The following is a summary of the actions taken by the board at those meetings.

Appointment of Chairman of 2001 Finance and Audit Committee

Current Board member Gilbert McIntee was appointed the chairman of the 2001 Finance and Audit Committee. Biographical information on the 2001 Board will be presented in an upcoming issue of SN.

Technical Committee Business

Society recognition has been granted to the following committee awards:
• The Daniel W. Kessler Award of Committee C18 on Dimension Stone. This new award will honor committee members for outstanding contributions and long term service to the activities of the committee.
• The Richard S. Hunter Award of Committee E12 on Color and Appearance. The committee requested Society recognition to allow the award recipients to receive their much-deserved honor under the auspices of both Committee E12 and ASTM as a Society.
• The Fred F. Weingruber Award of Committee F16 on Fasteners. The new award will recognize and honor those members who have shown exceptional leadership and sustained service to Committee F16.

Two revisions to the ASTM Regulations were approved. 1) In an attempt to clarify the process of finding negative votes previously considered, the Board approved a revision to the current Section 12.5 into two subsections, one specifically focusing on subcommittee negative votes and one specifically focusing on main committee (or Society) negative votes. The revision permits a subcommittee to find a negative on a main committee ballot (or Society Review) to be previously considered if it was found not persuasive on a prior subcommittee ballot for the same reason. 2) In an effort to clarify the process by which a nominating committee determines an officer slate, a change to existing Section 9.7 of the ASTM Regulations was approved by the Board. It is believed the change will eliminate potential for misinterpretation of Section 9.7 and offer a larger window for committee members to submit candidates for consideration.

The Board approved changes to the scope statements of three committees.
• Committee E07 on Nondestructive Testing requested a scope change to streamline and simplify the language of their existing scope. The new scope also recognizes the committee’s new classified status and their consequent ability to develop specifications.
• Committee E13 on Molecular Spectroscopy requested a change of scope to reflect the merger of former Committee E19 on Chromatography into E13, and to include the standards activities of the former E19 committee.
• Committee F04 on Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices requested a change of their scope to more completely reflect F04’s work product (symposia, workshops, etc.).

The formation of new Main Committee E53 on Property Management Systems has been approved. Property management systems include all aspects of personal property management from determination of need through final disposition. Standards development for E53 has been active since January 2000 via the Internet-based Standards Development Forum process. These documents, once approved, will be used, in part, for the certification and professional credentialing efforts of the National Property Management Association (NPMA), a key driver of this activity. Additionally, the management practices developed by E53 will directly impact the financial management philosophy within the corporate sector, as at the present time, no standardized concepts exist. Federal, state, and local governments will utilize these documents for fiscal consistency and accountability.

The Board approved changes to the COS bylaws that were recommended to more accurately reflect the current practices of the committee and clean up redundant language.

Report from Technician Certification Task Group

Board member Kay M. Villa reported on the investigations of a Board task group convened to conduct a feasibility study on establishing a Technician and Operator Certification Program under Committee D13 on Textiles. The type of program envisioned would involve training for operators and technicians on specific D13 tests followed by a practical evaluation of the operators and technicians on their ability to satisfactorily accomplish the tests. These operators and technicians would then be certified by ASTM for these tests.

Villa reported the facts uncovered during the task group’s research process. 1) It appears that industry would not support the high cost that would need to be charged for a hands-on training program. 2) Similar certification programs in other organizations are not cost-effective and self-supporting. 3) The costs to ASTM in program startup would be approximately $72,000, and, in addition, insurance and legal considerations would need to be addressed, and would add an element of contingent expenses.

The Board concluded that there was no compelling reason to pursue this program further.

National Standards Strategy

Jim Thomas gave a presentation on the National Standards Strategy that was recently approved by the ANSI board of directors. Thomas reviewed the set of recommended strategic initiatives outlined in the strategy and commented on ASTM’s responsiveness to the recommendations.

President’s Report

Jim Thomas reported that his “Time to Take Stock” Plain Talk column that was published in the August issue of SN is gathering attention in the standards community in both the United States and abroad. The piece has been picked up and distributed by various standards developing organizations in the United States as well as to all of the ISO member bodies.

Thomas also reported that he has been invited to speak at the 10th International Conference of Standards Users in Berlin. Joining him on the conference panel will be the presidents of ISO, IEC, and JIS, the Director of the European Commission and a representative of the World Trade Organization. Thomas also will be attending the NIST Centennial Celebration and speaking at a NIST Symposium on Standards in the Global Economy. Both of these events are opportunities to strengthen the Society’s 100-year-old relationship with NIST. //

Copyright 2001, ASTM