I'm going to try posting to this blog at least six times a week. I plan on focusing on cultural change in tech fields. It's something I think I have something to say well beyond what normal people can say.
This week's most important event was the Progressive Maryland Awards Dinner. Senator Barbara Mikulski was the star. Maryland State Senator Paul Pinsky made thoughtful comments about "Liberty and Justice for All." That's a theme that can resound well with libertarians. Libertarians have much to contribute to our society -- and they have some interesting similarities with some conventional liberals.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
An Evening With Triple Nine Friends
The evening of Friday, November 19th was spent with friends from the Triple Nine Society. Some I have known for some time. Some I met Friday evening.
Eric Phan is a bright young man who has taken it upon himself to organize occasional get togethers of local Triple Nine Society members. He announced this event via e-mail, as usual. What made this event different was an event that preceded our usual dinner. We were invited to the Capitol Hill Club to meet with fund manager Bill Matson and Retired Admiral James Carey. Bill was going to discuss the book by him and his partner Mitch Hardy titled Data Driven Investing. Admiral Carey was going to discuss Triple Nine help with the program Government Scholars. This program is intended to interest bright young people in careers of public service.
I did not know what to expect when I arrived at the Capitol Hill Club. For those who are not familiar with Washington, the Capitol Hill Club is the Republican club adjacent to Congress. The Democratic Party has a similar club a few blocks away. I followed the instructions on how to find the Grill Room where we would be meeting. When I entered the Grill Room, I saw quite a few young people. I assumed they were were Republican staffers and workers of various kinds. After a quick search I saw a table where Eric and Katy were seated. The other two people at the table were Admiral Carey and Bill Matson. I introduced myself to Jim and Bill. Everyone seemed quite friendly. I've come to expect that at Triple Nine gatherings.
Bill began our discussions by telling us what he and his partner had learned about investing. It seems that investing in small companies is one key part of their strategy. They also try to figure out what small companies investors are not paying much attention to and when that is not warranted. The book seems quite interesting. I plan on getting a copy and reading it soon. The book is available free to Triple Nine Society members. During the discussion, Bill mentioned the graphical representation of numerical data. I chimed in at this point because that is actually one of my specialties. During our conversation I also mentioned my concern with firms like AIG that actively prevented bad news from even being distributed throughout the firm, much less to the investing public. Bill and others seemed to agree. Bill also let us know that too many people in the field of finance were simply out to maximize their own personal returns. I'd read similar things elsewhere. It was good to hear it in person from an exceptionally intelligent insider of good character.
Our discussion turned to the Washington Scholars Program. Jim Carey and others lead this effort to get young people interested in government service. Some things make this notable. Jim is clearly a conservative. The Washington Scholars Program is aimed at Republicans, Democrats and independents. Students come from across the political spectrum. Early in his description of the program he mentioned placing a student with Nancy Pelosi. I mentioned that I was involved in Maryland politics and knew quite a few people in positions of leadership in the Democratic Party. It might be possible for me to help. During our conversation I mentioned that I had told people in Congressman Steny Hoyer's office about our Triple Nine Society event. Jim, with a friendly smile on his face, said I could now report that Congressman Hoyer's name up during a discussion at the Capitol Hill Club.
During our discussion I described my interest in reforming tech fields, especially NASA. I stated that the Columbia accident investigation had revealed significant problems at NASA. I also reported how young people were turning away from science and engineering careers because of impossible demands on their lives. I made the observation that, when a young woman must choose between a career in science and having a family, that is wrong. I also noted that middle aged geeks with a clear libertarian bent in their politics are starting to complain about abusive treatment at work. One, Eric Raymond, noted that women in computing aren't abused. He reported that everyone in computing was abused.
The conversation at the Capitol Hill Club was, as I expected, thoughtful and interesting. After 7:15 most of us departed for a restaurant in Eastern Market for dinner. We wound up at Fusion, initially because the place was quiet enough for serious discussions. Other restaurants did not meet that criteria. The food was excellent, as was the conversation.
It is interesting to hear Katy discuss home schooling her children and what her life was like. She was a career Navy officer married to a Navy man. One interesting opinion we both hold strongly is that sleep is important. While our life experiences have been different in many ways, it is interesting that we have some quite strongly held views that are similar. During our discussion I brought up two of my running triumphs in October 1996. First, I ran the Goddard Two Mile Fun Run in my best time of 12:53. Then, a few weeks later, I finished the Marine Corps Marathon. I also reported that, if I had run the first two miles of the marathon at my Goddard pace, I would not have finished the marathon -- and I would have been a half mile behind the eventual winners of the marathon.
Near the end of the evening I mentioned that the St. Mark's Players would be presenting Inherit the Wind in January and proposed a performance as a Triple Nine event. Some interest was stirred.
Wow, I have written over 900 words. I'm trying to keep these postings a bit shorter.
Eric Phan is a bright young man who has taken it upon himself to organize occasional get togethers of local Triple Nine Society members. He announced this event via e-mail, as usual. What made this event different was an event that preceded our usual dinner. We were invited to the Capitol Hill Club to meet with fund manager Bill Matson and Retired Admiral James Carey. Bill was going to discuss the book by him and his partner Mitch Hardy titled Data Driven Investing. Admiral Carey was going to discuss Triple Nine help with the program Government Scholars. This program is intended to interest bright young people in careers of public service.
I did not know what to expect when I arrived at the Capitol Hill Club. For those who are not familiar with Washington, the Capitol Hill Club is the Republican club adjacent to Congress. The Democratic Party has a similar club a few blocks away. I followed the instructions on how to find the Grill Room where we would be meeting. When I entered the Grill Room, I saw quite a few young people. I assumed they were were Republican staffers and workers of various kinds. After a quick search I saw a table where Eric and Katy were seated. The other two people at the table were Admiral Carey and Bill Matson. I introduced myself to Jim and Bill. Everyone seemed quite friendly. I've come to expect that at Triple Nine gatherings.
Bill began our discussions by telling us what he and his partner had learned about investing. It seems that investing in small companies is one key part of their strategy. They also try to figure out what small companies investors are not paying much attention to and when that is not warranted. The book seems quite interesting. I plan on getting a copy and reading it soon. The book is available free to Triple Nine Society members. During the discussion, Bill mentioned the graphical representation of numerical data. I chimed in at this point because that is actually one of my specialties. During our conversation I also mentioned my concern with firms like AIG that actively prevented bad news from even being distributed throughout the firm, much less to the investing public. Bill and others seemed to agree. Bill also let us know that too many people in the field of finance were simply out to maximize their own personal returns. I'd read similar things elsewhere. It was good to hear it in person from an exceptionally intelligent insider of good character.
Our discussion turned to the Washington Scholars Program. Jim Carey and others lead this effort to get young people interested in government service. Some things make this notable. Jim is clearly a conservative. The Washington Scholars Program is aimed at Republicans, Democrats and independents. Students come from across the political spectrum. Early in his description of the program he mentioned placing a student with Nancy Pelosi. I mentioned that I was involved in Maryland politics and knew quite a few people in positions of leadership in the Democratic Party. It might be possible for me to help. During our conversation I mentioned that I had told people in Congressman Steny Hoyer's office about our Triple Nine Society event. Jim, with a friendly smile on his face, said I could now report that Congressman Hoyer's name up during a discussion at the Capitol Hill Club.
During our discussion I described my interest in reforming tech fields, especially NASA. I stated that the Columbia accident investigation had revealed significant problems at NASA. I also reported how young people were turning away from science and engineering careers because of impossible demands on their lives. I made the observation that, when a young woman must choose between a career in science and having a family, that is wrong. I also noted that middle aged geeks with a clear libertarian bent in their politics are starting to complain about abusive treatment at work. One, Eric Raymond, noted that women in computing aren't abused. He reported that everyone in computing was abused.
The conversation at the Capitol Hill Club was, as I expected, thoughtful and interesting. After 7:15 most of us departed for a restaurant in Eastern Market for dinner. We wound up at Fusion, initially because the place was quiet enough for serious discussions. Other restaurants did not meet that criteria. The food was excellent, as was the conversation.
It is interesting to hear Katy discuss home schooling her children and what her life was like. She was a career Navy officer married to a Navy man. One interesting opinion we both hold strongly is that sleep is important. While our life experiences have been different in many ways, it is interesting that we have some quite strongly held views that are similar. During our discussion I brought up two of my running triumphs in October 1996. First, I ran the Goddard Two Mile Fun Run in my best time of 12:53. Then, a few weeks later, I finished the Marine Corps Marathon. I also reported that, if I had run the first two miles of the marathon at my Goddard pace, I would not have finished the marathon -- and I would have been a half mile behind the eventual winners of the marathon.
Near the end of the evening I mentioned that the St. Mark's Players would be presenting Inherit the Wind in January and proposed a performance as a Triple Nine event. Some interest was stirred.
Wow, I have written over 900 words. I'm trying to keep these postings a bit shorter.
Monday, July 26, 2010
What Next For Space
It was interesting to see that a Doctor Logan brought up at the recently completed NewSpace 2010 conference that humans may not be able to live on the Moon, Mars or any other very different planet from Earth. I've long thought the same thing.
Spreading out into the Solar System -- and eventually farther -- is going to take quite a bit longer than the true space enthusiast seems prepared to admit -- and deal with.
When European explorers began exploring our planet, they met human beings wherever they went. OK, the humans were somewhat different from Europeans, but they were recognizably human. Peoples from different continents could even interbreed. The earlier expansion of humanity from a location in Africa happened before we had reliable histories so it is rather hard to know just how long it took.
Antarctica is about the only example of a land that did not have people when Europeans arrived. It was not even discovered until 1820. It was ignored for the rest of the 19th Century. Amundsen and Scott raced for the South Pole a century ago. We now have some established bases and some adventurous tourists. Remember -- Antartica is a part of Earth. We can breathe the air, the gravity is the same, radiation problems are pretty much the same. It is just a lot colder than, say, Washington, DC. We do not have anything like Zubrin's Martian fantasy or an O'Neill colony even in Antarctica. It is far easier to get people and things to Antarctica than it is to the Moon or Mars.
The voyages of exploration even hundreds of years ago involved large numbers of people away from home for long periods of time. In space the normal time on ISS is six months. A few people have stayed up longer. It hasn't been good for their health.
We have discovered some utility for space regarding communications and remote sensing. We can do that today. The old L5 idea may be a part of our future -- but a distant part, at least on the scale of a human life. With a large base in orbit we will be able to experiment in ways that are now impossible. We need to learn how to do things in space. That's why NASA reform is so important. The agency does need to develop a bottom up, democratic way of working and living. Yes, the old top down approach did put 12 men on the Moon. But that was really in the nature of a political stunt that did no more than hint at possibilities. It is not a very effective way of producing the kind of knowledge and development that moving out into space is going to need.
Spreading out into the Solar System -- and eventually farther -- is going to take quite a bit longer than the true space enthusiast seems prepared to admit -- and deal with.
When European explorers began exploring our planet, they met human beings wherever they went. OK, the humans were somewhat different from Europeans, but they were recognizably human. Peoples from different continents could even interbreed. The earlier expansion of humanity from a location in Africa happened before we had reliable histories so it is rather hard to know just how long it took.
Antarctica is about the only example of a land that did not have people when Europeans arrived. It was not even discovered until 1820. It was ignored for the rest of the 19th Century. Amundsen and Scott raced for the South Pole a century ago. We now have some established bases and some adventurous tourists. Remember -- Antartica is a part of Earth. We can breathe the air, the gravity is the same, radiation problems are pretty much the same. It is just a lot colder than, say, Washington, DC. We do not have anything like Zubrin's Martian fantasy or an O'Neill colony even in Antarctica. It is far easier to get people and things to Antarctica than it is to the Moon or Mars.
The voyages of exploration even hundreds of years ago involved large numbers of people away from home for long periods of time. In space the normal time on ISS is six months. A few people have stayed up longer. It hasn't been good for their health.
We have discovered some utility for space regarding communications and remote sensing. We can do that today. The old L5 idea may be a part of our future -- but a distant part, at least on the scale of a human life. With a large base in orbit we will be able to experiment in ways that are now impossible. We need to learn how to do things in space. That's why NASA reform is so important. The agency does need to develop a bottom up, democratic way of working and living. Yes, the old top down approach did put 12 men on the Moon. But that was really in the nature of a political stunt that did no more than hint at possibilities. It is not a very effective way of producing the kind of knowledge and development that moving out into space is going to need.
Monday, June 7, 2010
DC Digital Week
Next week I will be attending the DC Digital Week and blogging a bit about it. My plan is to cover the events using both photography and writing. Parties will more than likely just be photography.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
An Exceptionally Special Day in the Life of Ambassador Chuck
What is this "Ambassador Chuck" business? People such as the wonderful folk I met Sunday at St. John's Episcopal Church on Lafayette Square in DC might seriously ask that question. For a humorous look at one of my alternative identities, do check out The Vulcan Ambassador Chuck E-mails.
Now I will move on to more serious matters.
I attended St. John's this morning rather than my usual parish, St. Mark's because our Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori would be appearing at a forum and giving the sermon. Life long Episcopalian that I am, I could not miss this opportunity to see and hear a woman about whom I had heard so many good things.
When I walked in the door of St. John's, I perceived that St. John's had some differences with St. Mark's as well as some more important similarities. People were dressed more formally. But everyone welcomed me warmly and openly. Dress matters far less than a warm welcome from good people. I will say, though, I was glad I had worn a suit and tie. I had some friendly chats with members of the congregation. I remember impressing two nice young women with my tale of finishing the Marine Corps Marathon back in 1996.
When I walked into the forum, I met briefly our Presiding Bishop. I asked her why -- in I hope a friendly manner -- why she had switched from being an oceanographer to an Episcopal priest. I handed her a business card at the same time with an invitation on following up in more detail at a later time. She briefly but friendlily replied that she was still working that out. I was impressed that she told a complete stranger that much.
The forum began at 10. One priest had gone around the congregation passing out cards for people to write questions on. The forum took on the following form. First, Katherine delivered a short talk. During the talk she mentioned how others were impressed by Episcopalians. She reported that people said about us "They use their ears. They also use their brains." We Episcopalians think a great deal more than most people. I will say this is one thing that has kept me an active Episcopalian through my life. Katherine also told us how we were warm and welcoming. We are truly open to the other, We are now working -- in multiple ways -- with other denominations. Our Presiding Bishop sees this as the future of our church and, indeed, of Christianity in general. I think along the same sort of line. She made an interesting comment about the Roman Catholic Church. She noted that there was more cooperation between local Episcopalian and Roman Catholic parishes working together on projects of importance to their communities than there was between the leaders of both churches. She recommended continuing in that manner for local Episcopalians. In the past few decades especially our society has grown more authoritarian -- with negative effects in everything from finance to space exploration to education and more. Too often people with a little bit of power over others think "How can we get people to think more like ourselves?" and too little "How can we use our knowledge to help others?" Or -- even more insidiously -- "How we can control others?" There are times when authoritarian control is appropriate. But all too often such control is presented as the best solution. This leads to all sorts of problems -- which said leadership then blames on someone else.
The Episcopal Church is active in many parts of the world. Katherine mentioned Honduras as one place among many where our church is making a real difference. I suspect Marco Caceres of St. Mark's could give us a good look at how our church is helping in Honduras. He has spoken eloquently about how open and welcoming our church is compared with the Roman Catholic.
The service that followed was also warm and welcoming -- if different from St. Mark's. The music was, as I have come to expect, the typical wonderful Episcopalian hymns and more. The last hymn of the day was particularly touching to me. It was a 20th Century hymn -- and about the positive impacts of science and technology upon our world.
