Anyone else using social media tools for outreach?
Just to get the conversation started, NIU_STEM is Twittering occasionally and has a page on FaceBook.  Not sure yet if this will drive more traffic to our events or web site (which has been neglected during the  push to start the other stuff.)

Is this something that those of us coming in on Friday, but not signed up fopr the Advanced Lab Conference, could come see?

This call is to anyone requesting an item for discussion that could be on the Agenda for the 2009 Business Meeting of PIRA, Tuesday, July 28, 2009 in Ann Arbor, Michigan...

David

Interestingly enough, on Friday, July 24, 2009 at 7:30 pm during the Advanced Laboratory Topical Conference, we'll be running an Advanced Demonstration Hour!!

Funny how things came around that we could at least have a "sample" of what a Demo Workshop III would be!

I hope anyone else not already involved who'd like to throw an iron in the hour will contact me this week at sturmde@maine.edu

PIRA minutes for the 2008 Business meeting, Edmonton, Canada, 21July2008
Called to order by President, Brian Andersson, at 5:21 PM
 
I.  Those present introduced themselves.

II. Although the minutes of the last meeting were left at home, they were accepted on a motion by Dale Stille.

IIa.  Stan Micklazina (who had to leave for another meeting) requested aid in the production of the Demo Show.

III. Old Business:
    A. Website:  Thanks were given to Michael Thomlison for the great job he has done on the PIRA website.
        action item: It was decided that we need a link to "financial resources," ie., the Bauder Fund.  Dale Stille will see to this.
    B. The Demo Wiki:   as discussed, it will be publicly accessible, but editable only by members of PIRA.
        action item:  Dale Stille will also see to the implementation of the Wiki.
    C. One of our members, Ramisch, has some immigration problems.  Letters of support were solicited.
        action item: Contact Steve Wonnell if you can help.

IV. Officers and workshop reports.
    A. President Elect, Dave Strum, stated that Session CA, Physics and the Performing Arts, The Art of Physics Demonstration, at which he presided, was attended by about 1/3 of the meeting attendees.  A great success.

    B. Steve Wonnel reported that we have an approximate balance of $6742 plus $2562 in the Mary Creason Fund.
        We have 219 members of PIRA, about 105 need to renew their dues.
        action item:  be sure to pay your dues.

    C. Wayne Easterling, acknowledged all the help he has had with the resource room.
        He also thanked Sargent Welch for the several thousand dollars of donated equipment and certificates.

    D. Dale Stille reported that the Lecture Demonstration workshop had a low attendance (possibly due to the low attendance at the summer meeting.) but the reviews from those who attended were extremely positive.
        Much thanks were given to Terry Singleton and his assistants, Lorne and Taylor for providing the equipment for the workshop.
        Dale raised the question about the charges for the workshop.  We need only about $35 for printing costs, but AAPT charges $145.  This makes the workshop the second highest cost. (after Laboratories.)
        Next year's workshop will be much easier, since the Michigan folks have been attending, and presenting, at the last two workshops.

    E. Lab workshop:  Andrew Tomasch reported (for Van Bistrow) that it was a "quality show," although there were only 8 attendees.
        action item: Dale will check on next year's lab topic.

V. PIRA Committee Reports
    A. DCS had not met as of the business meeting.  They did meet on the morning of July 23.
    B. Dean Hudek had 7 folks at his cracker barrel on professional concerns.   He suggested that we suspend the cracker barrel for a year.
    C. There was no need for a constitution committee meeting.
    D. Sam Sampere, chair of the Apparatus Committee, reported that there was a brainstorming session for a long term goal for the committee.
        There will be two workshops sponsored by the committee at the winter meeting:  Ben Franklin is my Lab Partner, and a Teacher Prep session.
        The workshops for Michigan include The Haunted Lab, An Apparatus Make and Take, Upper Level Lecture Demos, Cool stuff not in the 200, and a poster session called the Physics Bazaar.
    E. Brian reported on the Nominating Committee for Chele.  It was hard to find a nominee for the Presidential cycle this year.
    F. Dave Maiullo reported that the Bauder Fund is still looking for ways to spend the money, although it would like to reduce the expected funding to PIRA over the next few years.

VI. New Business
    A. Steve Wonnell reported that the Mary Creason Fund will give assistance to local high school physics teachers to attend the AAPT summer meeting.  There was a problem spreading the word for this year's meeting.
    action item:  Steve will contact Al Gibson of the Michigan section to help spread the word for next summer.
    B. News from around the PIRA world.
        1. The deaths of Dan Margulies and Andy Graham were sadly noted.
        2. The birth of David Kardelis's baby was happily noted.
    C. Resource room committee:  Given the large job it is to set up run the resource room, it was suggested that a local PIRA, the president elect, and the Vice President make an ad hoc committee to share the resource room work for next year.
    D. Answer Guru for the website.  A way to handle questions sent into the website was discussed.  Brian will be the point person for the questions and delegate the answers or relay them to tap-L.  Tom Geenslade has volunteered to deal the apparatus questions under the title "What the Heck is This."   A link to Tom will be placed on the PIRA website.
    E.  A representative of Teach Spin asked if the company can belong to PIRA and to tap-L.  It was stated that individuals from anywhere can belong to both organizations, but not companies.
    F.  AAPT has asked PIRA to look at its long term goals.  After a session of brainstorming, we decided that recruiting new members was a worthy goal.
    G. Under suggestions for the session topics for 2009, two suggestions came up:  A Celebration of Dick Berg, and Demonstration Misconceptions.

