THE CHAIRMAN'S STATUS REPORT

In the wake of the strategic planning session in Boston on October 29, the Strategic Planning Committee met with the Executive Committee to finalize work products. On December 16, the Executive Committee endorsed the revised US/ICOMOS Mission and Goals Statement and determined that it was ready to be circulated to the Board members for adoption at the January Board meeting. The statement will then be presented to the January annual membership meeting.

A proposal for organizational reforms drawn from the Steering Committee Report, strategic planning sessions and Executive Committee/Board discussions was also reviewed by the group. These included possible bylaw changes as well as less formal operating policies. The Executive Committee endorsed certain bylaw revisions for submission to a membership vote in January. A notice of the proposed amendments and their substance is included in this newsletter. The Board will decide how non-bylaw actions will be implemented.

The third key work product emerging from the strategic planning process is a series of potential program initiatives. These reflect the ideas arising from participants in the process as to ways US/ICOMOS can actually carry out its intended mission and goals. The Executive Committee and Strategic Planning Committee agreed that these would be submitted to the new leadership and Board as a collection of suggestions and ideas. The suggestions were viewed as a valuable byproduct of the strategic planning process, meriting consideration in shaping the future activities of US/ICOMOS. It will be distributed at the annual meeting.

The search process for a new President of US/ICOMOS has moved forward on schedule and a candidate is being presented to the Board for approval. We will formally introduce the new President at the annual meeting.

The Nominating Committee has been hard at work reviewing suggested candidates for election to the Board in January. It presented a list of potential candidates to the Executive Committee at their December 16 meeting and is finalizing the slate for presentation in January to the membership.

All in all, we are moving productively to the close of this phase of "reinventing" US/ICOMOS. I appreciate the enthusiasm and support of the large number of members who have brought us this far. I am confident that we are well-equipped to meet future challenges and opportunities.

John M. Fowler

US/ICOMOS Annual Meeting: Saturday, January 28, 1995, at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1785 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, in Washington, DC. Registration forms will be mailed shortly.

NATIONAL SUMMIT ON EMERGENCY RESPONSE

This meeting coincides with the recent ICOMOS initiative to develop an international risk preparedness scheme. The need for such a plan was made apparent by the common frustrations of national and international organizations in dealing with the conflicts in Lebanon, the Gulf War, the former Yugoslavia and natural disasters elsewhere. After meetings with representatives of UNESCO, ICCROM and ICOM, a risk preparedness scheme has been drafted that includes five elements: a Culture at Risk Fund, the Blue Shield (similar to the Red Cross), a Documentation and Information Management Scheme, Training and Manuals and an Awareness Program.

The Blue Shield organization would be structured on international, national and regional levels. Key to the implementation of these programs is the development of large and current index of experts in preservation, conser- vation and disaster response techniques.

THE ICOMOS "WHO'S WHO"

A roster of experts is an important tool for ICOMOS to enable the organization to fulfill its responsibilities in regard to the World Heritage Convention, as well as in connection with the future organization and structure of the Blue Shield for disaster preparedness. US/ICOMOS also receives requests from other organizations and from U.S. government agencies for the names of experts in specific technical fields and areas of preservation practice and policy. US/ICOMOS members are urged to complete the curriculum vitae form. Please send your form, included on the inset page, to US/ICOMOS so that a copy can be kept for reference in the U.S., before it is forwarded to Paris.

INTERNET UPDATE

The ICOMOS gopher is listed on the "International Organizations" menu on the home gopher at the University of Minnesota, to which most other gophers are linked. US/ICOMOS now has its own "Home Page" on the ICOMOS World Wide Web (www) server. This page, which describes the activities of the organization and contact addresses, also includes "hypertext" links to its newsletters. To reach the home page, using lynx, Mosaic, or other www browsers, use the following address: http://www.icomos.org/usicomos.html. [Since going to press, the address of the ICOMOS servers has changed. Addresses noted in this web page are correct.]