After church I joined people from St. John's at their weekly luncheon. It was not only a good meal, but a great opportunity to get to know the people of S. John's better.
All in all, my experience at St. John's was truly wonderful.
What did I do the rest of the day?
First I stopped by St. Mark's. There I had a brief conversation with our brew master, Rick Weber. I shared a bit of the morning's experience with him.
Then I headed off to Paulos' place for the monthly New Members Open House organized by Metro Washington Mensa. This was a truly rare time when I showed up at a Mensa event wearing a suit and tie. I told them about the morning -- and hearing a religious leader speak openly about the importance of the mind. People were happy to hear that. I also mentioned sitting in the President's Pew at St. John's. That, of course, was just a fortunate coincidence. The party was, again, a good time. I enjoyed seeing some old friends.
After that I made the trek back home.
Now I will move on to more serious matters.
I attended St. John's this morning rather than my usual parish, St. Mark's because our Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori would be appearing at a forum and giving the sermon. Life long Episcopalian that I am, I could not miss this opportunity to see and hear a woman about whom I had heard so many good things.
When I walked in the door of St. John's, I perceived that St. John's had some differences with St. Mark's as well as some more important similarities. People were dressed more formally. But everyone welcomed me warmly and openly. Dress matters far less than a warm welcome from good people. I will say, though, I was glad I had worn a suit and tie. I had some friendly chats with members of the congregation. I remember impressing two nice young women with my tale of finishing the Marine Corps Marathon back in 1996.
When I walked into the forum, I met briefly our Presiding Bishop. I asked her why -- in I hope a friendly manner -- why she had switched from being an oceanographer to an Episcopal priest. I handed her a business card at the same time with an invitation on following up in more detail at a later time. She briefly but friendlily replied that she was still working that out. I was impressed that she told a complete stranger that much.
The forum began at 10. One priest had gone around the congregation passing out cards for people to write questions on. The forum took on the following form. First, Katherine delivered a short talk. During the talk she mentioned how others were impressed by Episcopalians. She reported that people said about us "They use their ears. They also use their brains." We Episcopalians think a great deal more than most people. I will say this is one thing that has kept me an active Episcopalian through my life. Katherine also told us how we were warm and welcoming. We are truly open to the other, We are now working -- in multiple ways -- with other denominations. Our Presiding Bishop sees this as the future of our church and, indeed, of Christianity in general. I think along the same sort of line. She made an interesting comment about the Roman Catholic Church. She noted that there was more cooperation between local Episcopalian and Roman Catholic parishes working together on projects of importance to their communities than there was between the leaders of both churches. She recommended continuing in that manner for local Episcopalians. In the past few decades especially our society has grown more authoritarian -- with negative effects in everything from finance to space exploration to education and more. Too often people with a little bit of power over others think "How can we get people to think more like ourselves?" and too little "How can we use our knowledge to help others?" Or -- even more insidiously -- "How we can control others?" There are times when authoritarian control is appropriate. But all too often such control is presented as the best solution. This leads to all sorts of problems -- which said leadership then blames on someone else.
The Episcopal Church is active in many parts of the world. Katherine mentioned Honduras as one place among many where our church is making a real difference. I suspect Marco Caceres of St. Mark's could give us a good look at how our church is helping in Honduras. He has spoken eloquently about how open and welcoming our church is compared with the Roman Catholic.
The service that followed was also warm and welcoming -- if different from St. Mark's. The music was, as I have come to expect, the typical wonderful Episcopalian hymns and more. The last hymn of the day was particularly touching to me. It was a 20th Century hymn -- and about the positive impacts of science and technology upon our world.
After church I joined people from St. John's at their weekly luncheon. It was not only a good meal, but a great opportunity to get to know the people of S. John's better.
All in all, my experience at St. John's was truly wonderful.
What did I do the rest of the day?
First I stopped by St. Mark's. There I had a brief conversation with our brew master, Rick Weber. I shared a bit of the morning's experience with him.
Then I headed off to Paulos' place for the monthly New Members Open House organized by Metro Washington Mensa. This was a truly rare time when I showed up at a Mensa event wearing a suit and tie. I told them about the morning -- and hearing a religious leader speak openly about the importance of the mind. People were happy to hear that. I also mentioned sitting in the President's Pew at St. John's. That, of course, was just a fortunate coincidence. The party was, again, a good time. I enjoyed seeing some old friends.
After that I made the trek back home.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Aerospace Initiative Home Page
I've created this page to familiarize people with the work the committee on industry collaboration of the Aerospace Industry Initiative of the Governor's Workforce Investment Board in Maryland did in 2006 and 2007 under my leadership.
I attended the Aerospace Summit held by GWIB in January 2006. I heard about this meeting via the Baltimore section of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The meeting was interesting. By tossing my business card in a jar I received as a reward Tom Friedman's book "The World Is Flat." While interesting, the book had many flaws.
Later in 2006 I received a message about a followup meeting to be held in June 2006. I went to that meeting and sat in on the industry collaboration committee. To the best of my knowledge, I had never met any of these people before. The same can be said of the larger Aerospace Initiative meeting. Our discussion was interesting and thoughtful. At the end of the meeting Art Taguding, the Maryland government representative, said we needed a chair to continue leading the group in its work. Everyone looked at me. Art asked if I was surprised. Since I had observed how the meeting went, I replied I was not at all surprised. If, however, you had told me at breakfast that morning that I would be leading a group to bring together Maryland aerospace companies to work on common challenges, I would have raised an eyebrow.
I got the group off to a good start -- according to others -- by writing a Statement of Purpose. Don McErlean did some light editing. Our group began having monthly meetings -- sometimes more frequently -- to discuss progress in creating a strawman proposal for an organization tentatively named the Maryland Aerospace Association. Here are the minutes of some of our meetings:
* September 12, 2006
* October 23, 2006
* November 21, 2006
* December 5, 2006
* January 7, 2007
Our meetings petered out after this. Northrop Grumman VP Bob Noble seemed to blow hot and cold on our committee's work. I do not know what other people were saying to him. I did get an occasional e-mail from him about our committee's work. Later, without any discussion with me about what he did not like, he dropped support for our committee's work completely. Later on he proposed a Governor's Advisory Council on Aerospace to be made up of the state's aerospace CEOs. This idea was a complete nonstarter. One wonders what thinking was going on.
Our group did develop a variety of documents in support of our strawman proposal. They are:
* A Vision Statement
* A Charter
* Organization Chart
* Organization Chart Descriptions
E-mail me at charles dot j dot divine at gmail dot com if you have half a mind to.
I attended the Aerospace Summit held by GWIB in January 2006. I heard about this meeting via the Baltimore section of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The meeting was interesting. By tossing my business card in a jar I received as a reward Tom Friedman's book "The World Is Flat." While interesting, the book had many flaws.
Later in 2006 I received a message about a followup meeting to be held in June 2006. I went to that meeting and sat in on the industry collaboration committee. To the best of my knowledge, I had never met any of these people before. The same can be said of the larger Aerospace Initiative meeting. Our discussion was interesting and thoughtful. At the end of the meeting Art Taguding, the Maryland government representative, said we needed a chair to continue leading the group in its work. Everyone looked at me. Art asked if I was surprised. Since I had observed how the meeting went, I replied I was not at all surprised. If, however, you had told me at breakfast that morning that I would be leading a group to bring together Maryland aerospace companies to work on common challenges, I would have raised an eyebrow.
I got the group off to a good start -- according to others -- by writing a Statement of Purpose. Don McErlean did some light editing. Our group began having monthly meetings -- sometimes more frequently -- to discuss progress in creating a strawman proposal for an organization tentatively named the Maryland Aerospace Association. Here are the minutes of some of our meetings:
* September 12, 2006
* October 23, 2006
* November 21, 2006
* December 5, 2006
* January 7, 2007
Our meetings petered out after this. Northrop Grumman VP Bob Noble seemed to blow hot and cold on our committee's work. I do not know what other people were saying to him. I did get an occasional e-mail from him about our committee's work. Later, without any discussion with me about what he did not like, he dropped support for our committee's work completely. Later on he proposed a Governor's Advisory Council on Aerospace to be made up of the state's aerospace CEOs. This idea was a complete nonstarter. One wonders what thinking was going on.
Our group did develop a variety of documents in support of our strawman proposal. They are:
* A Vision Statement
* A Charter
* Organization Chart
* Organization Chart Descriptions
E-mail me at charles dot j dot divine at gmail dot com if you have half a mind to.
Aerospace Initiative Organizational Chart Descriptions
Maryland Aerospace Partnership
The Maryland Aerospace Partnership is a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives. It is the recognized authority on Maryland’s Aerospace industry and supports the growth and enhancement of this vital industry. The MAP is an industry-run, state-chartered organization endorsed and supported by private and public stakeholders.
Membership
1.Membership is open to aerospace industry stakeholders—corporate, educational, associations, government, individuals
2.Financial support for the organization will come from:
a.Dues
i.Flat fee tier structure based on relative organizational size (Attachment A)
ii.Reduced fees for educational and/or government agencies where appropriate
b.Other funding
i.Government agency support
ii.Company grants/donations
iii.Grants
iv.Events revenue
Organizational Structure (Attachment B)
Board of Directors
1.The Board of Directors will be appointed at the discretion of the Board Chairperson
2.The Board of Directors will include industry representatives and non-industry representatives, with the balance favoring industry representation
3.The Board Chairperson will be elected by the MAP membership
Executive Committee
1.The Executive Committee is appointed by the Board Chair with input from the Executive Director
2.The Executive Committee is composed of the Executive Director, Executive Champion, Working Committee Chairpersons, and selected Ad Hoc members
Executive Champion
1.This is an unpaid position—volunteer, executive-on-loan
2.The Executive Champion works with stakeholders to insure sustainability and success of MAP and its initiatives
3.This position’s role is one of cheerleader, convener, catalyst, respected industry voice
Staff & Budget
Executive Director
1.Paid position--$75K+
2.Organizational vision and viability
3.Operational leadership, implementation and accountability
4.Equal status with the Executive Champion
Operations Manager
1.Paid position--$60K+
2.Day-to-day operations management and accountability
3.Oversight/coordination of Working Committees
Administrative Assistant
1.Paid position--$40K+
2.General administrative support for the Executive Director and Operations Manager
Operating Expenses
1.$75,000 annually for Years 1-2
Working Committees
1.Working Committees will recommend, review and/or implement initiatives in their respective areas. Typical responsibilities for each committee include:
a.Education & Workforce Development
i.Promote aerospace careers to students, educators, parents, counselors and workers
ii.Assist the aerospace industry to attract and retain a qualified workforce
iii.Improve aerospace educational programs at the high school, community college and 4-year degree level
iv.Provide professional development opportunities for the currently employed scientists, engineers, technicians and managers
b.Economic Development
i.Support efforts to attract new aerospace industries to Maryland
ii.Identify and support efforts to retain and promote the growth of current Maryland aerospace companies
iii. Work collaboratively with local, regional and state economic development agencies and initiatives to grow the aerospace industry presence in Maryland
c.Public Policy & Advocacy
i.Educate government and legislative leaders on key issues impacting Maryland’s aerospace industry
ii.Assist government, legislative, business and education leaders to develop public policies supportive of the aerospace industry in Maryland
iii.Serve as the recognized voice of the aerospace industry in Maryland
d.Membership/ Marketing/ Events
i.Promote the MAP, its initiatives and its services to interested stakeholders and the public
ii.Maintain adequate corporate, government, professional association, educational and individual membership levels
iii.Promote and coordinate MAP events and member services
e.Science & Technology
i.Increase awareness and sharing of science and technology innovations among aerospace stakeholders
ii.Support innovative research and technology transfer initiatives among key aerospace stakeholders
iii.Support the integration of emerging aerospace science and technology in secondary and post-secondary educational programs
2.Chairpersons are unpaid positions appointed by the Executive Director and serve on the Executive Committee
Meetings
1.The MAP and its Board of Directors will meet quarterly
2.Executive and Working Committees will meet as needed during the interim periods
The Maryland Aerospace Partnership is a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives. It is the recognized authority on Maryland’s Aerospace industry and supports the growth and enhancement of this vital industry. The MAP is an industry-run, state-chartered organization endorsed and supported by private and public stakeholders.
Membership
1.Membership is open to aerospace industry stakeholders—corporate, educational, associations, government, individuals
2.Financial support for the organization will come from:
a.Dues
i.Flat fee tier structure based on relative organizational size (Attachment A)
ii.Reduced fees for educational and/or government agencies where appropriate
b.Other funding
i.Government agency support
ii.Company grants/donations
iii.Grants
iv.Events revenue
Organizational Structure (Attachment B)
Board of Directors
1.The Board of Directors will be appointed at the discretion of the Board Chairperson
2.The Board of Directors will include industry representatives and non-industry representatives, with the balance favoring industry representation
3.The Board Chairperson will be elected by the MAP membership
Executive Committee
1.The Executive Committee is appointed by the Board Chair with input from the Executive Director
2.The Executive Committee is composed of the Executive Director, Executive Champion, Working Committee Chairpersons, and selected Ad Hoc members
Executive Champion
1.This is an unpaid position—volunteer, executive-on-loan
2.The Executive Champion works with stakeholders to insure sustainability and success of MAP and its initiatives
3.This position’s role is one of cheerleader, convener, catalyst, respected industry voice
Staff & Budget
Executive Director
1.Paid position--$75K+
2.Organizational vision and viability
3.Operational leadership, implementation and accountability
4.Equal status with the Executive Champion
Operations Manager
1.Paid position--$60K+
2.Day-to-day operations management and accountability
3.Oversight/coordination of Working Committees
Administrative Assistant
1.Paid position--$40K+
2.General administrative support for the Executive Director and Operations Manager
Operating Expenses
1.$75,000 annually for Years 1-2
Working Committees
1.Working Committees will recommend, review and/or implement initiatives in their respective areas. Typical responsibilities for each committee include:
a.Education & Workforce Development
i.Promote aerospace careers to students, educators, parents, counselors and workers
ii.Assist the aerospace industry to attract and retain a qualified workforce
iii.Improve aerospace educational programs at the high school, community college and 4-year degree level
iv.Provide professional development opportunities for the currently employed scientists, engineers, technicians and managers
b.Economic Development
i.Support efforts to attract new aerospace industries to Maryland
ii.Identify and support efforts to retain and promote the growth of current Maryland aerospace companies
iii. Work collaboratively with local, regional and state economic development agencies and initiatives to grow the aerospace industry presence in Maryland
c.Public Policy & Advocacy
i.Educate government and legislative leaders on key issues impacting Maryland’s aerospace industry
ii.Assist government, legislative, business and education leaders to develop public policies supportive of the aerospace industry in Maryland
iii.Serve as the recognized voice of the aerospace industry in Maryland
d.Membership/ Marketing/ Events
i.Promote the MAP, its initiatives and its services to interested stakeholders and the public
ii.Maintain adequate corporate, government, professional association, educational and individual membership levels
iii.Promote and coordinate MAP events and member services
e.Science & Technology
i.Increase awareness and sharing of science and technology innovations among aerospace stakeholders
ii.Support innovative research and technology transfer initiatives among key aerospace stakeholders
iii.Support the integration of emerging aerospace science and technology in secondary and post-secondary educational programs
2.Chairpersons are unpaid positions appointed by the Executive Director and serve on the Executive Committee
Meetings
1.The MAP and its Board of Directors will meet quarterly
2.Executive and Working Committees will meet as needed during the interim periods
Aerospace Initiative Charter
The Maryland Aerospace
Partnership/Authority
Charter
General Purpose of Association: The Maryland Aerospace Partnership/Authority will serve as the eyes, ears and voice of the aerospace industry in Maryland, and serve as a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives.
