5:30 p.m.      Executive Committee Meeting

6:30 p.m.     Buffet Dinner:

7:30 p.m.     Lecture:

Reservations: Reply to Nina Veas (nina.veas@us.michelin.com) no later than 12 noon on February 8, 2006.

As soon as organic compounds are spilled into the environment, chances will start to occur to them as aresult of weathering process. For example witth crude oils changes will range from evaporation and loss of light ends to extensive biodegradation and loss of many of the compounds typically used for correlating spilled oils with their original source. As a result of these weathering processes, it is often difficult to correlate the spilled oils with their suspectedsources. It is essential that these correlations be made to determine who is responsible for the spill and who pays for the clean-up process. There are a number of sophisticated techniques available for this type of forensic geochemistry which can be used for correlating weathered samples with their respective source materials. In this talk specific emphasis will be directed towards the most recent technique for use in this area namely gas chromatography combined with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GCIRMS). Examples will be presented to demonstrate that the isotopic composition of individual compounds in complex mixtures, such as crude oils, can be used to correlate them with their weathered counterparts. It is clear from the results that GCIRMS is a powerful new tool in forensic geochemistry particularly when combined with the more traditional techniques such as GC and GCMS. Other applications will be described to demonstrate that GCIRMS can also be used to determine the source of leaks from underground storage tanks and sources of gases from leaking pipelines. Variations in the isotopic composition of the MTBE added to gasolines also provides the opportunity of using GCIRMS as a means of monitoring, and determination of the source of, gasoline spills from underground storage tanks. Applications are many and varied but with this relatively new technique the ability to correlate heavily weathered samples with their unweathered counterparts has been elevated to a new level and provided forensic geochemistry with a new dimension.

The American Chemical Society Awards Program is one of the means by which the Society meets its obligation "to encourage...the advancement of chemistry in all its branches, the promotion of research in chemical science and industry, [and] the improvement of the qualifications and usefulness of chemists." The continuing excellence of the ACS awards program requires that a number of highly qualified chemistry professionals be nominated and that great care be taken in preparing the nominations.

The American Chemical Society ACS Directory of Graduate Research 2005 is the most comprehensive source of information on faculty and their research at departments of chemistry, chemical engineering, biochemistry, polymers and materials science, marine science, toxicology, medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry, and environmental science in the U.S. and Canada. It lists faculty member biographical information, area of specialization, titles of all papers published within the last two years as well as faculty and department contact information. Published in odd-numbered years by the ACS Committee on Professional Training, the 2005 edition of the Directory contains current faculty information for the 2005-2006 academic year. The DGR 2005 (item 39753, US $89 each) can be ordered from the ACS Office of Society Services or the ACS Online Store. For more information, call 1-800-227-5558 or 1-202-872-4600, or send e-mail to help@acs.org

DGRweb, the searchable, online version of the DGR, is now available free of charge at http://chemistry.org/education/DGRweb. Also new to DGRweb 2005 are the upgraded interface and functionality which allow advanced searches for both faculty and institutions. Search for faculty includes specific research area, academic rank, gender, and state, and the search results produce complete contact information for faculty including direct links to faculty email addresses and web pages. Institutional searches provide all departmental contact information along with statistical data on the number of faculty and students in the department and a complete list of faculty active in graduate research. DGRweb 2005 also includes access to the complete 1997, 1999, 2001, and 2003 databases.

The ACS Committee on Professional Training (CPT), among many other activities in postsecondary education, administers the ACS approval process for undergraduate programs in chemistry. All graduates of an ACS-approved program who have completed the requirements for certification described in the ACS guidelines are certified annually to the Society by each program chair. Every certified graduate is eligible to receive a certificate from ACS that recognizes that the graduate has completed a bachelor?s degree that meets the Society?s criteria for professional education and membership. Faculty members and graduates can request certificates from the Office of Professional Training by sending an email to cpt@acs.org. Upon certification, every graduate is eligible for full membership in the ACS by applying online at http://www.chemistry.org/membership or by contacting Debora Fillinich at d_fillinich@acs.org in the ACS Membership Activities Office.

