b"President's pieceASEG newsPresidents piecethe Executive, I would like to thank ournewsletter and maintain a website that employers for this time. Leslie Atkinsonsroutinely supports more than 1000 Executive brief in this issue containsvisitors a month, more when each edition far more detail on the 2020 Federalof Preview is released online. All of this Executive and comings and goings,for the benefit of ASEG Members, and it and contains a screen-shot of the finalis ASEG membership that forms the basis moments of the AGM. for the rest of this piece.But time and tide wait for no man, muchSlightly before the 2020 AGM, the less the ASEG. The AGM is a month pastASEG had 732 Members as students, Being elected to the Presidency of theat the time of writing. Three webinarsassociates, retired, honorary and ASEG is a rare honour, and in the ASEGshave been held, attracting around 30institutions (corporate partners). By far 50th year, rarer still. It is humbling tointernational participants, and morethe majority (70%) are Active Members. recall my immediate (Ted Tyne, Marinaare planned over the year. True, onlineFigure 1 shows the change in ASEG Costelloe) and historical (https://www. webinars cannot replace monthlymembership composition between aseg.org.au/history/historical-federal- branch meetings. However, they offer2015 and 2020. It is immediately executive-committees) predecessors, anda flexible opportunity to reach a widerapparent from Figure 1 that there was a I realise that there are some particularlyaudience, both immediate - as webinarslarger proportion of active and student large shoes to fill. can be scheduled independently ofmembers in 2015. As befitting an monthly meetings and anyone canorganisation in its 50th year, the relative At the time of writing, the ASEG haswatch and ask questions - and later, asproportion of retired and honorary had its first electronic AGM, which waspresentations are published on YouTubemembers has increased over time.attended by 30 Members from all statesthrough the ASEGs channel (which and territories. Although an electronicshould be subscribed to in order toFigure 2 shows the membership AGM was required by the COVID-19receive up to date notifications). Indeed,distribution by state as a function of pandemic, general feedback has beenit is hoped that, post-COVID-19, branchmembership decade. Several points that it was a seamless and valuablemeetings will be routinely recorded andare immediately apparent. Firstly, a experience, and I hope that future AGMs,published to a broader temporal andsignificant number of Members might when the current pandemic has tailedspatial audience. Readers interestedbe regarded as young, in that they have off, can include an electronic component. in presenting material are welcomebeen Members for less than 10 years. to contact Kate Robertson (president- Membership decreases with age as I would like to thank your new Federalelect@aseg.org.au) who has taken theMembers move through their careers Executive for volunteering. Dannyinitiative in this space. as, unfortunately, it is a cyclic industry. Burns will continue as Treasurer andMembers may be encouraged to learn Leslie Atkinson has stepped intoIn its 50th year, it is appropriate tothat if they can navigate industry cycles, the Secretary role. I am delighted toexamine the ASEG in some detail. Theexploration geophysics offers a long announce that Kate Robertson is nowASEG conducts business in a numbercareer. It is also apparent that the largest President Elect. Marina Pervukhina andof areas including the organisationnumber of Members call WA home, Tim Dean will continue in Professionalof conferences and various courses.and that the second largest branch Development and Education rolesWe have also developed two high- comprises international Members; in its respectively. Mark Duffett will continuequality publications in our scientific50th year, the ASEG is an international as Technical Standards liaison, and Ianjournal; Exploration Geophysics, and oursociety. The relatively-large number of James as Webmaster. Ted Tyne remainsmagazine; Preview. We publish a monthlylong-term Members calling NSW home on the executive as the immediate Past President and Lisa Worrall and Mark Lackie will continue as Editors of Preview and Exploration Geophysics respectively.New to the 2020 Federal Executive are Yvette Poudjom Djomani as Branches liaison, Suzanne Haydon as Memberships Chair, and Millicent Crowe as Communications Chair, and I hope that they find their experience as valuable and enjoyable as I have over the past few years. I would also like to thank Marina Costelloe and Megan Nightingale for their sterling service as Secretary, President and Past President (Marina) and Secretary and Young Professionals liaisonFigure 1:Comparison of the ASEGs membership by type in 2020 (left) and 2015 (right). The number of (Megan). Volunteer roles can requireMembers has fallen so that current ASEG membership is only 57% of the 2015 membership. Proportions of significant time input and, on behalf ofRetired and Honorary Members have increased in 2020, as the proportion of Active Members has decreased.JuNE 2020 PREVIEW 2"