Generally, the association will look for opportunities for Maryland's aerospace industry to grow through service to the state, the nation and the world. The association will also be on the lookout for problems so that they may be addressed, preferably earlier than later. The association will also listen to both members and outsiders in order gain needed information about opportunities for Maryland's aerospace industry as well as problems that may affect Maryland's aerospace industry. Finally, the association will speak to the public, other industries, other associations and government at all levels about things the industry can do both now and in the future to better help others' in their work and life. The association will also speak about problems that are affecting the aerospace industry and request help from others when appropriate.
Membership of Association: Membership in the association will be open to companies, nonprofit organizations and individuals.
Activities of Association: The association will engage in a number of activities. Most important include:
Seeking opportunities for Maryland's aerospace industry to make substantial contributions toward meeting needs in the state, nation and world. Informing people outside of aerospace about such potential contributions and how they can help them and their organizations.
Listening to outsiders to discover their needs and problems. Assist them in finding aerospace solutions where possible. Forming collaborative efforts at addressing common problems.
Communication and advocacy development. Foster the Maryland Aerospace Association as the voice of, and advocate for, Maryland's aerospace industry.
Holding of meetings and conferences to assist Maryland's aerospace industry.
Holding public events to better inform the citizens of Maryland and elsewhere about the current activities and potential future benefits of Maryland's aerospace industry.
Attending other groups' meetings and conferences to further the goals of the industry.
Working with private sector (e.g., professional associations, civic organizations, political groups) entities outside of aerospace in furtherance of industry goals.
Working with government at the Federal, state and local levels in furtherance of goals.
Working in collaboration with other aerospace groups, both within and outside Maryland, toward mutual ends.
Structure of organization:
There will be an elected board of directors.
Voting will be determined by level of participation.
Parallel organizations may be set up to comply with both relevant laws and member wishes. For example, a political action committee may be formed that will be entirely separate from the Maryland Aerospace Association.
Partnership/Authority
Charter
General Purpose of Association: The Maryland Aerospace Partnership/Authority will serve as the eyes, ears and voice of the aerospace industry in Maryland, and serve as a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives.
Generally, the association will look for opportunities for Maryland's aerospace industry to grow through service to the state, the nation and the world. The association will also be on the lookout for problems so that they may be addressed, preferably earlier than later. The association will also listen to both members and outsiders in order gain needed information about opportunities for Maryland's aerospace industry as well as problems that may affect Maryland's aerospace industry. Finally, the association will speak to the public, other industries, other associations and government at all levels about things the industry can do both now and in the future to better help others' in their work and life. The association will also speak about problems that are affecting the aerospace industry and request help from others when appropriate.
Membership of Association: Membership in the association will be open to companies, nonprofit organizations and individuals.
Activities of Association: The association will engage in a number of activities. Most important include:
Seeking opportunities for Maryland's aerospace industry to make substantial contributions toward meeting needs in the state, nation and world. Informing people outside of aerospace about such potential contributions and how they can help them and their organizations.
Listening to outsiders to discover their needs and problems. Assist them in finding aerospace solutions where possible. Forming collaborative efforts at addressing common problems.
Communication and advocacy development. Foster the Maryland Aerospace Association as the voice of, and advocate for, Maryland's aerospace industry.
Holding of meetings and conferences to assist Maryland's aerospace industry.
Holding public events to better inform the citizens of Maryland and elsewhere about the current activities and potential future benefits of Maryland's aerospace industry.
Attending other groups' meetings and conferences to further the goals of the industry.
Working with private sector (e.g., professional associations, civic organizations, political groups) entities outside of aerospace in furtherance of industry goals.
Working with government at the Federal, state and local levels in furtherance of goals.
Working in collaboration with other aerospace groups, both within and outside Maryland, toward mutual ends.
Structure of organization:
There will be an elected board of directors.
Voting will be determined by level of participation.
Parallel organizations may be set up to comply with both relevant laws and member wishes. For example, a political action committee may be formed that will be entirely separate from the Maryland Aerospace Association.
Aerospace Initiative Vision Statement
The Maryland Aerospace Partnership/Authority
Vision
By 2011(five years hence) we are striving to make the Maryland Aerospace Partnership/Authority a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives.
Making Maryland the State of Choice
The state of Maryland is recognized internationally by governments, the industry at large and the media as the place to be for conducting aerospace R&D, systems engineering, manufacturing and operations of aerospace systems.
The Maryland Legislature has instituted tax incentives and other policy initiatives resulting in further growth and prosperity of Maryland’s existing aerospace industry plus state-wide relocation incentives attracting new aerospace ventures and the personnel needed to support them. As a result, the state’s tax revenue base from this industry has doubled!
An Informed Maryland Legislature
The Maryland State Legislature is fully-informed about Maryland’s aerospace industry including its economic impact, its strengths and what legislative policy is needed to maintain industry growth and well-being.
The Maryland Aerospace Association is a recognized authority on Maryland’s aerospace industry and its intellectual capital providing comprehensive annual reports that address the state of the industry (i.e. aerospace technology, innovation research, technology transfer plus current and future workforce projections).
Building Bridges of Cooperation
The Maryland Aerospace Association is impacting all aspects of the aerospace community including NASA, defense, other agencies, academia, industry and commercial aerospace.
The Maryland Aerospace Association supports the aerospace industry fiscally and otherwise through industry communication, primary and secondary education programs, internships and scholarships, image promotion, public education and workforce development.
The Maryland Aerospace Association, in collaboration with the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, is a recognized leader in its ability to build partnerships and unification of all the aerospace sectors in Maryland.
Vision
By 2011(five years hence) we are striving to make the Maryland Aerospace Partnership/Authority a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives.
Making Maryland the State of Choice
The state of Maryland is recognized internationally by governments, the industry at large and the media as the place to be for conducting aerospace R&D, systems engineering, manufacturing and operations of aerospace systems.
The Maryland Legislature has instituted tax incentives and other policy initiatives resulting in further growth and prosperity of Maryland’s existing aerospace industry plus state-wide relocation incentives attracting new aerospace ventures and the personnel needed to support them. As a result, the state’s tax revenue base from this industry has doubled!
An Informed Maryland Legislature
The Maryland State Legislature is fully-informed about Maryland’s aerospace industry including its economic impact, its strengths and what legislative policy is needed to maintain industry growth and well-being.
The Maryland Aerospace Association is a recognized authority on Maryland’s aerospace industry and its intellectual capital providing comprehensive annual reports that address the state of the industry (i.e. aerospace technology, innovation research, technology transfer plus current and future workforce projections).
Building Bridges of Cooperation
The Maryland Aerospace Association is impacting all aspects of the aerospace community including NASA, defense, other agencies, academia, industry and commercial aerospace.
The Maryland Aerospace Association supports the aerospace industry fiscally and otherwise through industry communication, primary and secondary education programs, internships and scholarships, image promotion, public education and workforce development.
The Maryland Aerospace Association, in collaboration with the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, is a recognized leader in its ability to build partnerships and unification of all the aerospace sectors in Maryland.
Aerospace Initiative January 2007 Minutes
Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of the 01/04/07 Meeting
The meeting convened at 10:00 AM on Thursday January 4, 20076 at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD.
Next Meeting:
Thursday 2/1/07 at 10:00 AM at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD
Attendees: Name / Organization
Rafael Cuebas / GWIB
Dennis Faber / Time Center – CCBC
Carline Cazeau / Altimax Solutions
Jim Polk / Technology Service Corporation
Dave Rosage / NASA / Goddard
Bob Noble / Northrop Grumman Corp
Gene Burnet / Manufacturers’ Alliance of Maryland (MAM)
Connie Finney / APL
Don McErlean / Patuxent Partnership
Jesse Martin / Northrop Grumman Corp
1. Minutes Review
Bob Noble led the meeting which began with a brief review of the previous minutes. The action item list was used as the agenda and a detailed discussion of the action items followed.
2. Discussion Topic: The Vision – Path forward for creating the Association
Bob Noble will update the charter per last month’s discussion (AI#1)
The vision statement should be updated annually. (Rosage)
The group needs to develop a “Strawman” package that summarizes all the work performed to date. This document will be used as a basis for meeting with Mr. Pitts and brief him on the activities and request his support to reach out to the aerospace community.
The strawman package will be distributed to the industry stakeholders.
A workshop would then be held with the aerospace community to discuss the creation of the new association and seek their participation.
The approach is to have Mr. Pitts send out a letter to the stakeholders asking them to come to a meeting (the workshop) to review the goals of the new association. (Noble)
The strawman package should include the names of the CEOs to target as members.
This list is available from the summit.
Two letters should be sent out: a personalized letter inviting the CEOs to the meeting, and another general letter sent to all the aerospace companies inviting them to the same meeting. (McErlean)
It’s not necessary to have everyone in the industry at the first meeting to review the Strawman (Faber)
We don’t need to have every single company in the aerospace industry at the first meeting. If the major companies participate, the others will buy in (Finney)
McErlean disagrees
A discussion followed regarding whether it is best to invite the whole industry to the workshop or target the major companies only. The outcome of the discussion is to have one meeting and invite as many industry participants as possible so that the majority of aerospace stakeholders are part of the creation process for the association.
On the workshop
If we don’t have a strong champion, the organization will fizzle out in the first year. We must identify potential candidates for this role. (Noble)
The successful organizations have paid staff. (McErlean)
There is a concern that having a large workshop with all the aerospace organizations participating will be perceived as a repeat of the Summit. (Cazeau)
Disagrees. The workshop will have a focused agenda of vetting the need for an aerospace association. The goal will be to discuss all the associated issued. If it works right, it will create an new entity. (Noble)
The workshop has a singular focus. To provide a go/no-go on the association. An actual decision. (McErlean)
The letter for the workshop should be issued by Mr. Pitts and the DLLR secretary. If no one (in the industry) responds, that will be a litmus test. (Noble)
It would be good if the new governor signed the letter. (Polk)
3. Discussion Topic: The Name of the Association
A discussion followed on what the name of the association conveys and how that should be used to properly position the entity.
The current name is not powerful. A suggestion was made to call it the “Maryland Aerospace Authority”. (Rosage)
That would help to differentiate us from the other groups. (McErlean)
Does changing from “Association” to “Authority” imply some government support? (Faber)
A general discussion followed on what the term “Authority” might imply. Some felt that it would help to align the organization as a state chartered entity. It was felt very strongly that the association should be run by Industry, but that the link to the GWIB needs to be maintained and the support from the state at the highest level should be apparent. The structure of the GWIB was discussed (strong Industry membership with small amount of government participation). Other entities that use the word “Authority” were discussed, such as the NJ Turnpike Authority.
The term “Partnership” was discussed as an alternative name. Rafael will research the implications of using the word “Authority” in the name.
The current working name for the organization is: The “Maryland Aerospace Partnership” (MAP)
4. Discussion Topic: Membership Fee Structure
The group reviewed the fee structure document provided by Jim Polk (AI#4)
Not sure how realistic the estimate is for the number of participants (used to evaluate association membership) compared to the actual aerospace business base. (Polk)
It would be good to get DBED to put in some seed money, at least during the first year or two. (Noble)
It is easier for government employees to participate if the organization has no fee for government members. Need to add a rule to the fee document that the government does not pay a fee. Other non-profits can be required to pay a fee.
5. Discussion Topic: Review of Organizational Structure
The group reviewed and discussed the organizational structure documens provided by Dennis (AI#5). A discussion followed on the potential activities that the subcommittees will perform.
On the topic of how information is shared among the association participants:
We should share best practices related to educational issues, but not on some other topics. (Finney)
We should eliminate all competition related issues. (Noble)
On the topic of Committee Structures:
The association could hold quarterly meetings.
The Patuxent Partnership – The executive committee meets frequently and works through the working items. The board meets less frequently. (McErlean)
An active company would get a seat on the board, not necessarily on the executive committee. The chairs of the working committees would make up the executive committee. (McErlean).
The Boy Scouts have a structure we could model. The board consists of a long list of people (all the interested stakeholders). There is an executive committee (a smaller subset). The Operational committee does the actual work. (Polk)
The consensus is : we will have an Executive
Committee. Its chair will be the paid executive director, and the membership will be the (volunteer) heads of the subcommittees. It will also include ad hoc appointees.
On the topic of size of the Board: General Discussion
No limit on size is preferable.
We may want to name highly visible individuals to the board.
The board is appointed.
The executive committee runs the organization and is elected by the members.
The board chair is elected by the membership.
It is preferable to leave the ratio of industry/government membership vague for now
We will need some bylaws, but not yet (Noble)
We don’t need the next level of detail at this point (Finney)
The bylaws will have to be set up by whoever runs the “MAP”. (Noble)
We need to complete Phase I to get the letters drafted for the workshop (Noble)
We should set a target date for the workshop. (Cazeau)
April-May, maybe June as a target date for the workshop. (Noble)
The report that Chuck is preparing will have to go to Mr. Pitts. (Noble)
6. Other Miscellaneous Topics
We must separate ourselves from the other associations, which are a group of people with an intent, whereas we are a state chartered group, designed to present option to the legislature. (McErlean)
The AIAA is very strong on education. (Finney)
The AIAA is not focused on Maryland. (McErlean)
Engineer week is coming up in February. Outreach is part of our chart. Connie will compile the relevant info in her meetings with various groups. (Finney)
We should be an industry-run organization that is chartered by the state. (Rosage)
Virginia has a website that discusses the state’s aerospace activities. There are various links for different industry clusters. We need to explore how it is set up and determine if Maryland has something similar. Rafael will follow up with that. The URL is: www.yesvirginia.org. (Polk)
If there is a MD/VA partnership, how does that impact what we’re doing? (Faber)
That partnership refers to a specific facility – Wallops. We should stay out of being facility specific. Our charter has to be defined clearly to remove the ambiguities and potential overlap (with other organizations). (McErlean)
(The charter) should come from DBED. (Burner)
We are first addressing workforce issues (DLLR) not setting policy. (Cuebas)
(The current text of ) the charter does cross the line into policy. (Burner)
We should explore how the California Aerospace Authority is set up. Their building was provided by the government. Should explore what other states have done.
Bob invited someone who had set up an Aerospace organization in Illinois to come speak to our group. Scheduling conflicts prevented her from attending this meeting. Bob will try to have her attend our next meeting. (Noble)
Table of Questions / Action Items - Updates to the Action Item List
The group developed a list of key questions/actions that must be resolved to provide the basis for structuring the association. It was deemed that it was too early to address some of the questions. Those questions are captured in the list but are not assigned for resolution. Those questions are “Parked”.
MAA Development – Action Item List
#
Question / Action
Assigned to
Due Date
Status / Resolution
1
Update the Charter – per the discussion at the meeting
Bob Noble with redlines from all committee members
1/4/07
2
b. Update the Vision per the 1/4/07 discussions.
a. Update the Vision Statement per the discussion at the meeting.
Dave Rosage
2/1/07
Open.
Document provided and discussed at 1/4/07 mtg. New update needed
3
Develop a list of existing aerospace related organization. What does each provide to its members?
Chuck Divine
1/4/07
Closed. Document distributed to team by email.
4
b. Update per 1/4/07 discussions. Add a rule to the fee structure document that the government does not pay a fee. Other non-profits can be required to pay a fee.
a. Evaluate various membership fee structures. Should the fees be different for industry, government, academia. Conduct a survey of association practices and make a recommendation. What is the ROI for the members?
