Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous things from past Cookbooks

GUIDELINES FOR PLANNING THE BEST NMEA CONFERENCE YET National Marine Educators Association Prepared by Conference Guidelines Committee The Conference Guidelines Committee was appointed by the NMEA Board in 1988 to devise a handbook to assist NMEA Conference Coordinators in planning successful meetings. The appointed committee is made up of a group of former NMEA Conference Coordinators. Sue Gammisch (1985) Chairperson Virginia Sea Grant College Program Department of Marine Advisory Services Virginia Institute of Marine Science College of William and Mary Gloucester Point, VA 23062 (804) 642‑7169

Deb Hall Sandler (1983) Mr. and Mrs. Fish Marine Education Program S.M.V.T.I., Fort Road South Portland, ME 04106 (207) 799‑6234

Sandra Ryack‑Bell (1987) Bruce Stewart (1988)

__Here's to the Best!__ Congratulations on being selected to coordinate an NMEA Conference. We hope the conference you are about to plan will be one of NMEA’s best conferences ever. The success of the conference will depend in large part on the close cooperation of many people: the committee members with one another and the chairpersons with the Conference Coordinator and the NMEA President and President‑Elect. The previous NMEA Conference Coordinators are eager to assist you with your planning. Feel free to call on us with our ideas, your questions, and your problems. Here's to a great conference! =The Role of Conferences in NMEA= NMEA conferences enable our members and nonmembers alike to share teaching ideas, resources, and other techniques they have found to be successful. NMEA conferences reinforce the commitment of educators to provide the best marine education for their students. State/regional associations (chapters) of educators benefit from NMEA conferences directly and indirectly. When a chapter agrees to give up its own meeting in the year that an NMEA conference is held in their state, the nationally renowned speakers and increased participation by exhibitors enhance attendance and interest in a 3‑day meeting. Conferences allow a number of educators to take an important role in planning the meeting. We appreciate and recognize the volunteer hours put into planning the conference by educators whose work schedules are already full. Your assistance with the conference is an opportunity to serve marine educators while it brings you more visibility within NMEA. =How NMEA Conference Sites Are Selected= The sites for future NMEA conferences are selected by the NMEA Board of Directors based upon bids for hosting the conference by an NMEA Chapter Bids to the Board should be well‑planned out and should include the following information: ‑ actual site (college campus with adequate dormitory space, meal plan availability, and dates available) - appeal to the Board and NMEA members in regard to marine/aquatic environment and field trip sites - convenient transportation into and out of conference site - tourist attractions to visit prior to and/or following the conference An NMEA chapter may want to combine its annual meeting with an NMEA conference and thus, because of the larger audience, enable the state/regional association to attract more well‑known speakers. It is recommended that bids to host an NMEA Conference be made 2 years before a conference. The host chapter receives a rebate to their treasury in the amount of 25% of the profits of the national conference. =What NMEA Does for the Conference Committee= Following is a brief summary of what the NMEA does for its national conference committee: ‑ Negotiate agreement, if any, with state chapters ‑ Provides‑budgeted sum to planning committee for minor expenses associated with planning the conference ‑ Provide NMEA stationary for official Conference Correspondence