Inauguration document
1. Name of Group
The name of this group shall be: General Interest Group for Senior Crystallographers (GIG-SC)
2. Promoters
3. Proponents (Councillors)
4. Purpose
This GIG comes together to preserve the history of crystallography, the archive of materials, to play a part in teaching, consider special requirements of Senior Scientists and any other business connected and concerned to Senior Crystallographers. A researcher who is over 65 and retired is recognised as in the category of ‘senior researcher’.
GIG for senior crystallographers would like to have a room at the ECMs where they can get together, and carry out all initiatives organized by this community. Senior crystallographers might, for instance, offer seminars on “”who is who” in crystallography, the group could also arrange formal and informal sessions on the history of crystallography.
Old and still active crystallographers might also like to draw attention to the following matters:
- Readability of Conference Programmes and Abstract Books could be improved by the use of not too small font sizes and by avoiding the use of low contrasts such as using black print on grey or red backgrounds.
- Audibility of oral presentations would be facilitated by making sure that equipment for Tele coils and FM in auditoria is activated if available. Ideally, such facilities should be standard equipment.
- Conference buildings with as few stairs as possible should be chosen for future meetings.
- Some of the disabilities that inevitably follow with increasing age may also strike younger people and it might be of interest to know if young colleagues are actually prevented from attending meetings because of disabilities.
As in Europe the age average of crystallographers, and scientist in general, is increasing it may not be unreasonable to expect that the number of Senior Crystallographers may increase at future conferences.
5. Founding Members
The following senior crystallographers have expressed interest in the GIG-SC: Berit Fjærtoft, Ivar Olovsson, Jorunn Sletten, Roland Tellgren
6. Preliminary Rules
The interim chairperson, (SER) will call a meeting for election of chairperson and co-chair and for discussion of future activities at the forthcoming ECA meeting in 2012.
7. Preliminary Plans
Theo Hahn has offered to give an informal contribution on space group developments since 1919 at one of the first gatherings at the forthcoming ECA meeting in 2012.