The Committee on Professional conducted a workshop focused on increasing participation of African American undergraduates in chemistry and understanding the barriers to obtaining ACS approval of chemistry programs at HBCUs and African American-serving institutions. The primary focus of this workshop was how to better utilize the ACS approval process for undergraduate chemistry programs to both increase the number of HBCUs and other African American- serving institutions holding ACS approval and to aid in the recruitment and retention of African-American undergraduate students in chemistry. The workshop generated many insightful recommendations for specific actions that could be taken either by CPT or by other governance groups within the ACS to advance undergraduate education of African Americans in chemistry. The report from this workshop can be downloaded from the CPT website at http://chemistry.org/education/cpt or ordered at no charge from the Office on Professional Training at cpt@acs.org or (202) 872-4589.

Three 20-foot sea freight containers filled with 20 tons of chemistry/scientific publications – one each to overseas institutions were sent in Autumn 2005 from the ACS Project Bookshare Center in Canton, Mississippi to: (1) Cuttington University College in Monrovia, Liberia, (2) Ministry of National Education in Jakarta, Indonesia, and (3) Sana University in Sana, Yemen.

Asia: The donation to Indonesia included k-12 science, mathematics, and education/teaching publications to be used in the national program for training k-12 science and math teachers to replace those lost in the December 26, 2004 tsunami wave disaster in Aceh and Nias, Indonesia. As part of the ACS Tsunami Relief Campaign, ACS members attending the 229th National Meeting in San Diego (March 13-17, 2005) contributed money and a variety of educational materials to help Indonesia rebuild its science and mathematics education infrastructure, which was devastated by the December 26, 2004 earthquake and tsunami. The money collected at the meeting was used to purchase selected teacher training materials developed by the ACS Education Division. Additionally, donated k-12 educational materials in good condition and published within the last five years were included in the shipment to Jakarta.

Africa: The president of Cuttington University College in Monrovia, Liberia thanked the American Chemical Society for the donation and noted "We are very grateful to the American Chemical Society for this donation, which is very timely, as our next semester starts on October 17, 2005."

Middle East: A science professor from Sana University in Sana, Yemen advised the ACS Project Bookshare office that the shipment reached Yemen on October 29, 2005. He expressed the University's appreciation for the donation and noted "I wish you were here while we celebrate the event of unpacking the books and distributing them to our Sana University library and share with other universities here in Yemen."

The Experiential Programs in Chemistry (EPiC) activity has released two updated career-related resources for chemical science undergraduates.

The first is the release of the 2006 Directory of Experience Opportunities. The Directory of Experience Opportunities lists co-op, fellowship, internship, work abroad, and study abroad opportunities which are meant specifically for students of the chemical sciences. These opportunities can greatly enhance undergraduate education by allowing students to learn and practice science in an applied context. ACS Student Affiliates may receive a print copy of the publication at no cost by contacting the Experiential Programs in Chemistry administrator via e-mail at epic@acs.org. Both Student Affiliates and non-Student Affiliates may view the Directory online at http://www.chemistry.org/education/epic. The online database is searchable by area of interest, geographic region, and type of experience desired.

Second, as part of the Chemical Careers in Brief series, the ACS Education Division has translated four career briefs into Spanish. The career briefs are two- or four-page overviews of different occupations within the chemical sciences, and include information on the educational requirements, employment outlook, salaries, and skills necessary to pursue a career in a given field. The four career briefs currently available in Spanish are: Environmental Chemistry, Food & Flavor Chemistry, Forensic Chemistry, and Oil and Petroleum Chemistry. The entire series of chemical briefs is available online at http://www.chemistry.org/vc2.

The ACS Student Affiliates (SA) Program is pleased to announce the 2006 National Meeting Travel Grant for active SA chapters. The SA program will offer up to 75 travel grants of $275 for the spring national meeting to offset travel costs including transportation, registration, lodging, and food.

Applications are availablefrom the Student Affiliate Program Office or on the Student Affiliate website: (http://www.chemistry.org/education/saprogram.html).

The YCC newsletter will only be sent electronically. Sign up for our e-mail notification system! It?s easy—just visit our Web site and follow the signup link! Even if you choose not to receive our e-mails, you can always read the newsletter on our Web site, http://www.chemistry.org/ycc

See you on the Internet!

