[meteorite-list] From Steve Arnold: 2007 Peoples Choice Harvey Award Nominee

From: Michael L Blood <mlblood_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 16:17:53 -0800
Message-ID: <C1B1B5B1.318C8%mlblood_at_cox.net>

Micheal,
For some reason my email did NOT make it to the list, but it did get to you.
I know it was on the bottom of your last email to the list you sent, but
would you kindly resend it for me, so that people will know what both you
and I were talking about?
In the mean time I will see if I can figure out why the post didn't go
through (it is probably an AOL thing).
Steve
---------------------------
Michael, Mark, List,
 
To say that this week is the busiest week that both Geoff and I have had all
year would probably be an understatement. Therefore I am sorry it has taken
so long for either of us to write in on this topic. (After all, Mark's first
post was made a whopping 23 hours ago).
 
I have read the posts about the 2007 People's Choice Harvey Awards, as Geoff
has (at least some of them). I took some time to chat with both Geoff and
Anne Black a little tonight on the subject, and we have agreed that we need
to have some type of rules put in place ASAP.
 
At the very least we need to define how many nominations max (if there is a
limit) there should be each year (last year there were 3 nominations), how
the nomination process should work, how many awards there should be given
each year (last year there were 3 given), and how the voting should be
handled. Does everyone in the IMCA get a vote? Or everyone on the list?
Or only the previous Harvey Award winners? Does anyone nominated
automatically win? Or do we pass out ballots at the party and the vote is
made, tabulated and announced all the evening of the awards?
 
Then of course we need to decide if the results of the voting should be kept
secret until the awards are given so that it would be a surprise, for both
the winner(s) as well as the guests at the party? If only the previous
Harvey Award winners get to vote, or if the vote is take at the party, then
it might be possible to keep even those nominated a secret to doubly keep
the results a surprise to the winner(s).
 
Having given out a good number of Harvey Awards over the last few years, the
feed back that comes back to Geoff and I more often than any other by the
recipient is "I didn't expect this at all, what a surprise and an honor it
was." Personally, I feel we would cheat the recipient of this gift of
surprise if the results were posted ahead of time publicly. Maybe there is
no way to avoid this with the "People's Choice," but I would hope there is.
 
Of course, last year, since Geoff and I controlled the nominating and
selection process, the only way to usurp our control was with an outright
public rebellion. The surprise was gone for us by the party time, although
the honor was still appreciated. With last year being unique, there really
wasn't a choice on how it was done.
 
However, for future People's Choice awards, we still do have some choices.
 
Anyway, for formality sakes, I too agree to the nomination of Bernd!
 
While I won't go so far as to say "no one else in the world deserves to win
a People's Choice Harvey more than Bernd does," because it is not my place
to say that, as it is the place of the votes that will be cast to determine
that; I do whole heartedly support his nomination.
 
Expect Geoff, Anne, and I (as well as a few others) to get together on this
subject, probably over the next week or so. (There is nothing important
happening next week is there?) Whatever is decided, we should have plenty of
time to implement the decision(s) before the Awards are given out on
February 2nd.
 
Thanks for your understanding in this matter.
 
Steve Arnold, PMH (Professional Meteorite Hunter)
 
Received on Fri 22 Dec 2006 07:17:53 PM PST