Report of the President for the Year Ending June 30, 1999

During 1998-99 Sigma Xi continued the strong development trends that have been characteristic since the appointment of Peter Blair as Executive Director three years ago. The activities of the year, including new programs and other developments, are set out in detail in Dr. Blair's report. I wish to focus on only a few highlights.

First, and of great importance for our Society's future, the 1998 Assembly approved sweeping changes in our governance. These changes were the culmination of two years of intensive effort, launched initially during the presidency of my predecessor, Robert Frosch. The process involved lengthy discussions in the Executive Committee and the Board, a great deal of work by the staff at Headquarters, and opportunities for exchanges of views with chapters and individual members. The revised Constitution and Bylaws that resulted from this effort promise to have long-lasting beneficial effects for the Society.

The new Constitution and Bylaws make the Board more representative of the Society in two ways. First, all members of the Board of Directors will be elected. Under the old system, standing committee chairs, although elected by the Board, were actually de facto appointments of the President with consent of the Board; with the new Constitution, all members of the Board will be elected by chapters or members. Second, the new groupings defined by the Bylaws provide for better representation of the many interests included in the Society. The traditional geographic representation will remain. But the new constituency groups will enable the Society to take account of the special interests and problems that pertain to the different types of institutions – from the major research universities to the baccalaureate colleges – represented within Sigma Xi. Our At-Large members will have more opportunity to voice their ideas and problems through their new constituency group. And our international members, including our Canadian colleagues, will be better represented, an important step in the direction of the globalization of the Society.

Besides providing for more democratic and representative governance, the new Bylaws create a system that should be more effective and efficient. Most importantly, the Board of Directors is much smaller than previously (16 members, after the transition, rather than up to 33). The most obvious advantage of this reduction in size is the corresponding reduction in the cost of meetings, which will allow for more meetings or produce cost savings. More importantly, the smaller group should make for deeper discussions of the issues before Sigma Xi.

The transition to the new structure has begun. It will take three years to phase it in completely. During this time, Directors will be elected for the constituency groups and the number of Regional Directors will gradually be reduced to six. By 2002, the new structure should be fully in place.

In addition to the new governance structure, we have made more progress on the Sigma Xi Center. Plans for the physical structure are well along; delegates to the Vancouver Assembly had opportunity to see a model of the building and sketches of the floor plans. Not only is it a beautiful building, its layout has been carefully planned to support the special requirements of the Society. In addition to a wing housing administrative offices, the building contains spaces designed for work on the special programs that will be operated under Center auspices and larger spaces for meetings and collaborative efforts.

Of course, the Sigma Xi Center is both a physical entity and a set of programs that are simultaneously important for science in general and of particular interest to Sigma Xi members. As a physical entity, the Center will provide a sense of permanence for the Society at Research Triangle Park. Taking a permanent place in the research community there will produce unforeseen benefits through synergies that can only be imagined today. The programmatic elements will produce tangible benefits for Sigma Xi members as the programs attack issues of national and international significance. These include traditional issues such as research integrity or ethics in science, where the Society has played a major role in the past. The other main subjects included in the Center's activities at present – science education, the public understanding of science, and the health of the research enterprise – provide opportunities for the Society to play a leadership role in issues of importance to the scientific community at large.

These activities represent an initial agenda for the Center. As time passes, I expect new programs to develop as science is faced with new problems. The creation of the Center and the completion of the physical facility signify the long term dedication of the Society to involvement in issues that are important, even critical, to the future of scientific research. As zealous companions in research, we should all be concerned with these issues, and the Center should be seen as a welcome expression of our interest in the long term health of scientific research.

Membership remains a problem for Sigma Xi. Although there is some light on the horizon (the rate of decline seems to have decreased in the last year or two), we are still losing members. Despite this, we should remind ourselves that we remain one of the largest multidisciplinary scientific societies in the world, with 80,000 members. The Society is financially sound, with a solid balance sheet and a balanced budget. As detailed in Dr. Blair's report, many new programs have been or are being launched as part of the effort to reverse the membership trend of recent years. It is reasonable to think that the creation of programs that are attractive to scientists will help in this regard. But membership ultimately depends on the chapters, where recruiting of new members is the crucial first step and the retention of members through programs that members find valuable is essential.

Even with our present membership, outstanding in excellence as well as large in numbers, we can and should be a powerful force for science. I believe that the Center's programs will help in this regard. But here as well, chapter activities are of the greatest importance. A recent example is the development of the public advocacy of science program, originated in several chapters in the North Central Region. This has already shown its effectiveness in increasing the understanding of science and scientific research by key Congressional leaders. Its early success is leading to replication in other regions and it is likely to become an integral part of the Center's activities. The Society needs such efforts, not only for the beneficial impact on science as a while but also for the involvement of members, which is perhaps the most important element in attracting and retaining members.

It is an honor to be a member of Sigma Xi, and an even greater one to have been its president. No president of this society can be effective without the strongest kind of support from the Sigma Xi staff. That has been provided in abundance. I am deeply grateful to all of the Headquarters staff, but especially to Peter Blair and Evan Ferguson, for their help during the year. Finally, I thank all of the members for their support of this outstanding organization. I look forward to continuing to serve Sigma Xi in whatever capacity I can.

John H. Moore
President, 1998-1999