeology Auction is being spearheaded by Rita Elliott. The fun will start at 6:30pm and the live auction begins at 8:00pm, so bring your checkbooks and credit cards. Some unique items will be available for bidding and we can’t wait to see the competitive spirit among SGA members. Check back at the website for pictures and descriptions of auction items!
A challenge has been issued to all SGA Chapters! As we complete the list of unique and bid-warring objects we invite chapter members to actively participate. The Chapter with the greatest amount of donated items will be recognized at the Fall Meeting with a trophy that remains in their possession until next year’s fall meeting. As a Chapter of Excellence, additional opportunities will be available to remain active and increase your point accumulation. Chapter members are invited to send a Chapter Representative to attend the SGA Board of Directors Meeting at 1:00pm on Friday, October 21 at the Holiday Inn (197 E. Broad Street) in Athens. During the Business Meeting Chapters will have the opportunity to share news and upcoming events.
On behalf of the Officers and Board Members of the SGA, we anticipate great participation and appreciate those who have already contributed. We look forward to seeing you in Athens in October!
Posted online on Friday, September 30th, 2011