The Hydrographic Society of America - Houston Chapter Press Releases / News

Passing of James G. Morgan

Alma Ayala — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:01:28 GMT

We are saddened to announce the passing of James G. Morgan on January 6th 2012. Jim was one of the primary leaders of the development of surveying and mapping management in the oil and gas exploration industry.

Jim worked at Chevron Petroleum Technology Company in Houston, Texas from 1976 to 1996 when he retired. He supervised the Navigation and Survey section for Chevron Corporation, providing technical consultation and services related to navigation, positioning, surveying, geodesy and mapping.

Prior to joining Chevron, he was vice president and general manager of Satellite Positioning Corporation.

Jim led our profession in educating both Chevron and the industry during a major revolution in surveying that resulted from the development of the Doppler Transit and NavStar GPS systems with the associated need for geodetic coordinate datum transformations. He had a great talent for explaining new or complex technical issues in memorable and understandable ways. Many will recall his teaching at Chevron’s “Positioning for 3D seismic surveying” during the early 1990’s.

Jim was educated at California State University, Northridge, where he received B.A. and M.S. degrees in mathematics and published many papers and articles related to the fields of navigation and positioning. He was a member of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), Institute of Navigation (ION), and the National Ocean Industry Association (NOIA). During 1984-1986, Jim was chairman of the SEG Technical Standards Committee. He was respected and admired throughout the industry, and was a great friend and mentor to many.

Jim was a keen birdwatcher, and he and his wife, Elayne, supported the preservation of habitat. Jim led the annual bird migration counting at High Island, Texas, among other birding trips and activities, both domestically and abroad, including a trip to Ecuador.

Jim is survived by his wife, Elayne, of 52 years, along with his daughters, Michele and Heather, and his son, Kevin. He is survived by sons-in-law, Charlie and Alfonzo, and daughter-in-law, Gabby. Jim was the proud grandfather of Catherine and Micah.

2011 - 2012 THSOA-HC scholarship winners

Alma Ayala — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:29:47 GMT

Congratulations to James David Carr, Kyle Alan Christen, Manuel E. Fernandez and Alexander James Fontes from Texas A & M University Corpus Christi. They are the 2011 - 2012 THSOA-HC scholarship winners.

Election for 2012 Executive Committee

Alma Ayala — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:19:19 GMT

Elections for the Executive Committee of the Chapter will be held at the Annual General Meeting (January 2012). Members of the Executive Committee must be in good standing with the Society, and must be nominated by a member also in good standing with the Society. Nominees successfully elected shall assume office immediately following the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting.

Below are the open executive committee positions. If you would like to nominate someone click here to submit your nominations or see below.

Vice Chair: The nominee for Vice Chairperson shall be selected every (2) years and shall serve as Vice Chairperson for year (1) and for a following period of (1) year, serve as the Chairperson. This is a (2) year tour of duty.

The duties of the Vice Chair are as follows:

Assisting the Chairperson in all duties as requested;
Chairing all Committee and Chapter meetings in the absence of the Chairperson;
Serving as the membership point of contact for all By Laws issues;
Assisting other Committee members as needed.

Treasurer: The nominee for Treasurer shall be elected every odd year for a term of two (2) years.

The duties of the Treasurer are as follows:

Preparing the annual budget with the Chairperson for approval by the Committee;
Reporting on the Chapter finances to the membership at all Chapter meetings including the AGM;
Controlling the Chapter checking account;
Serving as a signatory for the Chapter checking account;
Insuring that all expenditures have been approved by the Committee prior to payment;
Preparing or arranges for preparation any Chapter tax filings;
Assisting other Committee members as needed:
Maintain the Chapter books.

Fundraising & Social Events Chair: The nominee for the Fundraising & Social Events Chair shall be elected every odd year for a term of two (2) years.

The duties of the Fundraising & Social Events Chair are as follows:

Chairing the Social Event Sub-Committee;
Coordinating all Social Events and Fundraising activities;
Assisting other Committee members as needed.

Nomination Questionnaire

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Survey for Technical Meetings

Alma Ayala — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:37:21 GMT

The Hydrographic Society of America - Houston Chapter would like to increase attendance at our monthly technical meetings. We ask that you please fill out the survey in order for us to better serve you.

Click here to take the survey or see below.

Hydrographic Technical Meetings Survey

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New Mailing Address

Alma Ayala — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:19:38 GMT

If you would like to mail your payment or send any mail to the Hydrographic Society of America - Houston Chapter. Please send it to the following address:

The Hydrographic Society of America - Houston Chapter or THSOA-HC
Attn:Alma Ayala
5116 Bissonnet #401
Bellaire, Texas 77401-4007

Regards,

Alma Ayala

Vice Chair + 501c3 Changes

Alma Ayala — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:24:33 GMT

At a recent THSOA Houston Board meeting, a proposal was motioned and seconded in order to put the motion to the entire Membership. The subject motion was to recommend the position of Past Chairperson be dissolved and the position of Vice Chairperson be introduced. Essentially, the motion is to discontinue the Board position of Past Chair which has traditionally been the second year of service for a Chairperson.