Jim Polk
2/1/07
Open.
Document provided and reviewed and 1/4/07 mtg. New update needed.
5
b. Update organizational structure per the discussions at the 1/4/07 mtg. Add in some key responsibilities under each committee.
a. Develop an organization structure for the MAA. Identify recommended committees
Dennis Faber
2/1/07
Open.
Document provided and reviewed and 1/4/07 mtg. New update needed
6
What is the mechanism for the MAA to interface with the existing aerospace-related groups? Does the MAA merge into one of them? Does the MAA invite the others to become members? The goal is to avoid duplication of purpose and activities.
Parked
TBD
7
Who will officially sponsor the Maryland Aerospace Association (MAA)? Should it be the GWIB or another entity. Should it be a standalone organization or should it be included in an existing organization?
Parked
TBD
8
Compile a “Strawman” package that includes: the vision, the charter, the org chart, fee structure info, what the association plans to accomplish. This package will be used for the meeting to brief with Mr. Pitts.
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
9
Provide the list of CEOs and list of Aerospace companies compiled during the Summit preparation
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
10
Explore how the Virginia industry cluster website is set up and determine if Maryland has something similar. URL is: www.yesvirginia.org
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
11
Explore if there are other state level Aerospace associations
Jim Polk
2/1/07
12
Draft the 2 letters for the workshop. One letter addressed personally to CEOs. One letter to send to the broad aerospace community – all the companies from the Summit
Don McErlean
2./1/07
13
Start a conversation with the new state secretaries – DLLR- to get their support for our work
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
14
Complete the report of activities performed to date
Chuck Divine
2/1/07
15
Invite the people who attended the previous presentation to Mr. Pitts to come to the next meeting on 2/1/07, so we can start briefing them on our approach
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
16
Explore the implications of using the word “Authority” in the name for the new organization
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
Minutes of the 01/04/07 Meeting
The meeting convened at 10:00 AM on Thursday January 4, 20076 at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD.
Next Meeting:
Thursday 2/1/07 at 10:00 AM at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD
Attendees: Name / Organization
Rafael Cuebas / GWIB
Dennis Faber / Time Center – CCBC
Carline Cazeau / Altimax Solutions
Jim Polk / Technology Service Corporation
Dave Rosage / NASA / Goddard
Bob Noble / Northrop Grumman Corp
Gene Burnet / Manufacturers’ Alliance of Maryland (MAM)
Connie Finney / APL
Don McErlean / Patuxent Partnership
Jesse Martin / Northrop Grumman Corp
1. Minutes Review
Bob Noble led the meeting which began with a brief review of the previous minutes. The action item list was used as the agenda and a detailed discussion of the action items followed.
2. Discussion Topic: The Vision – Path forward for creating the Association
Bob Noble will update the charter per last month’s discussion (AI#1)
The vision statement should be updated annually. (Rosage)
The group needs to develop a “Strawman” package that summarizes all the work performed to date. This document will be used as a basis for meeting with Mr. Pitts and brief him on the activities and request his support to reach out to the aerospace community.
The strawman package will be distributed to the industry stakeholders.
A workshop would then be held with the aerospace community to discuss the creation of the new association and seek their participation.
The approach is to have Mr. Pitts send out a letter to the stakeholders asking them to come to a meeting (the workshop) to review the goals of the new association. (Noble)
The strawman package should include the names of the CEOs to target as members.
This list is available from the summit.
Two letters should be sent out: a personalized letter inviting the CEOs to the meeting, and another general letter sent to all the aerospace companies inviting them to the same meeting. (McErlean)
It’s not necessary to have everyone in the industry at the first meeting to review the Strawman (Faber)
We don’t need to have every single company in the aerospace industry at the first meeting. If the major companies participate, the others will buy in (Finney)
McErlean disagrees
A discussion followed regarding whether it is best to invite the whole industry to the workshop or target the major companies only. The outcome of the discussion is to have one meeting and invite as many industry participants as possible so that the majority of aerospace stakeholders are part of the creation process for the association.
On the workshop
If we don’t have a strong champion, the organization will fizzle out in the first year. We must identify potential candidates for this role. (Noble)
The successful organizations have paid staff. (McErlean)
There is a concern that having a large workshop with all the aerospace organizations participating will be perceived as a repeat of the Summit. (Cazeau)
Disagrees. The workshop will have a focused agenda of vetting the need for an aerospace association. The goal will be to discuss all the associated issued. If it works right, it will create an new entity. (Noble)
The workshop has a singular focus. To provide a go/no-go on the association. An actual decision. (McErlean)
The letter for the workshop should be issued by Mr. Pitts and the DLLR secretary. If no one (in the industry) responds, that will be a litmus test. (Noble)
It would be good if the new governor signed the letter. (Polk)
3. Discussion Topic: The Name of the Association
A discussion followed on what the name of the association conveys and how that should be used to properly position the entity.
The current name is not powerful. A suggestion was made to call it the “Maryland Aerospace Authority”. (Rosage)
That would help to differentiate us from the other groups. (McErlean)
Does changing from “Association” to “Authority” imply some government support? (Faber)
A general discussion followed on what the term “Authority” might imply. Some felt that it would help to align the organization as a state chartered entity. It was felt very strongly that the association should be run by Industry, but that the link to the GWIB needs to be maintained and the support from the state at the highest level should be apparent. The structure of the GWIB was discussed (strong Industry membership with small amount of government participation). Other entities that use the word “Authority” were discussed, such as the NJ Turnpike Authority.
The term “Partnership” was discussed as an alternative name. Rafael will research the implications of using the word “Authority” in the name.
The current working name for the organization is: The “Maryland Aerospace Partnership” (MAP)
4. Discussion Topic: Membership Fee Structure
The group reviewed the fee structure document provided by Jim Polk (AI#4)
Not sure how realistic the estimate is for the number of participants (used to evaluate association membership) compared to the actual aerospace business base. (Polk)
It would be good to get DBED to put in some seed money, at least during the first year or two. (Noble)
It is easier for government employees to participate if the organization has no fee for government members. Need to add a rule to the fee document that the government does not pay a fee. Other non-profits can be required to pay a fee.
5. Discussion Topic: Review of Organizational Structure
The group reviewed and discussed the organizational structure documens provided by Dennis (AI#5). A discussion followed on the potential activities that the subcommittees will perform.
On the topic of how information is shared among the association participants:
We should share best practices related to educational issues, but not on some other topics. (Finney)
We should eliminate all competition related issues. (Noble)
On the topic of Committee Structures:
The association could hold quarterly meetings.
The Patuxent Partnership – The executive committee meets frequently and works through the working items. The board meets less frequently. (McErlean)
An active company would get a seat on the board, not necessarily on the executive committee. The chairs of the working committees would make up the executive committee. (McErlean).
The Boy Scouts have a structure we could model. The board consists of a long list of people (all the interested stakeholders). There is an executive committee (a smaller subset). The Operational committee does the actual work. (Polk)
The consensus is : we will have an Executive
Committee. Its chair will be the paid executive director, and the membership will be the (volunteer) heads of the subcommittees. It will also include ad hoc appointees.
On the topic of size of the Board: General Discussion
No limit on size is preferable.
We may want to name highly visible individuals to the board.
The board is appointed.
The executive committee runs the organization and is elected by the members.
The board chair is elected by the membership.
It is preferable to leave the ratio of industry/government membership vague for now
We will need some bylaws, but not yet (Noble)
We don’t need the next level of detail at this point (Finney)
The bylaws will have to be set up by whoever runs the “MAP”. (Noble)
We need to complete Phase I to get the letters drafted for the workshop (Noble)
We should set a target date for the workshop. (Cazeau)
April-May, maybe June as a target date for the workshop. (Noble)
The report that Chuck is preparing will have to go to Mr. Pitts. (Noble)
6. Other Miscellaneous Topics
We must separate ourselves from the other associations, which are a group of people with an intent, whereas we are a state chartered group, designed to present option to the legislature. (McErlean)
The AIAA is very strong on education. (Finney)
The AIAA is not focused on Maryland. (McErlean)
Engineer week is coming up in February. Outreach is part of our chart. Connie will compile the relevant info in her meetings with various groups. (Finney)
We should be an industry-run organization that is chartered by the state. (Rosage)
Virginia has a website that discusses the state’s aerospace activities. There are various links for different industry clusters. We need to explore how it is set up and determine if Maryland has something similar. Rafael will follow up with that. The URL is: www.yesvirginia.org. (Polk)
If there is a MD/VA partnership, how does that impact what we’re doing? (Faber)
That partnership refers to a specific facility – Wallops. We should stay out of being facility specific. Our charter has to be defined clearly to remove the ambiguities and potential overlap (with other organizations). (McErlean)
(The charter) should come from DBED. (Burner)
We are first addressing workforce issues (DLLR) not setting policy. (Cuebas)
(The current text of ) the charter does cross the line into policy. (Burner)
We should explore how the California Aerospace Authority is set up. Their building was provided by the government. Should explore what other states have done.
Bob invited someone who had set up an Aerospace organization in Illinois to come speak to our group. Scheduling conflicts prevented her from attending this meeting. Bob will try to have her attend our next meeting. (Noble)
Table of Questions / Action Items - Updates to the Action Item List
The group developed a list of key questions/actions that must be resolved to provide the basis for structuring the association. It was deemed that it was too early to address some of the questions. Those questions are captured in the list but are not assigned for resolution. Those questions are “Parked”.
MAA Development – Action Item List
#
Question / Action
Assigned to
Due Date
Status / Resolution
1
Update the Charter – per the discussion at the meeting
Bob Noble with redlines from all committee members
1/4/07
2
b. Update the Vision per the 1/4/07 discussions.
a. Update the Vision Statement per the discussion at the meeting.
Dave Rosage
2/1/07
Open.
Document provided and discussed at 1/4/07 mtg. New update needed
3
Develop a list of existing aerospace related organization. What does each provide to its members?
Chuck Divine
1/4/07
Closed. Document distributed to team by email.
4
b. Update per 1/4/07 discussions. Add a rule to the fee structure document that the government does not pay a fee. Other non-profits can be required to pay a fee.
a. Evaluate various membership fee structures. Should the fees be different for industry, government, academia. Conduct a survey of association practices and make a recommendation. What is the ROI for the members?
Jim Polk
2/1/07
Open.
Document provided and reviewed and 1/4/07 mtg. New update needed.
5
b. Update organizational structure per the discussions at the 1/4/07 mtg. Add in some key responsibilities under each committee.
a. Develop an organization structure for the MAA. Identify recommended committees
Dennis Faber
2/1/07
Open.
Document provided and reviewed and 1/4/07 mtg. New update needed
6
What is the mechanism for the MAA to interface with the existing aerospace-related groups? Does the MAA merge into one of them? Does the MAA invite the others to become members? The goal is to avoid duplication of purpose and activities.
Parked
TBD
7
Who will officially sponsor the Maryland Aerospace Association (MAA)? Should it be the GWIB or another entity. Should it be a standalone organization or should it be included in an existing organization?
Parked
TBD
8
Compile a “Strawman” package that includes: the vision, the charter, the org chart, fee structure info, what the association plans to accomplish. This package will be used for the meeting to brief with Mr. Pitts.
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
9
Provide the list of CEOs and list of Aerospace companies compiled during the Summit preparation
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
10
Explore how the Virginia industry cluster website is set up and determine if Maryland has something similar. URL is: www.yesvirginia.org
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
11
Explore if there are other state level Aerospace associations
Jim Polk
2/1/07
12
Draft the 2 letters for the workshop. One letter addressed personally to CEOs. One letter to send to the broad aerospace community – all the companies from the Summit
Don McErlean
2./1/07
13
Start a conversation with the new state secretaries – DLLR- to get their support for our work
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
14
Complete the report of activities performed to date
Chuck Divine
2/1/07
15
Invite the people who attended the previous presentation to Mr. Pitts to come to the next meeting on 2/1/07, so we can start briefing them on our approach
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
16
Explore the implications of using the word “Authority” in the name for the new organization
Rafael Cuebas
2/1/07
Aerospace Initiative December 2006 Minutes
Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of the 12/5/06 Meeting
The meeting convened at 10:00 AM on Tuesday December 5, 2006 at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD.
Next Meeting:
Thursday 1/4/07 at 10:00 AM at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD
Attendees: Name / Organization
Rafael Cuebas / GWIB
Dennis Faber / Time Center – CCBC
Carline Cazeau / Altimax Solutions
Charles Divine / Divine Software Solutions
Jim Polk / Technology Service Corporation
Dave Rosage / NASA / Goddard
Bob Noble / Northrop Grumman Corp
Joe Bish / Northrop Grumman Corp
Gene Burnet / Manufacturers’ Alliance of Maryland (MAM)
1. Documents Reviewed and Discussed
Bob Noble provided an updated charter (Attachment 1) that he developed with his team. Bob Noble will email this document to the team.
Dave Rosage provided an updated Vision statement (Attachment 2).
These two documents were reviewed and referenced throughout the meeting. Specific comments were provided to the text of the documents. The action items for updating these documents are reflected in the table at the end of these minutes.
2. Discussion Topic: What Type of Organization is the new Maryland Aerospace Association (MAA)
Chuck Divine indicated that Lockheed Martin has raised a question, regarding whether the new association would be a lobbying organization
Some general discussion ensued on what constitutes lobbying. The discussion also addressed the following points:
There are two potential focus for the group
As a lobbying group, which would restrict participation to industry only – no government participation
As a 501c6 structured entity, which would allow the group to perform general activities to increase the stature of the aerospace industry in Maryland as well as perform any needed lobbying
This group’s purpose is to collect information that will be provided to all the industry stakeholders.
There are other organization’s that already provide lobbying at the state level. The Manufacturers’ Alliance of Maryland (MAM) is one of those organizations. Some of the companies that are likely members of the new association, are also members of MAM. (Gene Burnet)
MAM could potentially support the Aerospace Association as needed when lobbying is required for specific aerospace related issues. (Gene Burnet)
Decision: At the end of this discussion all the members present reached the consensus that the new association is not a lobbying organization
3. Discussion Topic: Where Should the new Association Reside
Bob Noble raised the issue of whether any existing organizations could provide a home for the new Maryland Aerospace Association. The following discussion ensued:
While the AIAA has a large reach in MD, it may not be the right home. The AIAA works as a resource for professionals. It is a professional association with a goal of serving its members develop professionally. (Chuck Divine)
While we have some common interests with the professional organizations, this group is an “advocacy” group for aerospace in MD, encompassing all the MD aerospace stakeholders. (Jim Polk)
The view for this Association is as a free standing organization. (Chuck Divine)
It’s easier to incorporate a new organization within existing ones that it is to create a stand alone organization. Businesses wrestle with the issue of which organizations to support, as the membership fees continue to increase. (Bob Noble)
We need to connect the Association back to the GWIB to get the state’s support behind it
How will the new administration impact GWIB? It is not clear at this point. Though we are progressing for now, as though there are no changes.
The DOL provided a report that they are very happy with the implementation of the GWIB (in MD) and that it can be used as a model for implementation by other states. (Rafael Cuebas)
4. Discussion Topic: What is the envisioned Organizational Structure for the MAA
The MAA should act as the spokesperson for all the committees that were formed as a result of the Aerospace Summit.
Dennis Faber logged the names of potential operating committees for the MAA. These include the four subcommittees created from the Aerospace Summit and a few additional ones.
