PHILOSOPHY of EDUCATION SOCIETY

Resolutions, 2004

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RESOLUTIONS OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION SOCIETY

Adopted, March 28 th , 2004

 

The Resolutions Committee consisted of the following members:   Michael Katz (chair), Barbara Houston, and Victor Worsfold

 

  1. Whereas the program committee labors through the Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza Holidays and into the New Year when it must make its most difficult decisions about the program and deal with the deflated egos of those whose papers have been rejected, and, whereas the program committee is largely responsible for the quality of our intellectual and especially our social experience at the meeting, and whereas this year's program was pedagogically bold, creative, and chock full of alternative delights, as well as typically stimulating and pedagogically innovative, let us express our heartfelt appreciation to Chris Higgins and his fabulous program committee team for creating such an outstanding program.
  2. Whereas the spirit of hospitality and its corresponding ethic is critical to the quality of its members' experience at the annual PES meeting, and, whereas the hospitality committee went beyond its responsibility of dutiful service and managed the miraculous creation of spring weather in Toronto, Canada, in March, and, whereas they showed equally miraculous economic skill in halting the further decline of the US dollar vis a vis the Canadian Looney, be it resolved that we express awe and gratitude to Dwight Boyd, Tamara Pravica , and Carmine Ferrone for their heroic efforts and accomplishments.
  3. Whereas OISE/University of Toronto was the sponsor of our 60 th annual meeting and its gracious Dean Gaskell took time to personally welcome us at the first general session, be it resolved that we thank this grand Canadian Institution for its interest in our work and for its very generous financial support.
  4. Whereas Allen Pearson prophetically reminded me before I assumed the role of Secretary-Treasurer in the late 80s that the Executive Secretary IS the Philosophy of Education Society between meetings, and, whereas Kathy Hytten has managed the Society's business - its correspondence, its finances and its logistical planning - with both competence and skill, and whereas, she has done all of this with limited institutional support but with honesty, fairness, grace, humor and integrity, be it resolved that we express our enormous gratitude to her for her willingness to serve and for the extraordinarily fine job she has done.
  5. Whereas Fran Schrag has continued in the long line of teacher-scholars to maintain the reputation of the society through the conduct of its yearly business, and, whereas, he had to sacrifice the unadulterated joys of his annual summertime retreat from worldly concerns and the pleasure of solitude without communicative noise from the university world, to use, for the first time, the local library email in Maine, and, whereas, his presidential address has reminded us of the liberal educator's dilemma of balancing perfectionism with equality, be it resolved that we express our gratitude to Fran Schrag for an industrious presidency.
  6. Whereas the hotel staff was described in last year's resolutions as a subset of the nickel and dimed workers of the first world - as our political conscience Jim McClellan used to regularly remind us when speaking of the virtues of social justice, and, whereas the staff contributes mightily to the comfort and enjoyment of our hotel experience, be it resolved that we thank them for their commitment to Canadian excellence and service and the ethic of hospitality they so proudly displayed. \
  7. Whereas the hospitable Holiday Inn has extended a warm Bienvenu au Canada and has responsively met our meeting needs with care, concern and connection, be it resolved that we extend to the management a very big thank you and merci beaucoup.
  8. Whereas the Society would have no future whatsoever without the supportive and nurturing initiation of graduate students into the Society and the profession, be it resolved that we express gratitude to Jennifer Logue and Seth Halvorson for their energetic efforts to create a caring community of graduate students whose members have strategic insight into employment opportunities.
  9. Whereas it is often said, and the truth bears repeating once again, that "if you do not exist in cyber space you don't exist at all," be it resolved that we thank the wizardly web master, Craig Cunningham, for continuing to keep the society electronically viable and communicatively accessible in an aesthetically inspiring fashion.