Peter Stott (pstott@icomos.org)

NEWS OF MEMBERS & FRIENDS

TRAINING

The 44th Attingham Summer School on the Country House in Britain will be held from July 7-25, 1995. The 1995 program, at three centers (West Dean College, Sussex; Nottingham University; University of York), will give members a chance to study about 25 country houses accompanied by specialist staff tutors and visiting lecturers. The school offers a unique approach to art education for museum curators, architectural historians, conservationists and teachers, and other interested persons. Application forms and other requirements are available from Mrs. Sybil Bruel, The Executive Secretary, American Friends of the Attingham Summer School Inc., 285 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024. Deadline: January 31, 1995. The cost for enrollment varies according to age, from $3,450 to $3,500. Fees include tuition, meals, accommodations, admissions, course-related travel and membership of the Royal Oak Foundation. The Attingham Study Week presents a unique opportunity to examine the Country House. It includes a wide variety of tutored visits to about 18 properties. It is intended for museum personnel, lecturers, architects, conservationists and serious amateurs. Applications available from Mrs. Sybil Bruel at the above address. Deadline: January 15, 1995. Cost is $2,350, including tuition, accommodations, course-related travel, admissions, hospitality.

Preservation Institute: Caribbean '95, University of Florida College of Architecture Summer Sessions. Two courses will be offered. Architectural Preservation in the Greater Caribbean: An Introduction, lectures and seminars complemented by research in St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest colonial city in North America and sister city to Cartagena de Indias. A six-week course that includes hands-on experience with documentation techniques, research methods and electronic archive construction, based at the College of Architecture. Advanced Field Work: Analysis of Tropical Cities, study of the growth and development of this premiere colonial cities of the Western Hemisphere with experts in historic preservation, history, urban design, archaeology and cultural geography. A four-week course that includes analytical sketching, mapping techniques, photography, video and archival research. For information: William L. Tilson, Director, Preservation Institute: Carib- bean, 331 ARCH, College of Architecture, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-5701, tel: 904-392-4836, E-mail wtropic@nervm.nerdc.ufl.edu.

CALENDAR

* January 13, 1995. Call for Presentations: proposals for technical sessions at the APT Annual Meeting, October 29-November 5, 1995, in Washington, DC. The meeting theme, Preservation: A Capital Opportunity, will focus on preservation, conservation and maintenance issues nationally and internationally, with special emphasis on resources unique to the city of Washington. Four thematic categories are proposed for presentations: 1) Impact of Government Programs; 2) Critique of Past Projects and Programs: "Lessons Learned;" 3) International Preservation Activities; and 4) Technical Issues in Preservation and Conservation. Proposals may include individual or team presentations, panel discussions or other formats. A proposal abstract is required. Please provide a one- page, typewritten proposal including: the title of the presentation, speaker name(s), affiliation/title of speaker(s), address, telephone and fax numbers for each speaker, and a 250-word abstract of the presentation. Attach a one-page resume for each speaker. For further requirements, contact APTI Washington '95, P.O. box 16236, Alexandria, VA 22302-9998, fax 703-684-7301. Telephone inquiries to: Baird M. Smith, 202-298-6700 or Caroline Alderson, 202-708-6164.

* January 19-21, 1995. The Spoils of War -- World War II and Its Aftermath: The Loss, Reappearance and Recovery of Cultural Property, organized by The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts in New York City. The symposium will provide a forum for discussions relating to cultural property displaced during and after World War II. Speakers will include representatives of government and museum organizations in countries that have suffered losses; officials that participated in the collecting, documentation and dispersal of displaced property during the war; and experts in the field of art law. The cost will be $130 for three days (half-price for student and senior admission); $90 for two days; and $50 for one day. For further information, please contact: The Bard Graduate Center, 18 West 86th Street, New York, NY 10024, tel: 212-721-4245.

* March 30 - April 1, 1995. A national conference, Preserving the Recent Past! in Chicago, Illinois, sponsored by the National Park Service and many other organizations, will focus on the preservation challenges of evaluating, maintaining and reusing historic resources from the 20th century. Developed for architects, preservation officials, architectural conservators, historians, planners, engineers, landscape architects and cultural resource managers, the conference will feature more than 80 leading experts from the U.S. and abroad who will examine the philosophical and practical issues associated with identifying and maintaining buildings, structures and landscapes designed between 1920 and 1960. Three tracks will focus on resource evaluation, preservation and reuse strategies and conservation of 20th-century materials and systems. The conference also includes a half-day workshop on curtain wall construction and 8 educational tours. Registration of $265 covers all educational sessions, a handbook and opening reception. Contact: University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, Division of Conferences and Institutes, tel: 217-244-7659, fax: 217-333-9561.