We need to determine what makes this group different from the other existing organizations. What Return on Investment (ROI) will it provide to its members? This question generated an action to evaluate fee structures used by other industry associations.
The charter should include a reference to the GWIB and to the other subcommittees formed as a result of the Aerospace Summit.
Is there a process to follow to create a formal charter? Yes, it can be done through the DLLR if we decide to incorporate
Do we want to incorporate? It would probably be premature to incorporate at this point. The issue can be re-evaluated at a later date.
5. Discussion Topic: Operating Structure
Should there be a sliding fee structure?
Fee structure could be based on company size and revenue
The MAM, for example, operates on a flat fee based on tiers (Gene Burner)
Perhaps government and educational institutions should become members at no cost
The most important issue is to find a Champion, someone who is recognized and respected in the industry. Would need a minimum of $75K to attract someone of that stature. (Bob Noble)
Suggested criteria for selecting the champion. The Champion should be someone who is:
Established in the field
Retired
Wants to give something back to the community
Ideas regarding potential Champions:
We could potentially have an unpaid Champion, who is highly recognizable, and staff the organization with a paid executive director to implement the activities
Norm Augustine, was suggested as a potential Champion – or someone else with similar status
Explore an executive-on-loan approach, from one of the member companies, to initially fill the champion role
The association will require a staff to implement its goals. It will also require funding.
Association staffing needs:
An unpaid Champion – a high caliber person
A paid full-time executive director
Support Staff / Administrative
A discussion followed of potential structure for the board
The board could be structured with an Executive level board and a working board, similar to the structure used by the Boy Scouts Council.
As we invite companies to become members of the association, we should also encourage them to engage their employees to participate
The monograph provides good data, but we need to do more research to determine why people are not pursuing the science and engineering fields. (Chuck Divine)
The pipeline education group is planning to discuss these issues at an upcoming meeting at APL on 12/12/06 1-3PM. Those interested in the topic are encouraged to attend. (Rafael Cuebas)
6. Discussion Topic: Meetings
Meetings will be held as needed until the organization is established. Thereafter, quarterly meetings should be sufficient.
7. Table of Questions / Action Items
The group developed a list of key questions/actions that must be resolved to provide the basis for structuring the association. It was deemed that it was too early to address some of the questions. Those questions are captured in the list but are not assigned for resolution. Those questions are “Parked”.
MAA Development – Action Item List
#
Question / Action
Assigned to
Due Date
1
Update the Charter – per the discussion at the meeting
Bob Noble with redlines from all committee members
1/4/07
2
Update the Vision Statement per the discussion at the meeting
Dave Rosage
1/4/07
3
Develop a list of existing aerospace related organization. What does each provide to its members?
Chuck Divine
1/4/07
4
Evaluate various membership fee structures. Should the fees be different for industry, government, academia. Conduct a survey of association practices and make a recommendation. What is the ROI for the members?
Jim Polk
1/4/07
5
Develop an organization structure for the MAA. Identify recommended committees
Dennis Faber
1/4/07
6
What is the mechanism for the MAA to interface with the existing aerospace-related groups? Does the MAA merge into one of them? Does the MAA invite the others to become members? The goal is to avoid duplication of purpose and activities.
Parked
TBD
6
Who will officially sponsor the Maryland Aerospace Association (MAA)? Should it be the GWIB or another entity Should it be a standalone organization or should it be included in an existing organization?
Parked
TBD
Next Meeting:
Thursday 1/4/07 at 10:00 AM at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD
Attachment 2 – Vision Statement
November 29, 2006
The Maryland Aerospace Association
Vision
By 2011(five years hence) we are striving to achieve:
An Informed Maryland Legislature
The Maryland State Legislature is fully-informed about Maryland’s aerospace industry including its economic impact, its strengths and what legislative policy is needed to maintain industry growth and well-being.
The Maryland Aerospace Association is a recognized authority on Maryland’s aerospace industry and its intellectual capital providing comprehensive annual reports that address the state of the industry (i.e. aerospace technology, innovation research, technology transfer plus current and future workforce projections).
Making Maryland the State of Choice
The state of Maryland is recognized internationally by governments, the industry at large and the media as the place to be for conducting aerospace R&D, systems engineering, manufacturing and operations of aerospace systems.
The Maryland Legislature has instituted tax incentives and other policy initiatives resulting in further growth and prosperity of Maryland’s existing aerospace industry plus state-wide relocation incentives attracting new aerospace ventures and the personnel needed to support them. As a result, the state’s tax revenue base from this industry has doubled!
Building Bridges of Cooperation
The Maryland Aerospace Association is impacting all aspects of the aerospace community including NASA, defense, other agencies, academia, industry and commercial aerospace.
The Maryland Aerospace Association supports the aerospace industry fiscally and otherwise through industry communication, primary and secondary education programs, internships and scholarships, image promotion, public education and workforce development.
The Maryland Aerospace Association, in collaboration with the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, is a recognized leader in its ability to build partnerships and unification of all the aerospace sectors in Maryland.
Minutes of the 12/5/06 Meeting
The meeting convened at 10:00 AM on Tuesday December 5, 2006 at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD.
Next Meeting:
Thursday 1/4/07 at 10:00 AM at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD
Attendees: Name / Organization
Rafael Cuebas / GWIB
Dennis Faber / Time Center – CCBC
Carline Cazeau / Altimax Solutions
Charles Divine / Divine Software Solutions
Jim Polk / Technology Service Corporation
Dave Rosage / NASA / Goddard
Bob Noble / Northrop Grumman Corp
Joe Bish / Northrop Grumman Corp
Gene Burnet / Manufacturers’ Alliance of Maryland (MAM)
1. Documents Reviewed and Discussed
Bob Noble provided an updated charter (Attachment 1) that he developed with his team. Bob Noble will email this document to the team.
Dave Rosage provided an updated Vision statement (Attachment 2).
These two documents were reviewed and referenced throughout the meeting. Specific comments were provided to the text of the documents. The action items for updating these documents are reflected in the table at the end of these minutes.
2. Discussion Topic: What Type of Organization is the new Maryland Aerospace Association (MAA)
Chuck Divine indicated that Lockheed Martin has raised a question, regarding whether the new association would be a lobbying organization
Some general discussion ensued on what constitutes lobbying. The discussion also addressed the following points:
There are two potential focus for the group
As a lobbying group, which would restrict participation to industry only – no government participation
As a 501c6 structured entity, which would allow the group to perform general activities to increase the stature of the aerospace industry in Maryland as well as perform any needed lobbying
This group’s purpose is to collect information that will be provided to all the industry stakeholders.
There are other organization’s that already provide lobbying at the state level. The Manufacturers’ Alliance of Maryland (MAM) is one of those organizations. Some of the companies that are likely members of the new association, are also members of MAM. (Gene Burnet)
MAM could potentially support the Aerospace Association as needed when lobbying is required for specific aerospace related issues. (Gene Burnet)
Decision: At the end of this discussion all the members present reached the consensus that the new association is not a lobbying organization
3. Discussion Topic: Where Should the new Association Reside
Bob Noble raised the issue of whether any existing organizations could provide a home for the new Maryland Aerospace Association. The following discussion ensued:
While the AIAA has a large reach in MD, it may not be the right home. The AIAA works as a resource for professionals. It is a professional association with a goal of serving its members develop professionally. (Chuck Divine)
While we have some common interests with the professional organizations, this group is an “advocacy” group for aerospace in MD, encompassing all the MD aerospace stakeholders. (Jim Polk)
The view for this Association is as a free standing organization. (Chuck Divine)
It’s easier to incorporate a new organization within existing ones that it is to create a stand alone organization. Businesses wrestle with the issue of which organizations to support, as the membership fees continue to increase. (Bob Noble)
We need to connect the Association back to the GWIB to get the state’s support behind it
How will the new administration impact GWIB? It is not clear at this point. Though we are progressing for now, as though there are no changes.
The DOL provided a report that they are very happy with the implementation of the GWIB (in MD) and that it can be used as a model for implementation by other states. (Rafael Cuebas)
4. Discussion Topic: What is the envisioned Organizational Structure for the MAA
The MAA should act as the spokesperson for all the committees that were formed as a result of the Aerospace Summit.
Dennis Faber logged the names of potential operating committees for the MAA. These include the four subcommittees created from the Aerospace Summit and a few additional ones.
We need to determine what makes this group different from the other existing organizations. What Return on Investment (ROI) will it provide to its members? This question generated an action to evaluate fee structures used by other industry associations.
The charter should include a reference to the GWIB and to the other subcommittees formed as a result of the Aerospace Summit.
Is there a process to follow to create a formal charter? Yes, it can be done through the DLLR if we decide to incorporate
Do we want to incorporate? It would probably be premature to incorporate at this point. The issue can be re-evaluated at a later date.
5. Discussion Topic: Operating Structure
Should there be a sliding fee structure?
Fee structure could be based on company size and revenue
The MAM, for example, operates on a flat fee based on tiers (Gene Burner)
Perhaps government and educational institutions should become members at no cost
The most important issue is to find a Champion, someone who is recognized and respected in the industry. Would need a minimum of $75K to attract someone of that stature. (Bob Noble)
Suggested criteria for selecting the champion. The Champion should be someone who is:
Established in the field
Retired
Wants to give something back to the community
Ideas regarding potential Champions:
We could potentially have an unpaid Champion, who is highly recognizable, and staff the organization with a paid executive director to implement the activities
Norm Augustine, was suggested as a potential Champion – or someone else with similar status
Explore an executive-on-loan approach, from one of the member companies, to initially fill the champion role
The association will require a staff to implement its goals. It will also require funding.
Association staffing needs:
An unpaid Champion – a high caliber person
A paid full-time executive director
Support Staff / Administrative
A discussion followed of potential structure for the board
The board could be structured with an Executive level board and a working board, similar to the structure used by the Boy Scouts Council.
As we invite companies to become members of the association, we should also encourage them to engage their employees to participate
The monograph provides good data, but we need to do more research to determine why people are not pursuing the science and engineering fields. (Chuck Divine)
The pipeline education group is planning to discuss these issues at an upcoming meeting at APL on 12/12/06 1-3PM. Those interested in the topic are encouraged to attend. (Rafael Cuebas)
6. Discussion Topic: Meetings
Meetings will be held as needed until the organization is established. Thereafter, quarterly meetings should be sufficient.
7. Table of Questions / Action Items
The group developed a list of key questions/actions that must be resolved to provide the basis for structuring the association. It was deemed that it was too early to address some of the questions. Those questions are captured in the list but are not assigned for resolution. Those questions are “Parked”.
MAA Development – Action Item List
#
Question / Action
Assigned to
Due Date
1
Update the Charter – per the discussion at the meeting
Bob Noble with redlines from all committee members
1/4/07
2
Update the Vision Statement per the discussion at the meeting
Dave Rosage
1/4/07
3
Develop a list of existing aerospace related organization. What does each provide to its members?
Chuck Divine
1/4/07
4
Evaluate various membership fee structures. Should the fees be different for industry, government, academia. Conduct a survey of association practices and make a recommendation. What is the ROI for the members?
Jim Polk
1/4/07
5
Develop an organization structure for the MAA. Identify recommended committees
Dennis Faber
1/4/07
6
What is the mechanism for the MAA to interface with the existing aerospace-related groups? Does the MAA merge into one of them? Does the MAA invite the others to become members? The goal is to avoid duplication of purpose and activities.
Parked
TBD
6
Who will officially sponsor the Maryland Aerospace Association (MAA)? Should it be the GWIB or another entity Should it be a standalone organization or should it be included in an existing organization?
Parked
TBD
Next Meeting:
Thursday 1/4/07 at 10:00 AM at the Northrop Grumman facility in Linthicum, MD
Attachment 2 – Vision Statement
November 29, 2006
The Maryland Aerospace Association
Vision
By 2011(five years hence) we are striving to achieve:
An Informed Maryland Legislature
The Maryland State Legislature is fully-informed about Maryland’s aerospace industry including its economic impact, its strengths and what legislative policy is needed to maintain industry growth and well-being.
The Maryland Aerospace Association is a recognized authority on Maryland’s aerospace industry and its intellectual capital providing comprehensive annual reports that address the state of the industry (i.e. aerospace technology, innovation research, technology transfer plus current and future workforce projections).
Making Maryland the State of Choice
The state of Maryland is recognized internationally by governments, the industry at large and the media as the place to be for conducting aerospace R&D, systems engineering, manufacturing and operations of aerospace systems.
The Maryland Legislature has instituted tax incentives and other policy initiatives resulting in further growth and prosperity of Maryland’s existing aerospace industry plus state-wide relocation incentives attracting new aerospace ventures and the personnel needed to support them. As a result, the state’s tax revenue base from this industry has doubled!
Building Bridges of Cooperation
The Maryland Aerospace Association is impacting all aspects of the aerospace community including NASA, defense, other agencies, academia, industry and commercial aerospace.
The Maryland Aerospace Association supports the aerospace industry fiscally and otherwise through industry communication, primary and secondary education programs, internships and scholarships, image promotion, public education and workforce development.
The Maryland Aerospace Association, in collaboration with the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, is a recognized leader in its ability to build partnerships and unification of all the aerospace sectors in Maryland.
Aerospace Initiative November 2006 Minutes
Governor's Workforce Investment Board
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of November 21, 2006 Meeting
By Charles J. Divine
Attendees:
Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Kirsti Dunn
Dennis Faber
Connie Finney
Jesse Martin
Robert Noble
James Polk
David Rosage
The meeting was called to order at 10:10 AM at the Northrup Grumman facility West Quest A at 1580 West Nursery Road in Linthicum, Maryland. R. Noble was the first to speak. He reiterated the a major goal of the proposed organization was to get young people into the aerospace industry. He indicated that he and people he knew would like to get Secretary Fielder to remain under the new O'Malley-Brown administration. Noble informed the group that he was a registered lobbyist for Northrup Grumman. He also brought up other organizations such as the Maryland Manufacturing Alliance and Manufacturing Council. He also noted that the industry was having difficulty in getting employees, especially ones with security clearances.
D. Rosage noted the need for a vision that includes what the industry looks like today and where it is going. Noble said we should take a look at a vision statement that incorporates things like the state of the schools, especially higher education, and overall goals and objectives. The statement should include what we are going to do, how it is going to be done and how to measure success. Rosage said we will need a vision statement that will get people interested.
J. Polk noted that a clear cut goal appeals to the engineer mentality. D. Faber
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of November 21, 2006 Meeting
By Charles J. Divine
Attendees:
Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Kirsti Dunn
Dennis Faber
Connie Finney
Jesse Martin
Robert Noble
James Polk
David Rosage
The meeting was called to order at 10:10 AM at the Northrup Grumman facility West Quest A at 1580 West Nursery Road in Linthicum, Maryland. R. Noble was the first to speak. He reiterated the a major goal of the proposed organization was to get young people into the aerospace industry. He indicated that he and people he knew would like to get Secretary Fielder to remain under the new O'Malley-Brown administration. Noble informed the group that he was a registered lobbyist for Northrup Grumman. He also brought up other organizations such as the Maryland Manufacturing Alliance and Manufacturing Council. He also noted that the industry was having difficulty in getting employees, especially ones with security clearances.
D. Rosage noted the need for a vision that includes what the industry looks like today and where it is going. Noble said we should take a look at a vision statement that incorporates things like the state of the schools, especially higher education, and overall goals and objectives. The statement should include what we are going to do, how it is going to be done and how to measure success. Rosage said we will need a vision statement that will get people interested.