You can demonstrate your commitment to chemistry and our next generation of scientists by contributing to programs that directly impact individual lives. Your contribution to one or more of the following programs will spare the interest and support the academic achievement of aspiring young chemists and improve our world for the better through chemistry.

For more information on these programs or to make a gift, please contact Mary Bet Dobson or Kathy Fleming, ACS Development Office, 1155 16th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036, 1-800-227-5558, ext 6210 or visit http://www.chemistry.org/gifts

ACS's Webcast Short Courses Team the Technology and Convenience of Internet Learning with the Dynamism of Live, In-Person Training—

ACS now offers Internet-based training courses to help you quickly learn the information that you need to succeed in your job. In the convenience of your home or office, you can learn new techniques, improve your lab skills, and hone your leadership and communication skills.

Class size is limited and averages 10 students per course. This ensures that you will receive individual attention and can communicate easily with the instructor and other course attendees.

To obtain more information or to register online for a course, go to http://chemistry.org/elearning! Or call (800) 227-5558, ext. 4508, or (202) 872-4508.

WRM 2006 will take place in Anaheim, California January 22 - 25, 2006. Advance registration will remain open through January 9, 2006 and may be accessed online at the meeting website, http://www.WRM2006.org.

Special meeting rates are available at the conference hotel, DoubleTree Anaheim/Orange, and you may register quickly and easily by going to the conference web site and selecting the HOTEL option. The conference code, "OCL" should be used to ensure that you receive the discount rate. The direct phone number is (714)-634-4500.

The theme of the meeting is "Water, Water, Everywhere!" with joint programming with the AWWA CA-NV section, a presentation on Water on Mars by Kenneth Johnson of JPL, and a special symposium on the impact of catastrophic flooding, looking at the Gulf Coast events.

Other topics include the environment, safety issues, nanotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and careers in chemistry. A number of ACS divisions are contributing to the programming. The Student Affiliates are also putting together some exciting programming, including "Conversations with Eminent Scientists" a casual reception that is set to permit casual conversation with leaders in chemistry. Contact Dr. Robert Belloli, the Program Chair at programchair@wrm2006.org if you have questions—and check the website for program updates.

We have exciting news concerning our "365 in 2005" Member- Get-A-Member Campaign.

We invited ACS Nobel Prize winners, Local Sections and Divisions, current and new members, 50-year members, academia, industrial and the self-employed to extend invitations to their friends and colleagues to join ACS.

And it seems our invitation was heard. We have recruited over 540 new members. That?s way over our estimated goal of 365. If you were one of those recruiters, many, many thanks for your help!

And to all those ACS members who participated in the 2005 MGM campaign, by recruiting a new member, we hope you are enjoying the Periodic Table of the Elements cotton throw. Look for a special thank you ad listing all of the member?s names, which participated as of December 31, 2005, in an early 2006 issue of Chemical & Engineering News.

The Membership Activities Department greatly appreciates all the efforts from our members in helping ACS grow!

The Eli Lilly & Company is once again sponsoring a program to provide funding for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral women chemists to travel to scientific meetings in 2006 to present the results of their research. Grants may be applied only for registration, travel, and accommodations, and are restricted to travel to meetings within the United States. Grant funds are limited, but there are some funds set aside for undergraduates. Only U. S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible. Applications should be limited to one per research group. Awards will be given with preference to the following order: (1) any applicant who will be making her first presentation (regardless of format) at a national or major meeting, (2) graduate or postdoctoral applicants who have not presented at a national or major meeting since leaving undergraduate school. Women who have received a prior award under this program are ineligible.

The deadline is February 1, 2006 for receipt of applications for meetings between July 1 and December 31, 2006. For application and more information visit the WCC Web site http://membership.acs.org/W/WCC/ or write wcc@acs.org.

