The future of the contrarain community

Fellow contrarians:

We are currently on the brink of going out of business as a NCSS community. NCSS has granted us some extra time beyond this years March deadline to get the necessary paper work completed given that this is the first year of the new communities framework. Specifically, to stay in business for next year we will need:

1. A roster of at least 30 members with addresses, e-mail addresses and phone numbers.
2. A list of officers
3. Bylaws
4. Minutes from the annual meeting

I will be retiring from academic life this year and do not anticipate attending any further annual meetings. While it has been fun and exciting to serve as the “exalted chair for life” of the contrarians over the past ten years, it is time for me to head for my crypt in the mausoleum in Contrarian Square and turn over the leadership to others.

We will have a session on the 2008 program, but, if we cannot build our membership, that will be it. Right now we have 11 members, two of which are NCSS staff. Specifically, this is the most pressing need—build the membership to at least 30. Next we need to elect/appoint a new chair, vice chair (great leader and not so great leader) secretariat (secretary). By laws are easy, but there is no need to develop them if we don’t have the members. I will remain an avid virtual contrarian, but at this point feel I must pass the torch. If anyone has a strategy for building our membership or is willing to take over provisional leadership please share these ideas and well as any thoughts you might have on the future of the group. I hope spring is on it way where you live, it hasn’t made it yet here.

All the best,

Jim