J. Polk noted that a clear cut goal appeals to the engineer mentality. D. Faber
Aerospace Initiative October 2006 Minutes
Governor's Workforce Investment Board
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of September 12, 2006 Meeting
By Charles J. Divine
Attendees:
Carline Cazeau
Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Connie Finney
Jesse Martin
James Polk
David Rosage
The meeting was called to order at 1:05 PM in Room 167B, Building 28, Goddard Space Flight Center.
R. Cuebas reported that Jim Pitts was very excited about creating an umbrella organization that would bring together all the players in Maryland's vital aerospace industry.
Group discussion focused on what the new organization could do to strengthen Maryland's aerospace industry. J. Polk commented that it was necessary to reach to industry, academia and government. He emphasized it was necessary to reach out to small business particularly.
A variety of methods of reaching out were mentioned:
Public Service Announcements
Bringing together the state government and industry
Sending people into schools
Getting a list of activities to support into the state's aerospace companies
Recruiting of volunteers to support various activities
Public initiatives such as tuition reimbursement for people entering needed fields (e.g., education), instructor reimbursement, etc. were mentioned.
The committee mentioned a variety of educational efforts, some pilot projects, some established and well known, that would both improve Marylanders knowledge of the Maryland's aerospace industry and begin introducing young people to the field. Some things that could be done by industry to help include getting volunteers into schools and teachers into companies, for example, by giving them summer jobs.
Action Items:
All: Identify educational groups that will assist in educating youth. Communicate those groups to the team leader, Charles J. Divine
Charles J. Divine, team lead:
Attend Space 2006 in San Jose, California. Learn as much as possible about the California Space Authority, their work and their history. Discuss cooperative efforts with appropriate people.
Request people who have attended the Aerospace Summit in January and expressed interest in industry collaboration to join our committee.
Governor's Workforce Investment Board
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of October 23, 2006 Meeting
By Charles J. Divine
Attendees:
Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Dennis Faber
Jesse Martin
Donald McErlean
James Polk
David Rosage
The meeting was called to order at 10:10 AM in the conference room of the Patuxent River Partnership. C. Divine opened the discussion with a brief description of what he had learned about the California Space Authority while attending the AIAA Conference Space 2006 held in San Jose, California in September. While there is much that we may learn from CSA, everyone recognizes that we will be an independent organization. Divine reported that CSA looks forward to working cooperatively with other state organizations. One hallmark of the Space 2006 conference was the growing interest in collaboration among various organizations, business, professional and educational.
Divine's report sparked a discussion of where we should go next. All agreed that the aerospace industry in Maryland required a more unified approach to raise the industry's profile. The new association needs authorization and credibility. Next steps to be taken include devising a strawman plan for the new association. Eventually a charter must be developed. We will sponsor a workshop in January to develop the charter and set of goals. The new organization will be made public in March. The event announcing the new organization will be held after the American Astronautical Society's Goddard Memorial Symposium.
A schedule was developed for future work:
Next meeting of the committee will be November 21st. Divine will approach Robert Noble of Northrup Grumman about hosting the meeting at their Maryland headquarters.
A workshop will be scheduled tentatively for January 23rd. Interested parties will be invited.
Roll out of the new Maryland Aerospace Association will occur in March.
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of September 12, 2006 Meeting
By Charles J. Divine
Attendees:
Carline Cazeau
Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Connie Finney
Jesse Martin
James Polk
David Rosage
The meeting was called to order at 1:05 PM in Room 167B, Building 28, Goddard Space Flight Center.
R. Cuebas reported that Jim Pitts was very excited about creating an umbrella organization that would bring together all the players in Maryland's vital aerospace industry.
Group discussion focused on what the new organization could do to strengthen Maryland's aerospace industry. J. Polk commented that it was necessary to reach to industry, academia and government. He emphasized it was necessary to reach out to small business particularly.
A variety of methods of reaching out were mentioned:
Public Service Announcements
Bringing together the state government and industry
Sending people into schools
Getting a list of activities to support into the state's aerospace companies
Recruiting of volunteers to support various activities
Public initiatives such as tuition reimbursement for people entering needed fields (e.g., education), instructor reimbursement, etc. were mentioned.
The committee mentioned a variety of educational efforts, some pilot projects, some established and well known, that would both improve Marylanders knowledge of the Maryland's aerospace industry and begin introducing young people to the field. Some things that could be done by industry to help include getting volunteers into schools and teachers into companies, for example, by giving them summer jobs.
Action Items:
All: Identify educational groups that will assist in educating youth. Communicate those groups to the team leader, Charles J. Divine
Charles J. Divine, team lead:
Attend Space 2006 in San Jose, California. Learn as much as possible about the California Space Authority, their work and their history. Discuss cooperative efforts with appropriate people.
Request people who have attended the Aerospace Summit in January and expressed interest in industry collaboration to join our committee.
Governor's Workforce Investment Board
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of October 23, 2006 Meeting
By Charles J. Divine
Attendees:
Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Dennis Faber
Jesse Martin
Donald McErlean
James Polk
David Rosage
The meeting was called to order at 10:10 AM in the conference room of the Patuxent River Partnership. C. Divine opened the discussion with a brief description of what he had learned about the California Space Authority while attending the AIAA Conference Space 2006 held in San Jose, California in September. While there is much that we may learn from CSA, everyone recognizes that we will be an independent organization. Divine reported that CSA looks forward to working cooperatively with other state organizations. One hallmark of the Space 2006 conference was the growing interest in collaboration among various organizations, business, professional and educational.
Divine's report sparked a discussion of where we should go next. All agreed that the aerospace industry in Maryland required a more unified approach to raise the industry's profile. The new association needs authorization and credibility. Next steps to be taken include devising a strawman plan for the new association. Eventually a charter must be developed. We will sponsor a workshop in January to develop the charter and set of goals. The new organization will be made public in March. The event announcing the new organization will be held after the American Astronautical Society's Goddard Memorial Symposium.
A schedule was developed for future work:
Next meeting of the committee will be November 21st. Divine will approach Robert Noble of Northrup Grumman about hosting the meeting at their Maryland headquarters.
A workshop will be scheduled tentatively for January 23rd. Interested parties will be invited.
Roll out of the new Maryland Aerospace Association will occur in March.
Aerospace Initiative September 2006 Minutes
Governor's Workforce Investment Board
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of September 12, 2006 Meeting
By Charles J. Divine
Attendees:
Carline Cazeau
Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Connie Finney
Jesse Martin
James Polk
David Rosage
The meeting was called to order at 1:05 PM in Room 167B, Building 28, Goddard Space Flight Center.
R. Cuebas reported that Jim Pitts was very excited about creating an umbrella organization that would bring together all the players in Maryland's vital aerospace industry.
Group discussion focused on what the new organization could do to strengthen Maryland's aerospace industry. J. Polk commented that it was necessary to reach to industry, academia and government. He emphasized it was necessary to reach out to small business particularly.
A variety of methods of reaching out were mentioned:
Public Service Announcements
Bringing together the state government and industry
Sending people into schools
Getting a list of activities to support into the state's aerospace companies
Recruiting of volunteers to support various activities
Public initiatives such as tuition reimbursement for people entering needed fields (e.g., education), instructor reimbursement, etc. were mentioned.
The committee mentioned a variety of educational efforts, some pilot projects, some established and well known, that would both improve Marylanders knowledge of the Maryland's aerospace industry and begin introducing young people to the field. Some things that could be done by industry to help include getting volunteers into schools and teachers into companies, for example, by giving them summer jobs.
Action Items:
All: Identify educational groups that will assist in educating youth. Communicate those groups to the team leader, Charles J. Divine
Charles J. Divine, team lead:
Attend Space 2006 in San Jose, California. Learn as much as possible about the California Space Authority, their work and their history. Discuss cooperative efforts with appropriate people.
Request people who have attended the Aerospace Summit in January and expressed interest in industry collaboration to join our committee.
Aerospace Industry Initiative
Industry Collaboration Committee
Minutes of September 12, 2006 Meeting
By Charles J. Divine
Attendees:
Carline Cazeau
Rafael Cuebas
Charles Divine
Connie Finney
Jesse Martin
James Polk
David Rosage
The meeting was called to order at 1:05 PM in Room 167B, Building 28, Goddard Space Flight Center.
R. Cuebas reported that Jim Pitts was very excited about creating an umbrella organization that would bring together all the players in Maryland's vital aerospace industry.
Group discussion focused on what the new organization could do to strengthen Maryland's aerospace industry. J. Polk commented that it was necessary to reach to industry, academia and government. He emphasized it was necessary to reach out to small business particularly.
A variety of methods of reaching out were mentioned:
Public Service Announcements
Bringing together the state government and industry
Sending people into schools
Getting a list of activities to support into the state's aerospace companies
Recruiting of volunteers to support various activities
Public initiatives such as tuition reimbursement for people entering needed fields (e.g., education), instructor reimbursement, etc. were mentioned.
The committee mentioned a variety of educational efforts, some pilot projects, some established and well known, that would both improve Marylanders knowledge of the Maryland's aerospace industry and begin introducing young people to the field. Some things that could be done by industry to help include getting volunteers into schools and teachers into companies, for example, by giving them summer jobs.
Action Items:
All: Identify educational groups that will assist in educating youth. Communicate those groups to the team leader, Charles J. Divine
Charles J. Divine, team lead:
Attend Space 2006 in San Jose, California. Learn as much as possible about the California Space Authority, their work and their history. Discuss cooperative efforts with appropriate people.
Request people who have attended the Aerospace Summit in January and expressed interest in industry collaboration to join our committee.
GWIB Aerospace Initiative Statement of Purpose
Creating a Maryland Aerospace Organization
by Charles J. Divine and Dr. Donald P. McErlean
for the Industry Collaboration Committee
An organization to represent Maryland's vital aerospace industry is essential for the continued health and future expansion of this important field. Not only are there well known institutions such as Goddard Space Flight Center, Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory and Space Telescope Science Institute, Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River and NOAA, there are numerous employers that provide challenging, highly rewarded employment for thousands of Marylanders. A key challenge will be to create an organization that has the potential to become a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives in the aerospace industry.
At the present time there is no statewide organization to represent the industry to either elected officials of Maryland State Government or the people of Maryland, especially youth and the educators who will prepare them for employment in this industry. One major consequence is that young people are not prepared for work in this dynamic, growing industry. Another major consequence is that the political sphere is neither ready to assist where needed nor to benefit from developments in aerospace. Other states, especially California, Texas, Ohio and Florida are already working to strengthen their existing aerospace industry. Some states, for example New Mexico with its plans to develop space tourism, are seeking to become key future players.
We already have the beginnings of such an organization in our state. Two sections of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Baltimore Section and the National Capital Section, are active in multiple ways. Politically both sections support Congressional Visits Day, an effort where members come to Washington, DC and present topics of interest to members of Congress and their staffs. They are also active in various educational activities ranging from National Engineers Week to helping with student projects to public lectures. A nationwide volunteer organization, the National Space Society, supports public education activities with two chapters in Maryland. Other organizations that support the aerospace industry include the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, the Maryland Aviation Museum and the Maryland Space Grant Consortium. Major corporations such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman support various educational efforts. The objective of Aerospace Industry Initiative of the Governor's Workforce Investment Board is to bring these various groups together into a unified organization with the directed purpose of strengthening the workforce and educational programs that support aerospace.
By bringing these various groups together we will strengthen the field and address workforce problems. For example, many have observed that young people lose interest in science and technology generally during their high school years. Some have also noted that the preparation students receive in academia does not well meet the needs of industry. Our sector of the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board has noted these lacks and is developing a plan to address them through educational efforts aimed at the young. Still another factor confronting the industry is the problem of housing and, related to that, the cost of living faced by younger, entry level workers. A single, strong voice to advance common positions will provide unified support to these issues.
We have taken the first steps towards bringing the various parts of Maryland's aerospace efforts together. The next step we must take is to organize the representatives from the various sectors to work together to solve our problems and advocate further actions that must be taken by responsible political officials. We will begin by inviting people from the sectors already identified to attend meetings organized by this committee. This will be our initial focus and statement of purpose for the next year.
by Charles J. Divine and Dr. Donald P. McErlean
for the Industry Collaboration Committee
An organization to represent Maryland's vital aerospace industry is essential for the continued health and future expansion of this important field. Not only are there well known institutions such as Goddard Space Flight Center, Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory and Space Telescope Science Institute, Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River and NOAA, there are numerous employers that provide challenging, highly rewarded employment for thousands of Marylanders. A key challenge will be to create an organization that has the potential to become a valued and respected support system for Maryland’s scientific, workforce development and economic development initiatives in the aerospace industry.
At the present time there is no statewide organization to represent the industry to either elected officials of Maryland State Government or the people of Maryland, especially youth and the educators who will prepare them for employment in this industry. One major consequence is that young people are not prepared for work in this dynamic, growing industry. Another major consequence is that the political sphere is neither ready to assist where needed nor to benefit from developments in aerospace. Other states, especially California, Texas, Ohio and Florida are already working to strengthen their existing aerospace industry. Some states, for example New Mexico with its plans to develop space tourism, are seeking to become key future players.
We already have the beginnings of such an organization in our state. Two sections of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Baltimore Section and the National Capital Section, are active in multiple ways. Politically both sections support Congressional Visits Day, an effort where members come to Washington, DC and present topics of interest to members of Congress and their staffs. They are also active in various educational activities ranging from National Engineers Week to helping with student projects to public lectures. A nationwide volunteer organization, the National Space Society, supports public education activities with two chapters in Maryland. Other organizations that support the aerospace industry include the Maryland Space Business Roundtable, the Maryland Aviation Museum and the Maryland Space Grant Consortium. Major corporations such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman support various educational efforts. The objective of Aerospace Industry Initiative of the Governor's Workforce Investment Board is to bring these various groups together into a unified organization with the directed purpose of strengthening the workforce and educational programs that support aerospace.
By bringing these various groups together we will strengthen the field and address workforce problems. For example, many have observed that young people lose interest in science and technology generally during their high school years. Some have also noted that the preparation students receive in academia does not well meet the needs of industry. Our sector of the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board has noted these lacks and is developing a plan to address them through educational efforts aimed at the young. Still another factor confronting the industry is the problem of housing and, related to that, the cost of living faced by younger, entry level workers. A single, strong voice to advance common positions will provide unified support to these issues.
We have taken the first steps towards bringing the various parts of Maryland's aerospace efforts together. The next step we must take is to organize the representatives from the various sectors to work together to solve our problems and advocate further actions that must be taken by responsible political officials. We will begin by inviting people from the sectors already identified to attend meetings organized by this committee. This will be our initial focus and statement of purpose for the next year.
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Proper Pronunciation of the Word "Business"
Today in church we heard much significant discussion of church business. Our excellent diocesan convention this past weekend had much to provoke thought. I was glad to attend Friday and do some photography.
But, throughout the discussions this morning, I kept hearing the word "business" pronounced as "bizness." This is a common error that has, seemingly, become universal in at least the past century. I, myself, fell into this error a very long time ago. I failed to pronounce the "i."
A few weeks back I was reading some of the poetry of John Donne. These poems are 400 years old. And what did I see? Not "business" but "Busy Ness." As in "Busy, Busy, Busy." During my years of working in "business" I -- and other people as well -- noticed that some of the busiest people were not really accomplishing much. But they were sure "busy."
Might I suggest using the word "enterprise" instead of "business." There is in our small library downstairs a 1952 Webster dictionary. It defines the word "enterprise" a "that which is undertaken or attempted to be performed; a project attempted; particularly a bold, arduous or hazardous undertaking; an active and enterprising spirit; ready to engage in undertakings of difficulty, risk or danger." Hmm. Perhaps that is why the starship in "Star Trek" was named "Enterprise" rather than "Business."
