APS Mentors - become “APS Services Guides”.
At APSCON 2007 held in Albury, the annual MC/ED Meeting agreed to thee change in name of what has been called APS Mentors to APS Services Guides.
The change, it was agreed, was not just a name change, but a function and duties change as well. APS has many levels of volunteers in addition to our permanently salaried Secretary/Business Manager, Melinda Finnigan. The APS Management Committee (MC) consists of the APS President, Immediate Past-President, Senior Vice-President, Junior Vice President, Secretary/Business manager, Treasurer and three other voting members. You can check out these people on the APS web site. In addition to the MC we have 15 Executive Directors who manage the various divisions of APS. E.g. Print Division, Projected Image Division EDID. Check out these people also on the same APS web site under “who are we? - the Committee”.
The MC/ED has an annual face-to-face meeting on the Friday morning preceding each APSCON. It is an opportunity to try to resolve as many outstanding issues for the members of APS, as well as getting to know each other on a more personal basis. Other volunteers assist the MC/ED group in areas such as APSCON planning presentation and preparation, folios, and more.
“APS Mentors” in the past were volunteer members with experiences in photography and also had knowledge of the operating functions of APS. They were expected to be of assistance to new members (as well as older members) when members needed specific questions answered about where to go for information on APS, as well as helping with practical question on photographic techniques.
In my earlier President's Messages, I have referred to the appointment of Andrea Robinson as an ED for APS State Body Relationships. Andrea is also the current President of the Federation of Camera Clubs of NSW. The APS MC/ED group has agreed with the policy of trying to establish closer links between APS and all of the Camera Clubs in Australia. To this end, we are encouraging more collaboration between APS members and the local camera clubs, to encourage cross-memberships and photographic information exchange. For questions on practical photography, we encourage members to interact ,and join (if not a member) you local camera club, Distance may be a problem for many, but if not, please check out your nearest club from the APS or State Body web sites.
If you are the only APS member in your club, please act as an ambassador for APS, and to encourage information exchange, joint participation, with the help of other APS members.
The decision at APSCON 2007 was made to clarify the duties as well as title of what were or Mentors to APS Services Guides. Their main function and duties now are to give local information to new and old members about the structure of APS and the latest APS activities. The APS Services Guides are grouped in states, with a State Representative as the state coordinator, and the APS Junior Vice-President, currently Dr. Kerry Boytell AAPS as the APS National coordinator.
I would encourage all members of APS to check out you local APS Services Guide and maybe even volunteering to become one. APS always needs new blood in many capacities to assist members.
Bert Hoveling AAPS SSAPS
President