I think the world got a pretty big warning this year as to the dangers of pseudo-science and gullibility when the 39 members of the Heaven’s Gate cult committed suicide in the belief that they were to be resurrected in some fashion on board a UFO following the Hale-Bopp Comet. It’s not that we like to say “I told you so”, but….
Apart from correctly predicting that we’d see cult groups do odd things in the run-up to the millennium, the Skeptics have had a fairly typical year.
Following on shortly after last year’s conference, the Richard Dawkins tour went extremely well, with venues packed to the gills and more to listen to the world-famous evolutionary biologist and proponent of public science education. We managed to divert Richard sufficiently from a much-needed holiday to get him to speak at Canterbury, Otago, Victoria and Auckland universities. My thanks to all those involved in organising the venues, publicising the lectures and crowd control.
We undertook our first-ever sponsorship drive to assist us with the costs — hearing that Richard was getting $2,000 per speech for the Australian circuit had us pretty worried. We received excellent financial support from the British Council and the Royal Society of New Zealand, as well as both financial and location support from the science faculties of the universities involved. None of it would have been possible without our wealthy and generous brethren across the Tasman. As you can see from the Treasurer’s Report, we came out with a healthy surplus, despite our best efforts to spend it on publicity, accommodation, hire costs and a healthy speaker’s fee. We have earmarked that money to provide more than just the traditional bottle of wine to other international speakers that come here.
Apart from that flurry, actual activity was quiet on the Skeptical front. One advantage of organising the conference this year has meant that I now have a big long list of people who said “I’d love to speak at the conference but I’m out of town that weekend”. I’m planning to track them down when I’ve recovered and set up a more regular meeting schedule over the next year — any volunteers or suggested topics are more than welcome.
Bent Spoon nominations came thick and fast, and demonstrated the range of organisations who have odd ideas about how to present science and display their ignorance and lack of critical thinking. The New Zealand Correspondence School won narrowly over the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research, with the Sunday Star-Times and various others bringing up the rear.
It’s interesting to note that the Sunday Star-Times also won two Bravo Awards this year for local journalistic efforts — we hope that the narrow escape isn’t repeated in the future….
I was pleased to see nominations come in from the membership and would encourage you all to keep an eye out for the occasional excellent item as well as the inane — we take nominations all year.
I also urge you to take the opportunity to send material in for the NZ Skeptic, particularly locally sourced material or topics close to your heart. Annette Taylor has done a sterling job with the publication this year — obviously organising the conference last year hasn’t dimmed her enthusiasm.
Bernard Howard, as usual, was a most stalwart Skeptic, wearing his typewriter ribbon to a frazzle as Secretary for the Society and watching the pennies as Treasurer. Both he and I — and I’m sure a number of you — were saddened by the death of George Errington earlier this year. George had been one of those quiet background workers who do such a lot for organisations like ours and he will be missed.
The Christchurch Cabal continues to run things on a daily basis, though our far-flung committee have acted variously to comment on Bent Spoon and Bravo awards, organise the odd meeting and appear in front of a television camera from time to time. And, of course, you, the members, continue to show your support for our organisation. I thank you all.
Vicki Hyde
Chair-entity, NZCSICOP Inc.