Now go back to what ever you were doing. And try not to laugh too hard when some pompous fool goes on about "business." Oh -- the people in church this morning using the word "business" were all fine people for whom I have the greatest respect.
But, throughout the discussions this morning, I kept hearing the word "business" pronounced as "bizness." This is a common error that has, seemingly, become universal in at least the past century. I, myself, fell into this error a very long time ago. I failed to pronounce the "i."
A few weeks back I was reading some of the poetry of John Donne. These poems are 400 years old. And what did I see? Not "business" but "Busy Ness." As in "Busy, Busy, Busy." During my years of working in "business" I -- and other people as well -- noticed that some of the busiest people were not really accomplishing much. But they were sure "busy."
Might I suggest using the word "enterprise" instead of "business." There is in our small library downstairs a 1952 Webster dictionary. It defines the word "enterprise" a "that which is undertaken or attempted to be performed; a project attempted; particularly a bold, arduous or hazardous undertaking; an active and enterprising spirit; ready to engage in undertakings of difficulty, risk or danger." Hmm. Perhaps that is why the starship in "Star Trek" was named "Enterprise" rather than "Business."
Now go back to what ever you were doing. And try not to laugh too hard when some pompous fool goes on about "business." Oh -- the people in church this morning using the word "business" were all fine people for whom I have the greatest respect.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Vulcan Ambassador Chuck E-mails
A while back I received an e-mail from somebody in Africa named Umogbai Favour.
Spammers and frauds do irritate me. Anyway, I had a few minutes to kill so I decided to reply. But not as Chuck Divine. No, that wouldn't be fun. So I assumed the persona of
Chuck
Vulcan Senator
Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth
Federation of Sentient Planets
Anyway, here is my first reply to the delightful umogbai:
umogbai favour wrote:
>Dear Charles Divine
>LETTER OF APPOINTMENT
>
>It's with an unbound joy that I introduce EAGLES
>FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL.
>Eagles Foundation is a network and great of Achievers
>from different part of the globe,
>
Globe?
I'm afraid you've contacted the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. We've been
keeping our presence here a secret. We try to keep a low profile until
a prospective member world has been invited to join The Federation of
Sentient Worlds.
>with the purpose of
>providing for the unprivileged child: EDUCATION,
>PROTECTION AND SECURITY, We also help in medical&
>Technological research and leadership training,
>especially we are dedicated to the unprivileged child.
>
Good. Although the few humans we've actually had conversations with
usually speak of the "underprivileged" child. Might I suggest you work
on your English? Or speak in your native tongue. We do have
translators. Perhaps you've seen some of our efforts at familiarization
of humanity with Galactic Culture? You know -- "Star Trek." Granted,
there are inaccuracies. Trust me, Vulcans make love more than once
every seven years. More like every 7 hours -- every hour for the more
obsessed.
>
>
>After our just concluded EAGLES SUBMITTE, WITH A
>THEME: The place of the unprivileged child in our
>society.
>We came to a few conclusion, one of which was that,
>every day, our different orphanage homes gets an
>increase of 10%, mostly babies and that the future of
>the orphanage homes are faced with uncertainty and
>poverty.
>
That's tragic.
>
>Our final conclusion is that the rich and the highly
>placed run a deadly risk in their callus neglect of
>the poor and unprivileged child.
>
>Dear friend, you may have once lived and survived by
>the mercy of people, on your way to the top,
>
Actually, Vulcan is a very democratic and free society. We learned
millenia ago that tyranny is not only illogical but counterproductive.
So we really don't have a "top" the way you humans do. You do seem to
be learning though. The delusion known as communism is dying. And the
delusion known as naziism really is dead.
>let's
>return such kindness to the society without a prize.
>In our search for those who have established their
>reputation and standard as the highest
> their different career.
>We have found you of good reputation in high standard
>in your chosen carrier.
>
Thank you! But how did you hear of the Vulcan Embassy? We've been
trying to keep it under wraps -- don't want to frighten humanity. We
think you have real potential.
>
>
>In view of the above, we have decided to appoint you
>as one of our associate member, by this appointment
>you will be committed to serve humanity with your
>skill. Your prayer contribution to the growth of
>EAGLES FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL will be highly
>required.
>
Hmm. Have you heard of our Prime Directive? We're not supposed to
interfere with cultures that haven't achieved warp capability. Even
this e-mail comes perilously close to the edge of interference.
>
>
>Note also that countless of prayers are being made
>every hour that passed by for your success by our
>prayer partners, this is because of your importance to
>this vision.
>
>Always remember that your friendship is too precious
>for us lose, as we await your mail of acceptance.
>
Thank you for your friendship. When you finally achieve warp
capability, we look forward to assisting your entire species. From what
we can tell, Reid Malenfant and Bootstrap Corporation are making
excellent progress. Please support them with all your resources.
>
>
>Thanks for your anticipated co-operation as we
>resuming a purpose and eventful relationship.
>
>
>To your success,
>FAVOUR
>
And to yours!
Remember to contact us when you achieve warp capability. We eagerly
anticipate the commencement of cooperative, profitable endeavours.
Chuck
Vulcan Senator
Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth
The Federation of Sentient Worlds
Umogbai replied! I was stunned. Anyway, I managed to get off the following answer:
umogbai favour wrote:
> Mr charles
>
The name's Chuck. We Vulcans don't go in for nicknames. Haven't you
seen any of our efforts to familiarize your species with Galactic
Culture? You know "Star Trek", "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine", "Star Trek: Voyager" and now "Enterprise"? The
characters from Vulcan are named Sarek, Spock, Saavik, Tuvok et alii --
getting the picture?
My surname is entirely too difficult to translate into any human language.
>
> Thanks for your maill
>
Americans and Brits would spell the word as "mail."
> sir, it was a splended
>
splendid?
> one also
>for your corrections,
>
We try to help.
> kindly tell me more about your
>self
>
Well, in your years I was born in 2342 and am now 273 years old -- don't
worry, our species lives to at least 1500 of your years. My parents are
respectively 2417 and 1693 -- and in excellent health, by the way. They
both finished Vulcan's premier megamarathon (2910.003 of your
kilometres) only last October. I'm really proud of them!
Myself -- well, I'm a polymath. I love new challenges -- and new
lovers. I hope to eventually beat my older brother Karnak's record of
43 lovers in a single Vulcan day (OK, our days are longer than yours)
and my older sister Dharmak's megamarathon time of 372:43:16:27:68.92.
My art is not only prized on Vulcan, but Centauri dealers have started
selling it around the galaxy.
Of course I'm really delighted with my recent election to the Vulcan
Academy of Science.
Finally, there's my new wife, Dink. What else can I say about her
except she's utterly brilliant and the most loving woman I've ever met.
> and The Federation of Sentient Worlds, l am
>interested also in what you do
>
Well, our general role is to promote peace and freedom throughout the
galaxy. We occasionally do have to fight off invaders from parallel
universes, though. Like the Vorlons and the Borg. Tell me, are you
familiar with the Copenhagen Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum
Mechanics? Too few humans are. You really should learn some modern
physics -- it's important if humanity is ever to fit into the Galactic
Community.
>,where you are located.
>
At night, go outside and look up at the constellation Sagitarius --
Galactic Center is that way. At Galactic Center there is a massive
black hole that's torn a rip in the space-time continuum known as the
Esty. Our headquarters -- a microworld known as Babylon (didn't you
name one of your ancient cities that?) orbits the Esty.
On this planet we have secret observation posts located at important
locations: Washington, New York, London, Paris, Moscow, Rome, Grover's
Mills, Hollywood, New Delhi, Hobart and others. In the United States
our observation post looks like a portajohn -- it's right across from
the White House. In London we use a police box. We try to keep our
presence inconspicuous.
Oh, by the way, don't panic if you see some Black Helicopters and a few
guys dressed in Black. They're just part of our observation team.
To Logic,
Chuck
Vulcan Senator
Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth
Federation of Sentient Planets
Believe it or not, that answer actually got a reply. At that point, though, I got bored and had better things to do.
The next victim of my humor was one MOO ALEXENDER.
I don't normally greet people with a "Moo!!!" I usually reserve that greeting for cows....
Anyway, here is my response to MOO:
Mr.MOO ALEXENDER wrote:
>Mr.MOO ALEXENDER
>
Moo!!!
>
>
>
> URGENT AND EXTREMELY CONFIDENTIAL
>
>Director Friend,
>
I'm not a director.
I'm Chuck, Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth, Vulcan Senator, Vulcan
High Command, Diktor of the Security Council of the Federation of
Sentient Planets, you freaking idiot.
>
>
>
>
>
> It is with trust and confidentiality, that I make
>
>this urgent and important business proposal to you.
>
Oh, you want to sell us your damned planet.
You and every half wit in Africa.
>
>
>It gives me so much enthusiasm to write this letter to you. It is all
>
>in a view to soliciting for assistance to enable us execute a venture
>
>of mutual benfit.My name is MOO
>
Moo!
> ALEXENDER A former Central Bank of
>
>Zimbabwe Worker, during the last political disturbuce by the
>
>government held by Robert Mugabe,
>
Oh, you stole some money from that racist murderer, did you?
>I and my other colleagues worked out
>
>over US$20,000,000.00(Twenty million, United States Dollars Only) as
>
>over invoiced and inflated payment.for election materials and the
>
>funds is now flotting
>
Flotting? Don't you mean "floating"?
> in a surspence
>
"Suspense"?
>account ready to be transfered
>
"Transferred?"
>
>
>to the provided account.Now that we are not sure of the future of thi
>
>scountry, due to the cry of sanction by world leader in and around
>
>the world. for the brutal take over of white farm by the
>
>Administration, and the lack of purpose in the Administration, me and
>
>my friends have decided to invest this funds wisely.
>
> The fund is currently in security company in Holland the
>
>netherlands.I have put all the needfull together to ensure a
>
>successful transfer of the funds to a desinated
>
Good grief, can't you even spell, you worthless incompetent?
> account. Acting in
>
>concert with few trusted other officers, we need the assistance of a
>
>foreign company/persons to push this money into their accounts. You
>
>will do very well with what we have in mind. Your share of what ever
>
>we succeed in putting into your account will be giving you the 20% of
>
>the total sum, while 70%will be for us and 10% will be mapped out
>
Hmm, send me 90% in gold pressed latinum and I'll think about it....
> for
>
>any expenses incurred by both parties in the process of the transfer,
>
>we require nothing more from you,except your willingness to assist
>
>us.I will refrain from giving out more operational details, until I
>
>receive your reply. Since time is of the essence to us,
>
Time is not of the essence to us, cretin. We have time travel.
>reply this
>
>letter quickly so as to know what next to do, even if this letter
>
>does not meet your approval, please inform me. There is norisk
>
>involved, as we have done our homework carefully.
>
I can't stop laughing.
Send me all your money -- no strings attached. If there's enough, I
might help out. Then again, maybe I'll just buy beer for the hash.
On On
Chuck
Vulcan Senator
Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth
Vulcan High Command
>
>
>
>
> Looking forward to hearing from you.
>
>
>
>Thanks And God Bless.
>
>
>Mr.MOO
>
Moo!!!
> ALEXENDER
I was obviously more irritated with Moo than Favour -- and more pressed for time. Moo never responded. Boo hoo..... Was I perhaps too insulting?
It's now some years later than those exchanges. I had a frustrating week. When one evening's plans got screwed up, I sat at home and saw another one of these spam e-mails. Poor Joyce Zane got the Ambassador Chuck treatment as a result of all this. Here's what I wrote:
On Thu, 2006-03-09 at 16:36, From Ms Joyce wrote:
> Dear,
My....
>
> Good a thing to write you.
How did you discover this address? The Embassy does like to keep this
address a bit quiet. There is a real fear that humans are not quite
ready for contact with galactic civilization.
Oh -- we do like to give a bit of instruction in proper English. The
correct way to write that sentence would, of course, be "It's a good
thing to write to you."
> I have a proposal for you-this however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to honour against your will.
Um -- you do know you can't compel species that have acheived warp
drive, don't you?
> I am Joyce Zane ,26years old and the only daughter of my late parents Mr.and Mrs.Zane.
Zane? Any relation to Zane Grey?
> My father was a highly reputable business magnate-(a Grandnut
What refreshing honesty. Most people just like to be thought of as just
plain nuts.
> merchant)who operated in the capital City of Senegal during his days.It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad year 12th.Feb.2003.
On Abraham Lincoln's Birthday? What a tragedy...
> Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been masterminded by an uncle
Man From Uncle? Ilya Kurakin? Good friends of ours...
> of his whotravelled
Dr. Who? The Time Lord?
> with him at that time. But God knows the truth!
Actually, Cthuthu also knows the truth. But he won't tell unless you
give him a really big bribe...
>
> My mother died when I was just 4 years old,and since then my father took me so special.
Be careful with that kind of kinky stuff. The Embassy is located in the
United States. Maybe you know how they are.
> Before his death on Febuary 12, 2003 he called the secretary who
> accompanied him to the hospital and told her that he had a sum of $4.5million US DOLLARS (Four Million Five Hundred Thousand USA DOLLARS)
Oooooh. What's that in gold pressed latinum? You know -- galactic
currency.
> kept in One trunks box as a vault deposit with a private security company in Europe. He also said that the security company does not know the content of the safe Box.He decleared
decleared? or declared?
> it as family treasure and used my name to Deposit
It's not proper to capitalize a word in the middle of a sentence unless
it's a proper name.
> the money as his first daugther
Daughter?
> for next of kin. He also explained to her that it was because of this wealth that he was poisoned by his business associates,
Any relation to the Borgias?
> that I should seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice where I will transfer this money to and use it for investment purposes.
Have you considered doing business on Frottage 3? Saucy Jack is quite
well known for his various services.
>
>
> I want you to assist me in re-locating this deposit into your position overseas as a beneficiary,and also use it for our joint ivestment
investment?
> purpose on my behalf.I am just 26 years old
Oh, so young. At that age my species is barely able to read and write.
Of course we do live to at least 3500 of your years.
> and a university undergraduate
Isn't that a bit slow for a human?
> and really don't know what to do.
That must be why you turned -- so wisely I might add -- to the Vulcan
Embassy on Earth.
> This is because I have suffered a lot of set backs as a result of incessant political crisis here in Senegal.
That's too bad...
We Vulcans do wonder when your species is going to achieve greater
maturity. It's really keeping you from entering into galactic culture.
> The death of my father actually brought sorrow to my life coupled with the hardship, I am passing through my only uncle
What? Is he some kind of cannibal?
> who wants me dead because he want to take-over all my late father's wealth.
>
> Dearest one,I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded.
Buy Amalgamated Aluminum Associates. Now.
>
> Now permit me to ask these few questions:-
>
> 1. Can you honestly help me as your daughter?
That would be a bit hard to do. My pointed ears, my greenish skin. You
know.
> 2. Can I completely trust you?
Mais oui, madamoiselle.
> 3. What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you after the deposit is retrived
retrieved?
> and re-located to your position.
Why don't you just trust us with our matter duplicator to work that one
out?
>
> Please,Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible.
>
> Thank you so much.
>
> My sincere regards,
> Ms Joyce Zane
>
Logically,
Chuck
Vulcan Senator
Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth
Joyce hasn't responded as yet. Was I too rough on her?