  10. Whereas our editor-in-chief, Nick Burbules ' recent return to his Hellenistic roots in Thessalonika has reawakened his Greek zest for living joyfully, but has not interfered with his ongoing extensive commitment to PES, as is evidenced by his attendance and extensive participation at this year's meetings, be it resolved that the Society thank Nick for his continued leadership with Educational Theory and the Yearbook by either purchasing for him the finest ouzo available in the Greek Isles or by extending to him our cheerful Socratic appreciation.
  11. Whereas Ralph Page has made possible Nick's joyous return to Greece by assuming the editorship of Educational Theory on an interim basis, for the third time as he nears the end of a distinguished 30 year career in the field, be it resolved that we express our appreciation for his truly supererogatory contributions.
  12. Whereas, yet again, the extraordinary work of Diane Beckett and Joyce Atkinson, also assisted by Sarah McGough and Tim McDonough, have continued to serve the Society well, through their diligent and thoughtful management of Educational Theory, and, whereas Diana Dummitt and Tim Simpson do a brilliant job of helping to produce the yearbook, be it resolved that we express to all of them, once again, our boundless gratitude for bringing these critical publications into being in a timely manner.
  13. Whereas this year's book display was comprehensive, useful, and aesthetically pleasing, and whereas the behind-the-scenes diligence of our book display organizers is seldom appreciated, be it resolved that we loudly, exuberantly, proclaim our appreciation to Jennifer Logue and Trevor Norris for an exemplary job.
  14. Whereas membership on committees and the leadership of these committees ensures that the Society can maintain its commitments to grow its membership, preserve and protect its professional stature, and cultivate the status of women in the profession, be it resolved that we express our thanks to the myriad of folks who have served on these committees, whether they did any work or not.
  15. Whereas Michael Katz has completed his two year term on the Executive Board and had no work to do at this year's conference except to exploit the labor of Barbara Houston and Victor Worsfold on the resolutions committee, to convince Randy Curren to take over the membership committee and call a breakfast meeting of its reluctant and not so reluctant members, and finally, to persuade Denis Phillips to draft a letter for the Legacy Fund - a letter which has still not been sent - be it resolved that we thank Michael Katz for his willingness to serve the society in various and sundry ways.
  16. Whereas Tom Green has for decades inspired our conversations, transformed our intellectual perspectives, and nurtured so many of us in the Society, be it resolved that the secretary express to him, on behalf of the entire membership, our appreciation for his enduring legacy to the Society and his felt presence at this year's annual meeting.
  17. Whereas one of our most esteemed and cherished long-term members, Donald Arnstine , is recovering from an illness that has laid him low for a short time, and, whereas both Barbara and Donald Arnstine represent the highest virtues of our Society's commitment to joining philosophical excellence with good wit, grace and moral decency - to say nothing of the democratic virtues that we all love to talk about - be it resolved that PES's Executive Secretary extend on behalf of the entire membership our best wishes to Barbara and Don Arnstine for Don's continued progress back to good health.
  18. Whereas, for decades, Maxine Greene has been the light of our lives, the catalyst of our freedom and the guardian and promoter of our aesthetic sensibility, be it resolved that the secretary extend to her, on behalf of the entire membership, our best wishes for her good health and contentment and our regret in feeling the absence of her presence at this year's annual meeting.
  19. Whereas Barbara Houston and Victor Worsfold were recruited to the Resolutions Committee at this meeting , because yours truly had forgotten he was even remotely connected to the task, and whereas, yours truly may have used up all his good will with Barbara and Victor since they had to get up for an absurdly early Sunday breakfast to craft these damn resolutions, be it resolved that we thank them, along with Michael Katz, for their splendid accomplishment, and, be it fervently resolved that we remind all future presidents to never , ever ask any of them to do this again.
  20. Whereas the third member of our exceptional Resolutions Committee, Victor Worsfold , is unable to be present for this congratulatory ritual, let us leave you with his inspirational words for the remainder of this evening, words uttered in his inimitable and wholly irreproducible Scottish Texas accent,

 

" Parrrrrty on Duuudes !"

 

 

CONTACT: PES Executive Director Jeff Milligan
850-644-8171; milligan@coe.fsu.edu