Calling all male and female duffers and pros and everyone in between! The 3rd annual WCC benefit golf tournament will be on Wednesday, March 29, 2006, in conjunction with the American Chemical Society's (ACS) National Meeting in Atlanta, GA, at the beautiful recently revamped Bobby Jones Golf Course. Tee time is 1:30 PM. Plan now to sign up and play! $75 Registration by March 1 reserves your spot for: 18-holes of golf (team scramble format - it's early in the season); cart; box lunch; 1 free Mole-i-gan; and transportation to/from the course from the ACS Host Hotel. Go to the WCC Web site for additional information. Various WCC programs, including travel awards and the Overcoming Challenges Award for women students in the chemical sciences, will benefit from the proceeds of the tournament. Registration may be accessed from the ACS Meeting Registration website. A backup form may also be directly found on the WCC website.

Contact Janet Bryant at janetlbryant@pnl.gov for additional information.

The Local Section Activities Committee (LSAC) invites all local sections to submit proposals by Wednesday, March 1, for the first 2006 review cycle to receive an Innovative Projects Grant. These grants support local sections undertaking innovative programs or activities—projects which are either new to the section or creative enhancements to an existing program. In particular, activities that promote local section and division interaction or interaction between multiple local sections are encouraged. Local sections may request funding up to $3,000, but funding cannot be used for hardware purchases or major equipment, honoraria, stipends, alcoholic beverages, or food (except for snacks). Approved projects will receive funding by June in order for sections to initiate projects in the first half of 2006. Only one project per local section will be funded per fiscal year.

To apply for an Innovative Projects Grant, visit the Office of Local Section Activities website at http://chemistry.org/localsections. where complete instructions and a template for the brief proposal (limited to 2 pages) are available (just select "Innovative Grants Program" listed under "Improve Your Finances"). The website also includes a link to a list of some previously funded projects to help stimulate your thinking.

If you are leading a local section, a division, or a national committee; serving as a career presenter; or emerging as a leader as a younger chemist in 2006—plan to attend the ACS Leaders Conference planned for January 27 – 29 in Baltimore at the Marriott Waterfront. Learn how to not only plan and organize but also to inspire your followers and make a difference for ACS and for the profession of chemistry! Register today at http://chemistry.org/localsections. For further information, call ACS at (800) 227-5558 and request to speak with Local Sections, ext. 6149; Technical Division Advancement, ext. 8070; national committees, ext. 6070; career consultants, ext. 6076; or younger chemists, ext. 6262.

It sometimes seems as if talent runs in families. Theatrical examples are familiar; the Douglases, father and son; the Bridges, father and sons; the Redgraves, father and daughters. And there are examples in science too: the Darwin family boasts several generations of distinguished scientists as does the Huxley family. This month I want to introduce you to a chemist member of an impressive family of American scientists who flourished in the nineteenth century -- the Rogers family. The father, Patrick Kerr Rogers, was born in Ireland, trained in medicine in the U.S., and became Professor of Natural Philosophy and Mathematics at the College of William and Mary. Four boys, of the family?s seven children, survived infancy. Robert Empie Rogers, the youngest of these, was born in March 1813. He lost his mother to malaria when he was seven, and his father to the same infection when he was fifteen. His two older brothers, James and William, took charge of his education and helped raise the two younger boys, Robert and Henry. All four Rogers?s boys had distinguished careers. James followed Robert Hare as Professor of Chemistry at the University of Pennsylvania; William was founder and founding President of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Henry became Head of the Geological Survey of Pennsylvania and then Professor of Geology at Glasgow University in Scotland. But to return to Robert Rogers.

His first job as a railroad surveyor didn?t satisfy Robert, and he enrolled in the medical school at the University of Pennsylvania in 1833, working with Robert Hare, the Professor of Chemistry. Rogers? thesis was on blood chemistry and he was graduated M.D. in 1836. For the next six years he worked with brother Henry on the Geological Survey of Pennsylvania mastering the craft of mineral analysis. He was invited to replace a sick teacher at the University of Virginia in 1841 and the following year became Professor of General and Applied Chemistry at that institution. He collaborated with brother William, then holding the Chair of Geology at Virginia, on researches which they published jointly describing the use of potassium dichromate as an oxidizing agent in the preparation of elemental chlorine and in the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde. They also used this oxidant in wet analyses of the amount of carbon in natural graphites and in diamonds (!). With brother James, Robert developed analytical methods for metal ores, and compiled a textbook of chemistry based on works published in England by Gregory and Turner.

