Affiliation of Christian Engineers and Scientists in Technology

Meeting of August 5, 2000

Gordon College

This was the second annual business meeting of CEST, and the first following our formative meeting one year ago at John Brown University. Presiding were Ruth Douglas Miller, President; John M. Osepchuk, Vice President; and Jack C. Swearengen, Secretary-Treasurer.

CEST sponsored a symposium at this year’s ASA Annual Meeting. The Symposium was not formal in the sense of a series of papers on a particular topic, but rather served as a repository for papers by CEST Affiliation members and other papers pertinent to the Engineering field and outside of the Conference main theme. There were nine papers in two sessions, but at least one paper in the "General" session could easily have fit into the CEST Symposium and at least one in the CEST session might better have belonged in the General session.. Affiliation members agreed that more active involvement by us in preparation of the Annual Meeting agenda and abstract reviews could have better steered these papers.

It is evident from quizzical comments that CEST is not yet known among the ASA membership. In fact, many were heard to ask "What does CEST stand for?" This deficiency will be rectified in time, but we can be pro-active through publicity. In fact, there was some uncertainty within our own ranks about the structure and purpose of our Affiliation. Here is a synopsis of the discussion.

• CEST Bears no relationship to Affiliation of Christian Engineers (ACE).
• Likewise, CEST is not associated with Christian Engineering Faculty in the Christian Colleges (CES?). The latter group is a loose coalition, not formally organized. We should let them know that CEST has come into being. Of course, articulating and refining our purpose will help us connect with, and differentiate ourselves from, these other Christian engineering groups.
• CEST membership is defined by a common profession and is not necessarily restricted to ASA members. This differs from a Commission, which is a group of ASA members who have been assigned a particular task.
• We need a list serve, or at least a list of e-mail addresses for the members of CEST. John Osepchuk agreed to check with the ASA Office to see if such a list already exists, and Ruth agreed to check with CES regarding linkage with their list serve, if they have one. William Yoder agreed to assemble and keep an e-mail list of CEST members, collecting inputs from the CEST officers and ASA HQ.

Discussion about possible CEST Activities

1. John will send to Jack whatever electronic files he can locate, dating back one year to CEST’s formative meeting. Jack will begin to compile an organizational archive.
2. Dennis Feucht suggested that CEST consider making Edwin’ Olson’s unpublished monograph on global warming available to ASA Members and others interested in the subject. After group discussion, Dennis agreed to contact Edwin’s widow about the status of the monograph.
3. Clarence Prince suggested that CEST adopt, as an objective, the improvement of science, engineering, and technical education in less-developed countries. In this endeavor we should work with and through Christian schools in these growing and still needy countries, like, say Daystar in Kenya, and there are many others in need of a good sci-engr-tech component in their programs. Clarence later added "To me it is all tied together - - witness to the nature of our faith and meaningful service at the same time.

Meeting Adjourned 10:30 PM.

Respectfully (revised and re-)submitted by Jack Swearengen