It is therefore proposed to the Houston Chapter Membership, that on January 10, 2011 a Chairperson (1 year) AND a Vice Chairperson shall both be elected from nominations on the floor. This new board position of Vice Chairperson shall be for a service of two (2) years – year (1) service as Vice Chairperson and year (2) of service automatically becoming the Chairperson (subject to membership approval at each AGM).

Thereafter, each year at the January AGM a new Vice Chairperson shall be elected for a two (2) year service – the 1st year as Vice Chairperson and the 2nd year as Chairperson. The position of past Chair shall be dissolved at the AGM January 2012.

A draft set of amended Houston Bye-Laws will be provisioned to the Membership prior to the January 2011, AGM.

This draft will also incorporate the necessary adjustments now the THSOA Houston Chapter is an IRS 501(c)(3) “Public Charity” making us exempt from Federal income tax and where your gracious contributions to the Chapter are now deductible under Section 170 of the code.
(See http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4221pc.pdf).

As always, The Board appreciates your membership and continued participation & contributions and wish you all a very happy, safe, and healthy holiday period.

Phil Howells, 2010 Chairperson
THSOA Houston Chapter

501(c)(3) Status

Alma Ayala — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 08:49:26 GMT

The Hydrographic Society of America - Houston Chapter has been approved for nonprofit status. We are now a 501(c)(3) organization.

Please thank all the THSOA-HC Committee members who were able to make this happen.

2011 US Hydro Call for papers

Alma Ayala — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:00:06 GMT

United States Hydrographic Conference 2011
Presented by The Hydrographic Society of America
Marriott Waterside Hotel, Tampa, Florida, USA
April 25-28, 2011

First Call for Papers

Authors are invited to submit abstracts for papers and posters for presentation at U.S. Hydro 2011. This international conference is a continuation of the series of premier North American hydrographic conferences that alternate between the United States and Canada. The conference will include workshops on current topics in hydrographic surveying, a commercial exhibition including on-water demonstrations, posters, and a full schedule of technical sessions on the latest developments and applications in hydrography. For more information please visit the conference website at www.ushydro2011.com

Topics of particular interest include hydrographic sciences and technology as applied to:

Nautical Charting and E-Navigation
Climate change and sea level change
Security and emergency response
Coastal or ocean mapping in support of environmental stewardship, habitat, and healthy ecosystems
Mapping the coastal interface of land and sea
Inshore vs offshore surveying. Techniques, technologies, expertise, and opening channels to share.
Marine spatial planning
Harbor and channel maintenance
Applications of surveying to other disciplines
Technology advances in hardware and software

The submitted abstract shall be limited to 200 words and must include the following:

Title of proposed paper.
Author name(s) and contact information, including title, employer, address, telephone, and email.
A maximum 50-word biography of the lead author and presenter.
Optionally, a picture of the lead author (.JPEG, max. 200 kB)

The Technical Program Committee will consider abstracts for presentation at the Conference in one of the following three formats:

A Conference-published paper delivered as a 20-minute presentation
A Conference-published abstract delivered as a 5-minute lightning talk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_Talk)
A Conference-published poster delivered during a poster session

All submitted papers will be evaluated for originality, significance, correctness, presentation and relevance. Guidelines for submitting papers and presentation materials will be sent to authors when notified of acceptance. In addition, authors will be notified which presentation format their paper has been accepted for. The final paper must be consistent with the approved abstract.

Important dates:

November 30 2010 Deadline for abstracts

January 12, 2011 Decision Notification

March 16, 2011 Deadline for papers

April 08, 2011 Deadline for presentations

Submit abstracts to the Technical Program Chairman, Captain Steven Barnum, NOAA (Ret.) (papers@ushydro2011.com).

PDF of the above can be downloaded here.

Tommy Cathcart (THSOA Member)

Alma Ayala — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:03:58 GMT

It is with great sadness that I have to report that THSOA Member Tommy Cathcart passed away at home during the night. Tommy has been bravely fighting cancer for the last few months. Tommy will be sadly missed both as a friend and as a work colleague. As all of you know, he had a great spirit and enjoyed life to the fullest. His stories are famous and he never failed to make you laugh, and that made it easy for him to make friends. He was well respected by many people in our industry, and loved by his friends.

Our thoughts are with Tommy’s wife Minerva and the rest of his family at this sad time.

Tommy had requested that his funeral be held in Ballymena, but we are looking into arranging a memorial event in his memory. It was his wish that it be informal and a celebration of his life, and preferably held in a good pub in Houston. If and when any arrangements are made we will send the information to everyone.

