THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
Dr. Rollin Betrand, GSTT president 1985/86, has called on the Society to involve itself more
actively in current geological-related issues that face the nation. This and other important points were raised
as he delivered his inaugural address at the Annual Dinner in 1995 October. Here is the full text of his address.
Ladies and Gentlemen, firstly I would like to welcome you all to our annual Dinner and Dance 1985 and as is customary,
the newly elected President is asked to share a few thoughts with the gathering here tonight. As a professional
Society, the Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago will be entering its tenth year of existence
and appropriate activities will be planned to comemorate this event. The next ten years will undoubtedly
have more than its fair share of challenges to our profession which we must face and overcome.
Geology has had a long and distinguished history throughout the modern development of Trinidad and Tobago and certainly
our mineral wealth represents the mainstay of our economy. As identifyers of natural resources and mineral
wealth, a Society of Professional Geologists has an important responsibitity in present day Trinidad and Tobago
affairs. It is my view that the Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago needs to move more positively in this
direction and involved it-self more actively in current geological-related issues that face this Nation. There
are many serious problems that the Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago should address and seek to correct
especially within the quarrying and earth extractive industries in which there is widespread abuse of our natural
resources. The colossal waste of our sand and gravel deposits, inefficient and unsafe quarrying methods and
the lack of any systematic approach to exploitation of deposits represent only a few areas. There are many
examples of business men sinking their's and other people's money into ventures in which the natural resource that
they are attempting to exploit will not even last for the period for which they have agreed to repay their loans.
Companies have invested millions of dollars in equipment, expertise and infrastructure only to find that
the initail 'geological' report (not even done by a geologist) was inaccurate. As a professional Society
we have a responsibility to speak out in these situations.
Our lack of involvement in current geological-related issues could also affect us, as professionals, in the long
run. It is common knowledge that the price of Oil is being daily threatened by members of OPEC who are seeking
a bigger market share. Once again history will be repeated in that the decisions that those Oil Ministers
take will significantly alter the balance of wealth in the world and leave its scars on the Trinidad and Tobago
economy.
If the price of Oil falls it will affect all of us; petroleum geologists research geologists who are financed by
our government, geologists in the mining industry, who will see a further depression in the construction industry;
and geologists directly attached to government agencies. Such a fall will once again restrict the ability of Companies,
Institutions and government agencies to hire
geologists. It may even fall low enough to cause the men who sit in wood-panel rooms and make decisions that affect
our lives to ask the question "do we really need all these geologists? what do they do?" These questions
bring two points to mind:
(a) Firstly are we prepared to accept the continuing negative perception or even absence of perception that people
have towards Geologists? for what is so alarming is that these people may make decisions based on these perceptions.
A vibrant professional Society could change this.
(b) Secondly, if push come to shove and we found ourselves out of a job, as many geologists are today, are
in touch with potential avenues for geologists so that we can seek re-employment. Involvement in your professional
Society could change this.
Involvement, ladies and gentlemen, is what I am talking about tonight; taking our professional Society more seriously
and making it a force of balanced professional opinion in this country. I look forward to a greater level of pearticipation
throughout the next year so that we can begin to make this a reality.
THANK YOU.
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THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
P.O. Box 3524, La Romain, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.