Spammers and frauds do irritate me. Anyway, I had a few minutes to kill so I decided to reply. But not as Chuck Divine. No, that wouldn't be fun. So I assumed the persona of
Chuck
Vulcan Senator
Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth
Federation of Sentient Planets
Anyway, here is my first reply to the delightful umogbai:
umogbai favour wrote:
>Dear Charles Divine
>LETTER OF APPOINTMENT
>
>It's with an unbound joy that I introduce EAGLES
>FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL.
>Eagles Foundation is a network and great of Achievers
>from different part of the globe,
>
Globe?
I'm afraid you've contacted the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth. We've been
keeping our presence here a secret. We try to keep a low profile until
a prospective member world has been invited to join The Federation of
Sentient Worlds.
>with the purpose of
>providing for the unprivileged child: EDUCATION,
>PROTECTION AND SECURITY, We also help in medical&
>Technological research and leadership training,
>especially we are dedicated to the unprivileged child.
>
Good. Although the few humans we've actually had conversations with
usually speak of the "underprivileged" child. Might I suggest you work
on your English? Or speak in your native tongue. We do have
translators. Perhaps you've seen some of our efforts at familiarization
of humanity with Galactic Culture? You know -- "Star Trek." Granted,
there are inaccuracies. Trust me, Vulcans make love more than once
every seven years. More like every 7 hours -- every hour for the more
obsessed.
>
>
>After our just concluded EAGLES SUBMITTE, WITH A
>THEME: The place of the unprivileged child in our
>society.
>We came to a few conclusion, one of which was that,
>every day, our different orphanage homes gets an
>increase of 10%, mostly babies and that the future of
>the orphanage homes are faced with uncertainty and
>poverty.
>
That's tragic.
>
>Our final conclusion is that the rich and the highly
>placed run a deadly risk in their callus neglect of
>the poor and unprivileged child.
>
>Dear friend, you may have once lived and survived by
>the mercy of people, on your way to the top,
>
Actually, Vulcan is a very democratic and free society. We learned
millenia ago that tyranny is not only illogical but counterproductive.
So we really don't have a "top" the way you humans do. You do seem to
be learning though. The delusion known as communism is dying. And the
delusion known as naziism really is dead.
>let's
>return such kindness to the society without a prize.
>In our search for those who have established their
>reputation and standard as the highest
> their different career.
>We have found you of good reputation in high standard
>in your chosen carrier.
>
Thank you! But how did you hear of the Vulcan Embassy? We've been
trying to keep it under wraps -- don't want to frighten humanity. We
think you have real potential.
>
>
>In view of the above, we have decided to appoint you
>as one of our associate member, by this appointment
>you will be committed to serve humanity with your
>skill. Your prayer contribution to the growth of
>EAGLES FOUNDATION INTERNATIONAL will be highly
>required.
>
Hmm. Have you heard of our Prime Directive? We're not supposed to
interfere with cultures that haven't achieved warp capability. Even
this e-mail comes perilously close to the edge of interference.
>
>
>Note also that countless of prayers are being made
>every hour that passed by for your success by our
>prayer partners, this is because of your importance to
>this vision.
>
>Always remember that your friendship is too precious
>for us lose, as we await your mail of acceptance.
>
Thank you for your friendship. When you finally achieve warp
capability, we look forward to assisting your entire species. From what
we can tell, Reid Malenfant and Bootstrap Corporation are making
excellent progress. Please support them with all your resources.
>
>
>Thanks for your anticipated co-operation as we
>resuming a purpose and eventful relationship.
>
>
>To your success,
>FAVOUR
>
And to yours!
Remember to contact us when you achieve warp capability. We eagerly
anticipate the commencement of cooperative, profitable endeavours.
Chuck
Vulcan Senator
Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth
The Federation of Sentient Worlds
Umogbai replied! I was stunned. Anyway, I managed to get off the following answer:
umogbai favour wrote:
> Mr charles
>
The name's Chuck. We Vulcans don't go in for nicknames. Haven't you
seen any of our efforts to familiarize your species with Galactic
Culture? You know "Star Trek", "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine", "Star Trek: Voyager" and now "Enterprise"? The
characters from Vulcan are named Sarek, Spock, Saavik, Tuvok et alii --
getting the picture?
My surname is entirely too difficult to translate into any human language.
>
> Thanks for your maill
>
Americans and Brits would spell the word as "mail."
> sir, it was a splended
>
splendid?
> one also
>for your corrections,
>
We try to help.
> kindly tell me more about your
>self
>
Well, in your years I was born in 2342 and am now 273 years old -- don't
worry, our species lives to at least 1500 of your years. My parents are
respectively 2417 and 1693 -- and in excellent health, by the way. They
both finished Vulcan's premier megamarathon (2910.003 of your
kilometres) only last October. I'm really proud of them!
Myself -- well, I'm a polymath. I love new challenges -- and new
lovers. I hope to eventually beat my older brother Karnak's record of
43 lovers in a single Vulcan day (OK, our days are longer than yours)
and my older sister Dharmak's megamarathon time of 372:43:16:27:68.92.
My art is not only prized on Vulcan, but Centauri dealers have started
selling it around the galaxy.
Of course I'm really delighted with my recent election to the Vulcan
Academy of Science.
Finally, there's my new wife, Dink. What else can I say about her
except she's utterly brilliant and the most loving woman I've ever met.
> and The Federation of Sentient Worlds, l am
>interested also in what you do
>
Well, our general role is to promote peace and freedom throughout the
galaxy. We occasionally do have to fight off invaders from parallel
universes, though. Like the Vorlons and the Borg. Tell me, are you
familiar with the Copenhagen Many Worlds Interpretation of Quantum
Mechanics? Too few humans are. You really should learn some modern
physics -- it's important if humanity is ever to fit into the Galactic
Community.
>,where you are located.
>
At night, go outside and look up at the constellation Sagitarius --
Galactic Center is that way. At Galactic Center there is a massive
black hole that's torn a rip in the space-time continuum known as the
Esty. Our headquarters -- a microworld known as Babylon (didn't you
name one of your ancient cities that?) orbits the Esty.
On this planet we have secret observation posts located at important
locations: Washington, New York, London, Paris, Moscow, Rome, Grover's
Mills, Hollywood, New Delhi, Hobart and others. In the United States
our observation post looks like a portajohn -- it's right across from
the White House. In London we use a police box. We try to keep our
presence inconspicuous.
Oh, by the way, don't panic if you see some Black Helicopters and a few
guys dressed in Black. They're just part of our observation team.
To Logic,
Chuck
Vulcan Senator
Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth
Federation of Sentient Planets
Believe it or not, that answer actually got a reply. At that point, though, I got bored and had better things to do.
The next victim of my humor was one MOO ALEXENDER.
I don't normally greet people with a "Moo!!!" I usually reserve that greeting for cows....
Anyway, here is my response to MOO:
Mr.MOO ALEXENDER wrote:
>Mr.MOO ALEXENDER
>
Moo!!!
>
>
>
> URGENT AND EXTREMELY CONFIDENTIAL
>
>Director Friend,
>
I'm not a director.
I'm Chuck, Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth, Vulcan Senator, Vulcan
High Command, Diktor of the Security Council of the Federation of
Sentient Planets, you freaking idiot.
>
>
>
>
>
> It is with trust and confidentiality, that I make
>
>this urgent and important business proposal to you.
>
Oh, you want to sell us your damned planet.
You and every half wit in Africa.
>
>
>It gives me so much enthusiasm to write this letter to you. It is all
>
>in a view to soliciting for assistance to enable us execute a venture
>
>of mutual benfit.My name is MOO
>
Moo!
> ALEXENDER A former Central Bank of
>
>Zimbabwe Worker, during the last political disturbuce by the
>
>government held by Robert Mugabe,
>
Oh, you stole some money from that racist murderer, did you?
>I and my other colleagues worked out
>
>over US$20,000,000.00(Twenty million, United States Dollars Only) as
>
>over invoiced and inflated payment.for election materials and the
>
>funds is now flotting
>
Flotting? Don't you mean "floating"?
> in a surspence
>
"Suspense"?
>account ready to be transfered
>
"Transferred?"
>
>
>to the provided account.Now that we are not sure of the future of thi
>
>scountry, due to the cry of sanction by world leader in and around
>
>the world. for the brutal take over of white farm by the
>
>Administration, and the lack of purpose in the Administration, me and
>
>my friends have decided to invest this funds wisely.
>
> The fund is currently in security company in Holland the
>
>netherlands.I have put all the needfull together to ensure a
>
>successful transfer of the funds to a desinated
>
Good grief, can't you even spell, you worthless incompetent?
> account. Acting in
>
>concert with few trusted other officers, we need the assistance of a
>
>foreign company/persons to push this money into their accounts. You
>
>will do very well with what we have in mind. Your share of what ever
>
>we succeed in putting into your account will be giving you the 20% of
>
>the total sum, while 70%will be for us and 10% will be mapped out
>
Hmm, send me 90% in gold pressed latinum and I'll think about it....
> for
>
>any expenses incurred by both parties in the process of the transfer,
>
>we require nothing more from you,except your willingness to assist
>
>us.I will refrain from giving out more operational details, until I
>
>receive your reply. Since time is of the essence to us,
>
Time is not of the essence to us, cretin. We have time travel.
>reply this
>
>letter quickly so as to know what next to do, even if this letter
>
>does not meet your approval, please inform me. There is norisk
>
>involved, as we have done our homework carefully.
>
I can't stop laughing.
Send me all your money -- no strings attached. If there's enough, I
might help out. Then again, maybe I'll just buy beer for the hash.
On On
Chuck
Vulcan Senator
Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth
Vulcan High Command
>
>
>
>
> Looking forward to hearing from you.
>
>
>
>Thanks And God Bless.
>
>
>Mr.MOO
>
Moo!!!
> ALEXENDER
I was obviously more irritated with Moo than Favour -- and more pressed for time. Moo never responded. Boo hoo..... Was I perhaps too insulting?
It's now some years later than those exchanges. I had a frustrating week. When one evening's plans got screwed up, I sat at home and saw another one of these spam e-mails. Poor Joyce Zane got the Ambassador Chuck treatment as a result of all this. Here's what I wrote:
On Thu, 2006-03-09 at 16:36, From Ms Joyce wrote:
> Dear,
My....
>
> Good a thing to write you.
How did you discover this address? The Embassy does like to keep this
address a bit quiet. There is a real fear that humans are not quite
ready for contact with galactic civilization.
Oh -- we do like to give a bit of instruction in proper English. The
correct way to write that sentence would, of course, be "It's a good
thing to write to you."
> I have a proposal for you-this however is not mandatory nor will I in any manner compel you to honour against your will.
Um -- you do know you can't compel species that have acheived warp
drive, don't you?
> I am Joyce Zane ,26years old and the only daughter of my late parents Mr.and Mrs.Zane.
Zane? Any relation to Zane Grey?
> My father was a highly reputable business magnate-(a Grandnut
What refreshing honesty. Most people just like to be thought of as just
plain nuts.
> merchant)who operated in the capital City of Senegal during his days.It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad year 12th.Feb.2003.
On Abraham Lincoln's Birthday? What a tragedy...
> Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been masterminded by an uncle
Man From Uncle? Ilya Kurakin? Good friends of ours...
> of his whotravelled
Dr. Who? The Time Lord?
> with him at that time. But God knows the truth!
Actually, Cthuthu also knows the truth. But he won't tell unless you
give him a really big bribe...
>
> My mother died when I was just 4 years old,and since then my father took me so special.
Be careful with that kind of kinky stuff. The Embassy is located in the
United States. Maybe you know how they are.
> Before his death on Febuary 12, 2003 he called the secretary who
> accompanied him to the hospital and told her that he had a sum of $4.5million US DOLLARS (Four Million Five Hundred Thousand USA DOLLARS)
Oooooh. What's that in gold pressed latinum? You know -- galactic
currency.
> kept in One trunks box as a vault deposit with a private security company in Europe. He also said that the security company does not know the content of the safe Box.He decleared
decleared? or declared?
> it as family treasure and used my name to Deposit
It's not proper to capitalize a word in the middle of a sentence unless
it's a proper name.
> the money as his first daugther
Daughter?
> for next of kin. He also explained to her that it was because of this wealth that he was poisoned by his business associates,
Any relation to the Borgias?
> that I should seek for a foreign partner in a country of my choice where I will transfer this money to and use it for investment purposes.
Have you considered doing business on Frottage 3? Saucy Jack is quite
well known for his various services.
>
>
> I want you to assist me in re-locating this deposit into your position overseas as a beneficiary,and also use it for our joint ivestment
investment?
> purpose on my behalf.I am just 26 years old
Oh, so young. At that age my species is barely able to read and write.
Of course we do live to at least 3500 of your years.
> and a university undergraduate
Isn't that a bit slow for a human?
> and really don't know what to do.
That must be why you turned -- so wisely I might add -- to the Vulcan
Embassy on Earth.
> This is because I have suffered a lot of set backs as a result of incessant political crisis here in Senegal.
That's too bad...
We Vulcans do wonder when your species is going to achieve greater
maturity. It's really keeping you from entering into galactic culture.
> The death of my father actually brought sorrow to my life coupled with the hardship, I am passing through my only uncle
What? Is he some kind of cannibal?
> who wants me dead because he want to take-over all my late father's wealth.
>
> Dearest one,I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded.
Buy Amalgamated Aluminum Associates. Now.
>
> Now permit me to ask these few questions:-
>
> 1. Can you honestly help me as your daughter?
That would be a bit hard to do. My pointed ears, my greenish skin. You
know.
> 2. Can I completely trust you?
Mais oui, madamoiselle.
> 3. What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you after the deposit is retrived
retrieved?
> and re-located to your position.
Why don't you just trust us with our matter duplicator to work that one
out?
>
> Please,Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible.
>
> Thank you so much.
>
> My sincere regards,
> Ms Joyce Zane
>
Logically,
Chuck
Vulcan Senator
Ambassador Plenipotentiary to Earth
Joyce hasn't responded as yet. Was I too rough on her?
Rutan Spaceship
A Song of great social and political significance
(To be sung to the tune of Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz)
(With both apologies and thanks to Janis)
by Chuck Divine
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Rutan Spaceship?
My friends all fly shuttles
We've got to get hip
Worked hard all my lifetime
No hope for space trip
So Lord, won't you buy me a Rutan Spaceship?
Oh Lord, won't you get me a space apogee?
The X Prize people are trying to fund me
I'll launch every day
Until I put up three
So Lord, won't you get me a space apogee?
Oh Lord, won't you give me a night on the Moon?
I'm counting on you Lord
That's why I wrote this tune
Prove that you love me
And get me there soon
So Lord, won't you give me a night on the Moon?
Everybody!
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Rutan Spaceship?
My friends all fly shuttles
We've got to get hip
Worked hard all my lifetime
No hope for space trip
So Lord, won't you buy me a Rutan Spaceship?
(To be sung to the tune of Janis Joplin's Mercedes Benz)
(With both apologies and thanks to Janis)
by Chuck Divine
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Rutan Spaceship?
My friends all fly shuttles
We've got to get hip
Worked hard all my lifetime
No hope for space trip
So Lord, won't you buy me a Rutan Spaceship?
Oh Lord, won't you get me a space apogee?
The X Prize people are trying to fund me
I'll launch every day
Until I put up three
So Lord, won't you get me a space apogee?
Oh Lord, won't you give me a night on the Moon?
I'm counting on you Lord
That's why I wrote this tune
Prove that you love me
And get me there soon
So Lord, won't you give me a night on the Moon?
Everybody!
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Rutan Spaceship?
My friends all fly shuttles
We've got to get hip
Worked hard all my lifetime
No hope for space trip
So Lord, won't you buy me a Rutan Spaceship?
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