When James died in 1852 Robert succeeded him at the University of Pennsylvania. After four years as Professor of Chemistry he was chosen as Dean of the Medical School. During the Civil War Rogers served at a Military Hospital in Philadelphia. In the course of a demonstration of a steam-powered mangle in 1863 Rogers? right hand was crushed and had to be amputated above the wrist. He had a speedy recovery and taught himself to write and to do chemistry with his left hand. His reputation as a chemist and analyst continued to grow. He served as a consultant to the United States Treasury on the refining of precious metals for coinage, and visited mints and assay offices in Philadelphia, New York, and San Francisco. He also consulted for mine owners in the West. In 1877 he moved to the Jefferson Medical College where he taught courses on material medica and chemistry until he retired in 1884. He died in Philadelphia later that same year.

A fascinating, but out-of-print, book by one of the pioneers of chemical history in the U.S., namely Edgar Fahs Smith, is Chemistry in America published in 1914. It includes biographical material on all four Rogers?s brothers, plus a detailed 20 item bibliography of Robert Rogers? publications.

Those of you who work with undergraduate research students should be aware of a special opportunity for your students to participate in an annual research conference for undergraduate chemistry students. The 38th Annual Southeast Undergraduate Research Conference (SURC-2006) will be held at the Georgia Institute of Technology on Saturday, March 25, 2006, just prior to the National ACS meeting beginning on Sunday, March 26, 2006 in Atlanta. Although all interested students and faculty are encouraged to attend, all presentations must be made by undergraduate students. The deadline for abstracts is February 25, 2006. Please submit abstracts to: normans@georgiasouthern.edu.

The American Chemical Society and the Western Carolinas Section are honoring those who have been members of the Society for fifty years. This year there are 862 new fifty-year members and seven of these are from the Western Carolinas Section. Each member will receive a certificate, a special pin and a permanent badge entitling the member to free registration at all ACS national and regional meetings. The fifty-year members will be recognized at our September meeting.

After four years of negotiating with the ACS Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, our Local Section has finally won their tentative approval for new bylaws. On February 19, 2004, during our regular meeting, the revisions as proposed were approved by the members present. The revised bylaws are available through the links below for your review. The changes, which incorporate both the comments of the WCACS Section's Executive Committee and the comments of the ACS Committee on Constitution and Bylaws, are in red. There also has been reformatting suggested by the Committee.

The original document is the WCACS official bylaws on file with ACS and can be found at http://membership.acs.org/w/wca/Business/Bylaws.html on this site. Current ByLaws are approved as amended effective July 7, 1978; Committee on Constitution and Bylaws final approval on 12/29/1978.

Would you like to visit one ACS web page and access links to current chemistry news headlines, journal article briefs, and features on chemical patents, research advances, historical events, and meeting updates from the American Chemical Society?

* A new online feature on chemistry.org, "Chemistry Headlines", serves up all this and more. "Chemistry Headlines" is a compilation of headlines from external news sources and a variety of ACS magazines and journals, including C&EN Online, as well as headlines from Heart Cut, Patent Watch, Today in Chemical History, chemistry.org feature articles and other ACS products and resources. Staff members from chemistry.org, C&EN and ACS Publications have collaborated to help make a wide range of content available in this forum. Go to: www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/1/newscenter.html, the same URL that was used previously for the first generation of the chemistry.org Newscenter.

* Have questions or comments concerning "Chemistry Headlines", Email webmaster@acs.org and include "Chemistry Headlines" in the subject line of your message.

Community Outreach Coordinator

* Recruits coordinators for community outreach programs (e.g. National Chemistry Week, Chemists Celebrate Earth Day, Chemag-ination, etc).

* Determines overall outreach budget, including soliciting funding.

* Facilitates or coordinates correspondence with schools and other partner organizations to ensure program consistencies.

* Coordinates with Public Relations Chair to ensure media coverage of local section outreach events.

* Serves as liaison and point person for Local Section Executive Committee.

* Schedules Program Coordinator meetings.

* Keeps lines of communication open to all Program Coordinators

* Reduces duplication of effort by volunteers by identifying redundancies in programming.

