RESOLUTIONS OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION SOCIETY

Adopted, March 30^th, 2003

The Resolutions Committee consisted of the following members:  Suzanne Rice (chair), Al Neiman, and Stephen Haymes

"Have I missed the big resolve?"

(R.E.M., adapted)

"It's either gratitude or resentment, that's all"

(anonymous)

To resolve or not resolve, is that THE question?  Perhaps not THE question (in the spirit of J.L. Austin) as opposed to the decoy, canned, or sense-dated question, but A question nonetheless.  For, as the cliché goes, are not resolutions "made to be broken" (on December 31 we may resolve to give up chocolate, or cigarettes, or even philosophy, but....)?  So let us leave resolutions behind for now, and actually get down to it!  In short, let us give thanks for at least a significant few of the many gifts, those tender mercies, which have graced us within The Philosophy of Education Society this past year.

1. To the miraculous Kal Alston:  Our society, our community, has enjoyed a conference of stimulating papers and thoughtful responses, creative, colorful and otherwise interesting alternative sessions and panel discussions, as well as a provocative guest lecturer.  We thank Kal and her crackerjack Program Committee for their excellent judgment and diligence in constructing an outstanding program.

2. To the monumental Harvey Siegel:  Over the last few days we have enjoyed the wonder, charm and beauty of the exciting city of Miami.  Although it may have cost us a lot of dough, it’s been a blast!  Thanks to Harvey for setting us up.

3. To the unflappable Kathy Hytten:  The day to day business of PES is conducted by the Executive Secretary.  The well-being of the society depends to a very large extent on the Executive Secretary's competence, responsibility, and hard work.  Kathy has demonstrated remarkable ability in all the facets of this demanding job.  Thanks to Kathy for her willingness to serve and for the excellent job she is doing.

4. To the well-tuned, soulful, Sophie Haroutunian-Gordon:  As this year's president Sophie has upheld the reputation of the society through her conduct of its day to day business.  Her presidential address has inspired us to listen, to be present, in a world that has plenty on its mind, has much to get off its chest!  Our gratitude to Sophie for a job very well done.

5. To the management of the Royal Palm Crown Plaza Resort Hotel:  Thanks not only for the very challenging endless name of our crash-pit, but also for the good food, hospitality and ambiance.

6. More importantly, to the hotel staff, this subset of the nickel and dimed workers of the first world:  As Jim McClellan would surely remind us, you carry us on your backs!  Let us resolve at least to tip you as well as we can!  Thanks for the high quality of your service, to both our officers and ourselves, which has made our stay such a comfortable one.

7. To the extraordinary Diane Beckett and her no less extraordinary helpers, Joyce Atkinson and Tim McDonough:  We recognize that our continued existence and good order depends on the publication of our work, on thoughtful and timely correspondence and evenhandedness in bringing our yearbook as well as EDUCATIONAL THEORY to light in timely fashion.  We are also grateful to Diane and company for their endless patience in registering, cataloguing and certifying us at this year's meeting, as well as those in the past.  We also wish to express our thanks and good cheer to the legendary Diana Dummitt who has moved on to other challenges.  We wish her well!

8. To our whirling dervish Nick Burbules, as well the editorial board, reviewers and associate editors of EDUCATIONAL THEORY:  Thanks to Nick and company for editing our flagship journal with prudence and intelligence.

9. To our good neighbor Jeff Milligan:  For those whose primary delight and Pavlovian obsession is the philosophical book, this years book display was neither bells nor sirloin, but the choicest of choice fillet!  Thanks to Jeff for putting it all together.

10. To the ardent members of our society who have served this year as committee chairs and associates, as well as our archivist, parliamentarian, representatives and commissioners:  Besides hogging a full three pages of a 16 page program with their names, these good people, each in their own way, have helped to make community possible.  We thank them.

11. To the ever so humble Suzanne Rice:  We thank you not only for chairing the Resolutions Committee, but also for serving the duration of a two year term on our Executive Committee with great distinction.

12. To the completely competent Craig Cunningham:  Nowadays it is often said that if you don't exist in cyber-space you aren't here at all.  Thankfully Craig is, therefore we are!  Thanks to our magical web-master for drastically increasing the competency of our member outreach, for providing us with information at the speed of light, for taking us, as Captain Kirk once said of the U.S.S. Enterprise, where no previous philosophy of education group has ever gone before!

13. To the University of Miami (FL) and Northwestern University:  We thank these institutions for their support of the working of PES.

14. To our brother Michael Oliker, who at this moment clings to life. We appreciate your endless work on behalf of the Midwest PES, and offer you and yours our prayers and good wishes.

15. To those great souls who have gone before us:  Although we all too often fail to cite, let alone read, you, we know that without you our community as it stands would not exist, that our work would be vastly impoverished, our collective memory a hollow shell.  You remain, thanks in part to this weekend's panel of past presidents, alive not only in our minds but also in our hearts.

16. To our exuberant new generation of graduate students and young members:  We depend on you to carry on, in solidarity with the past as well as the present, to keep the sacred chain alive.  As we edge towards the past tense, you must carry on our mission to insure that education remains philosophical, that philosophy continues to be educational.  We delight in your promise!

In conclusion, let all of us present here express our gratitude for the friends and colleagues whose love as well as logic makes PES one of the only academic societies where empathy and inquiry outweigh narcissism and vanity.  Buoyed by this years resurrection of the Rolling Stones, in solidarity with the Dixie Chicks, assured that George Harrison's empty face now smiles upon us from a place somewhere outside the wheel of death and rebirth, let us go forward with both confidence and humility to face ever new trials in an increasingly troubling world!  Let us resolve to bask in our remaining time together this weekend, to banish resentment, to hang in there, to party on, and to grieve together for the forsaken of the earth:  To dance to the day when fear is gone and only love (including the love of wisdom) remains!