Please pass this sad news on to any of Tommy’s friends that I have inadvertently left out.

With regrets,

Stephen M. Browne

Regional Manager - Veripos Americas

Email: stephen.browne@veripos.com

Now Selling THSOA Polo Shirts

Alma Ayala — Mon, 03 May 2010 11:18:18 GMT

We have received our THSOA Polo Shirts.

(Click Images to Enlarge)

They are a Navy Blue Dri-Balance Polo made up of 65% Cotton & 35% Polyester.

Price is $35 USD.

To place your order please go to our online store page by clicking here.

The T-Shirts should arrive Wednesday.

Regards,

Alma Ayala
Secretary for THSOA-HC

New Treasurer Mailing Address

Alma Ayala — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:45:05 GMT

Please forward all payment for THSOA to

Lisa Morton (Treasurer)
Texas Bookkeepers
11777 Katy Freeway, Suite 220
Houston, Texas 77079

Regards,

Alma Ayala (Secretary)
UTEC Survey, Inc.

Subsea Survey IRM Discounted Rates for THSOA Members

Alma Ayala — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 11:03:26 GMT

Subsea Survey IRM will be held November 9 - 11, 2010 at the Galveston Convention Center in Galveston, Texas USA. Please click here to download the registration form that will give you free entry into exhibits hall and provide discounts to conference registration. Please email the chapter membership/student liaison or the chapter secretary to obtain your THSOA member id which is needed to obtain the THSOA rate at Subsea Survey.

Regards,

Alma Ayala

Houston Chapter Original Petition

Alma Ayala — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 10:54:04 GMT

Please visit the About US page or click here to view the original petition that started the Houston Chapter of THSOA.

You'll be surprised to see that many of the founding members are still apart of THSOA.

Regards,

Alma Ayala

New Venue Poll

Alma Ayala — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:32:44 GMT

Please visit the following link to submit your suggestion for the new THSOA technical meeting venue.

Click here to take survey

Regards,

Alma Ayala
Secretary for THSOA-HC

UTEC Survey, Inc.

New Website

Alma Ayala — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 12:50:06 GMT

Welcome to the new THSOA-HC website. This page will be updated regarding upcoming events & changes to THSOA-HC.

Many thanks to the corporate sponsors that support our activities with time, talent, and treasury. New sponsors are invited to contribute.

Alma Ayala
Secretary for THSOA-HC

UTEC Survey, Inc.

Wendy Post Appointed Onto Membership Subcommittee

Alma Ayala — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:19:09 GMT

The Hydrographic Society of America (National) recently created an Education & Training Committee. The Education & Training Committee is divided into two subcommittees:
- Student Activities & Involvement
- Professional Development

Wendy Post, Fund Raising/Social Events committee member for the Hydrographic Society of America - Houston Chapter was appointed into National's subcommittee for Professional Development.

Please send a warm congratulations to Wendy.

Regards,

Alma Ayala
Secretary for THSOA-HC

UTEC Survey, Inc.

Credit Cards Now Accepted.

Alma Ayala — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:28:20 GMT

As of January 22, 2010, the Hydrographic Society of America - Houston Chapter is now accepting credit cards as a form of payment.

Please click here to download the credit card form.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Chapter Treasurer or Chapter Secretary.

THSOA Donates $5,000 to Local Houston School

Alma Ayala — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:01:35 GMT

HOUSTON, May 27, 2009 – The Hydrographic Society of America donated $5,000 to Holbrook Elementary in the Cypress-Fairbanks ISD district on May 21, 2009 in order to help further education in the Math & Science Department.

“I think we should be proud that THSOA and its Houston Chapter are giving something back to our community,” said Houston Chapter Chairman Rick Hagen. “This school not only deserved but needed this donation the most.”

In 2007, according to the Houston Chronicle, there were 846 students enrolled at Holbrook. 57.3% are Hispanic, 29.7% are African-American, 10.3% are Caucasian, 2.6% are Asian and 0.1% are Native American. Out of the 846 students enrolled 77.7% came from low income households.

Individuals who would like to donate to Holbrook Elementary can do so by visiting the school website athttp://schools.cfisd.net/holbrook/index.stm.

ABOUT THSOA
The Hydrographic Society of America (THSOA) is a nonprofit organization staffed exclusively by volunteers in the industry whose mission is to promote education in hydrography. THSOA was incorporated in the State of Maryland (United States) as a non-profit organization in 1984 and was granted 501(c)(3) status as a non-profit organization by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service in 1985. THSOA serves as the focal point for activities in the Americas. For more information about THSOA please visit www.thsoa.org orwww.thsoa.org/houstonchapter or send an e-mail to houston@thsoa.org.