Programs supported by the American Chemical Society's (ACS) Office of Community Activities (OCA) are designed to assist volunteers in becoming more involved in their local section, division(s), and community by providing reliable resources that can be easily used for promoting the contributions of chemistry. Participation in community activities provides opportunities for ACS members to increase media and public awareness of the importance of chemistry in our daily lives.

National Chemistry Week (NCW), a community-based outreach program, is designed to reach the public with positive messages about chemistry and to make a positive change in the public"s impression of chemistry. Activities include chemical demonstrations, hands-on activities, lectures, open houses, displays, contests and games. NCW is celebrated annually from Sunday through Saturday during the fourth week of October. For more information visit chemistry.org/ncw.

Chemagination is a creative innovation and writing contest for high school science students In the contest, students are asked to imagine that they are living 25 years in the future and have been invited to write an article for ChemMatters, a magazine for high school students that focuses on the role of chemistry in everyday life. The subject of the article is:

"Describe a recent breakthrough or innovation in chemistry (and/or its applications) and how it has improved the quality of people's lives today."

In addition to the article, students are asked to design a cover for the magazine.

Finalists are named at three levels - local, regional and national. For more information visit chemistry.org/chemagination.

For advice on these or other community activity programs available through ACS, contact the Office of Community Activities at 800-227-5558 x 6097, or 202-872-6097.

In 1990, the American Chemical Society (ACS) established a program to assist scientific exchanges with selected countries. Called ACS International Initiatives, the program of competitive grant awards was designed to foster scientific collaboration with scientists who have little opportunity to interact with U.S. laboratories. The goal of the 2005 ACS International Initiatives program is to provide professional development opportunities for chemical scientists (chemists, biochemists, materials scientists, etc.) and chemical engineers, either in-country or in the United States, and build ACS's relationships with chemically related organizations in countries in Latin America and Africa. Visits by chemical scientists from countries to U.S. laboratories with reciprocal visits to the country by the U.S. partners strongly encouraged. The following countries are eligible for participation in the 2005 program: Bahamas, Botswana, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Jamaica, Kenya, Nigeria, Panama, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela. All travel and associated expenditures for this year's ACS International Activities Program must be completed by December 31, 2005. Deadline: Mar. 1, 2005. http://www.chemistry.org/international

In 1984, the American Chemical Society launched an initiative to assist institutions that have a need for scientific publications. Project Bookshare, as the program has come to be known, is charged with collecting chemistry textbooks and back numbers of journals from donors and making these materials available to libraries in selected small U.S. colleges and to university libraries in mostly developing countries. Donated books and journals from Project Bookshare have reached across the United States (Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, South Dakota, and Tennessee, among others) and around the world to help improve the educations of chemists and chemical engineers in Africa (Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leon, Sudan), Asia (China, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand), Europe (Albania, Armenia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Turkey), and Latin America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Venezuela). If you are interested in making a donation to Project Bookshare, you are asked to submit a list of publications to be donated to the ACS Office of International Activities, listing each book by title, author, and date, and journals and magazines by title and issue date. Books should be no more than ten years old, except for "classic" titles. Donors are asked to cover the costs of shipping to U.S. addresses. Whenever possible, Project Bookshare staff try to match donors and recipient institutions to save time, money, repacking, and excessive handling. Project Bookshare is intended to bring U.S. chemists closer to colleagues in less advantaged situations worldwide. The generosity of ACS members, U.S. corporations, institutions of higher learning and others has made Project Bookshare a true national and international success. Send your list of publications to: Dr. J.C. Torio, ACS Office of International Activities, American Chemical Society, 1155 16th St., NW, Washington, DC 20036 USA; phone: (202) 872-4548 or (800) 227-5558, x 4548; fax: (202) 872-6317; email: j_torio@acs.org

ChemunityNews is a bimonthly electronic newsletter that connects chemistry educators to the activities of the ACS Education Division. It provides updates on newly published resources and materials, programs for students and educators, and upcoming workshops and meetings. You may view a recent issues by visiting the ChemunityNews Archives at chemistry.org. To subscribe, simply email education@acs.org.