VII.  Election of Officers
    A.  VP.  After much discussion, arm twisting, and promises, Ziggy Peacock volunteered to run for the office of Vice President.
    B. Tom Senior had previously volunteered to continue at the job of secretary.
    C. As there were no other nominations, a motion was passed that both candidates be elected by acclamation.

VIII.  The meeting was adjourned at 7:44 PM.
 
respectfully submitted,
 
Tom Senior
tomseniorphysics@yahoo.com
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Below are statements from the two candidates running for Vice President.  The first statement is from Sathappan Ramesh, the second from Adam Beehler.


Statement from Sathappan Ramesh:

Graduated with an MS in Physics from Clemson University, South Carolina.  Here
I had the golden opportunity to work under Prof. Raymond Turner, who is well
known for his works on "Physics with Toys." Later I worked as a high school
physics teacher at Greensboro Day School, Greensboro, North Carolina, for 1½
years. Came to Johns Hopkins University in Nov 2002 as the Senior Lab
Coordinator, and have been here since then.

In my current job, I train the lab TAs, develop new lab experiments, maintain
and repair the equipment. I also setup the demonstration equipment for physics
major lecture classes. During the summer I am also actively involved in
programs for high school physics teachers, organized by the Johns Hopkins
Physics Department. Have been very active in the AAPT, with presentations in
the introductory lab workshops and currently serving as a member of the
apparatus committee.  I was also a part of the organizing team for the Winter
2008 AAPT meeting in Baltimore and provided all the lab arrangements at the
Johns Hopkins campus.

If elected, as VP, I will be primarily in charge of the PIRA resource room. I
would like to make the room more attractive and cordial to our members and
visitors. So that they hang out, socialize, share ideas and provide support to
each other. This will also encourage visitors to become members of PIRA. This
can be developed further into a support cell for all the physics instructional
personnel, especially for those who are in a very hostile work environment.
Raise more money for Mary Creason fund.  I will also try to create an award,
which recognizes the lifetime achievement of lab/demo manager. Because several
of our members have worked hard their entire lifetime and have had no
recognition. Enhance all the current activities - the sales of books, used/new
lab equipment, display of apparatus. Introduce more hands on activities, make
and take stuff, etc in the resource room. Also keep myself available for
members, listen to their advice and suggestions and put them into action. As I
am more of a "man of action," than a speaker.


Statement from Adam Beehler:

I was born and raised in Kansas.  I have been teaching physics in one
form or another since 1994.  While majoring in Physics and French at
Kansas State University, I was given the opportunity to teach physics
laboratories as an undergraduate.  Shortly after beginning, I was
promoted to Lab Coordinator and also supervised associate instructors. 
I also edited and developed one of their lab manuals.  Upon graduating,
my family moved to Colorado, where we remained for the next nine
years.  I was hired by Colorado State University as the Assistant
Coordinator for Laboratory Instruction and Outreach.  I worked closely
with Brian Jones in their laboratories, demonstration room, and
outreach program called the Little Shop of Physics.  Now my family
lives in Utah because I was hired as the Lecture Demonstration
Specialist at the University of Utah.  Even though these were my main
jobs, I have also been involved with local science museums, summer
programs, community college teaching, MCAT instructing, science fair
judging, planetarium operating, research labs, Science Olympiads,
teacher workshops, a school district television program, and many a
public presentation.  I feel that PIRA is a wonderful organization, and
I fully support it and its many activities.  I am willing to help it
continue its success.

Still trying to upload a short movie...

 :-XGuess how I mae this sculpture.

Jim, certainly this is a good idea, but probably it's really always come down to the expensiveness (and the exhaustion in setting up) of the demonstration workshops. 

But a "Demonstration Workshop III" or "Beyond the PIRA 200 Workshop" certainly has been an idea I've heard floated around before, and perhaps when the meeting is going to be in a location where high attendance is expected, and located on a campus where such a workshop could be conducted without causing equipment conflicts for Demo I & II, it could really work out.  As I recall a discussion in Greensboro, that equipment issue is one of the harder ones to work out.  But as future meeting locations become known, perhaps such a harmonic convergence could work out!

The Committee on Apparatus now no longer has to consume 2 of its assigned sessions on Demo I & II since AAPT has institutionalized them... (or the organizers have been institutionalized ) so a Demo III at least has a better chance to be sponsored by Ap-Com.

I take this as a sign you'd volunteer to be one of the organizers of a half-day workshop proposal for a first try at an Advanced Lecture Demonstration Workshop?   I'd be glad to help organize when the right time comes along.  I think something analogous to the Advanced Laboratory Workshop would work for an afternoon session.

For what it's worth, about a dozen years ago, there also used to be a regular workshop on Operation and Organization of Lecture-Demonstration Facilities....  perhaps the Advanced Lecture Demo Workshop could be a fusion of that operational/management side with Beyond the 200. 

Kudos to Stephen and Michael on starting the topics in this thread...

I'd certainly feel better keeping PIRA hosted elsewhere from AAPT, as long as such a reliable location as we have now is available.  If the only solution left were to host PIRA at AAPT, I'd take that over non-existence, of course!

I've always felt that one of the hidden strengths of PIRA is that we are set up independently from AAPT, and if we put pieces and parts on the AAPT site, as Chele's rightly pointed out: we'd be bringing in that third party...

I also think that as an initiative to also be active at APS meetings with the demonstration workshop and other activities, we'd especially be wise to maintain our visibility as a group that isn't necessarily a subset of AAPT.  Great thing this forum!