For three days we entertain ourselves and are recharged with the excitement of clay research, but we won't change the world, not even a bit, unless we become more outward looking. Ten or so years ago we had meetings of 80 or more. The last two meetings had trouble reaching 40. One thing we can try is to widen the scope of the Society. The extractive minerals industry has a significant work-force, many with experience in clays.
Industrial chemists work with clays as raw materials from which to develop new products.
We know, through the many soil scientists in the Society, how important clays are in agriculture, yet few from this arena join the Society. I would like you to think about changing the Society to make it more useful and interesting to this wider constituency. I am told that there is a move to initiate or revitalize an Australian Industrial Minerals Society. So expanded, we would be part of a group that has some visible impact on society, and so some hope of being recognised as a science to be included in mainstream Tertiary education. This highest Award of the Society recognizes Keith's huge impact on clay mineralogy, and the importance of his insights to the advancement of clay science.