the explorers journal the global adventure issue - The Explorers Club

the explorers journalWinter 2007/2008president’s letterour honorable tradition continuesThe Explorers Club was originally conceived as an association ofexplorers who gathered for regular meetings that, in 1904, the foundersreferred to as smokers. While a lot has changed since then, ourdedication to our original mission of promoting exploration by sharingour accomplishments with the general public and the educational andscientific communities is stronger than ever. This year, I have been privilegedto attend many inspiring educational programs at which I was ableto share some of our club’s history and current activities with scientists,educators, and students. I would like to highlight a few of those for you.In April, I spoke at a symposium dedicated to the future exploration ofEarth and space. This event was held in conjunction with the launch ofArizona State University’s new School of Earth and Space Exploration—thefirst institution to unite Earth and planetary scientists with astronomers.In June, I hosted a seminar on exploration at Morehouse College inAtlanta as part of the student-mentoring program, Adventures of theMind. Other members in attendance included Nobel Prize winner MurrayGell-Mann, Ph.D., FN’79, and Kenneth Mark Kamler, M.D., FR’84.In August, I was invited to appear on Bloomberg’s Night Talk withMike Schneider, which gave me the opportunity to share the historyof our club with the public, as well a chance to talk about some of theamazing accomplishments our members have achieved since the foundingof our club more than a century ago.In October, I moderated a symposium, Risk and Exploration II—Earthas a Classroom, at Lousiana State University in Baton Rouge. There, Iwas once again joined by Kamler and our club’s honorary president, JimFowler, who spoke at the event. A webcast of the symposium, establishedby astronaut Leroy Chiao, FN’05, can be seen in its entirety atwww.riskexplore2007.com.Thank your for the opportunity to serve during this past year as yourpresident. It has been a privilege and an inspiration to represent the clubon these momentous and groundbreaking occasions when history andexploration are still revered. It is also rewarding to know that after 103years, our mission is as relevant today as it was at our founding.Sincerely yours,Daniel A. Bennett