Effective January 1, 2005, the ACS Member Insurance Program welcomes New York Life Insurance Company as the new underwriter for the following ACS Member Insurance Plans:

* Term Life

* Hospital Indemnity

* Disability Income

* Accidental Death and Dismemberment

New York Life will also underwrite two new plans now being offered through the ACS Member Insurance Program. ACS members are encouraged to take advantage of our 10 and 20 - year Group Level Term plans. Applying for Group Level Term through ACS offers convenience and flexibility, with up to $2,000,000 in coverage designed especially for ACS members. The plan allows members to lock in already competitive rates for specific time periods, providing valuable and affordable coverage. And best of all, the plans are portable – coverage continues even if you change jobs. The ACS Member Insurance Program is keeping you covered by expanding its portfolio and providing you with plans designed to help meet your needs and give you peace of mind. To receive more information about the ACS 10 and 20 - year Group Level Term plans please call the plan administrator at 1-800-752-0179. If you have questions regarding the ACS Member Insurance Program, please contact 1-800-227-5558 ext. 2119. Sponsored by the Board of Trustees, Group Insurance Plans for ACS Members - Your colleagues working for you!

At its meeting in early December 2004, the ACS Board of Directors voted to provide funding of $250,000 for a Matching Gift Fund (MGF) Program for 2005. The MGF matches contributions to eligible Society Programs. Through the MGF Program, the Society will add one dollar for every two dollars donated to support the following programs:

* Project SEED

* Scholars Program

* World Reach Fund

* National Chemistry Week

* Teacher Training

* National Historic Chemical Landmarks

* Women Chemists Committee Programs

* PROGRESS (a pilot project aimed at facilitating participation and advancement of women chemists and chemical engineers)

* Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences

The minimum donation that will be matched by the MGF Program is $3,000, which must be given by an individual, foundation, company, or organization. The funding authorized by the ACS Board is for 2005 only. Gifts and pledges will be matched per the program stipulations throughout the year or until the fund has been committed in its entirety, whichever comes first. Gifts may be paid over a three-year period, 2005-2007. All gifts made to the ACS are tax-deductible. For more information, contact Mary Bet Dobson in the ACS Development Office by mail (1155 Sixteenth St., NW, Washington, DC 20036) or phone (202-872-4094).

This year (2005) will be the last year for the Matching Gift Fund. The ACS Board also voted at the December meeting to expand the Development Office and to redirect the resources, formerly dedicated to the Matching Gift Fund, to achieve annual fundraising targets.

The highly popular ACS Video Course, Starting with Safety, has been adapted for delivery via the Internet. The Internet version includes all of the materials from the original Video Course including the video scenes and the Teacher's Guide. As an added bonus, the complete ACS Video Course, Seeing the Light, Eye and Face Protection, is also included in this ACS Internet Course.

Now you and your students can access this valuable training program from any computer connected to the Internet at any time, day or night. (We do recommend a relatively high-speed connection, such as a DSL, cable modem or higher. And you will need to install the Flash 6 player to view the videos).

This program is designed to be used as part of a standard high school or introductory college chemistry curriculum that is taught by an experienced chemistry teacher. The program is NOT meant to be a stand-alone training course. Students should only use this program under the supervision of a qualified teacher.

For complete details about this program, visit the American Chemical Society website at http://chemistry.org/elearning and click on the link to Starting with Safety.

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In October, the Technology, Tools and Operations Subcommittee of the Local Section Activities Committee and the Office of Local Section Activities launched a new HTML newsletter for local section leaders! The quarterly newsletter is sent via email to all current local section officers. The goal of the newsletter is to provide officers with timely information, tools and tips for success, and innovative ideas and activities that local sections may find of interest. The newsletter is available online at http://membership.acs.org/l/localsections/leading_together. If you wish to subscribe to future issues of this newsletter please send an email to olsa@acs.org and indicate your subscription request.

Editor's Note:All requests for address changes should be sent directly to National ACS headquarters in Washington, DC and not to the Editors of The Periodic News. Address labels are supplied to the Editors on a monthly basis by the American Chemical Society and are determined by the current active membership. The Editors cannot be held responsible for incorrect mailing labels.