In this issue:

Chairman's Corner! | From the Board of Directors | Digging in to www.tappi.org
Review of 2003 Conference | Invitation to Present 2004 | TAPPI Membership
Paper and Board History | TAPPI news

Likely daily you hear at least one conversation or engage in one yourself regarding the state of the paper industry. Tough times are not limited to paper companies or the supplier community alone. Consultants are feeling the pinch, paper school enrollments are down, and contributions to foundations are feeling the pinch. What about TAPPI? TAPPI is not immune to the same woes as the industry resulting in shrinking staff and budget shortfalls. Those of us who attended the 2003 Volunteer Leaders Forum in July heard that TAPPI operations have cut expenses as much as possible. Staff has been reduced from 103 in 1999 to 48 in 2003. The gap between revenue and expenses has been narrowed but we are still using investment funds to make up the shortfall. What we sometimes forget is the impact on the other part of the organization, the volunteers.

As you will read else where in this newsletter, membership has dropped dramatically over the last few years. We are all familiar with the reasons and that is not what I want to discuss. With loss of membership comes loss of volunteers. As I look around at recent TAPPI events, I miss many faces I have been used to seeing. Some were avid volunteers, those we would count on year after year to help with conference and committee activities. The active volunteers left are struggling to make up for those now gone. It is time for new volunteers to step up and pitch in!

At the risk of sounding like a public radio station during a semi-annual fundraiser, let me say that many of you reading this newsletter have benefited from some TAPPI product at one time or another. It is increasingly difficult for committee officers to get volunteers for projects and activities. Time is scarce for everyone so we must all do a small share to help distribute the load. Travel to attend meetings is not always an option these days but there is plenty that can be done without travel. Much can be handled by telephone and email. Next time you read the minutes of a committee meeting, look for the opportunity to volunteer and help in some small way. Volunteer to review a TIP sheet or serve on a task team or organize a session for a conference. Do not feel that you need prior experience; we have plenty of seasoned veterans who can give you guidance. You will feel a great deal of personal satisfaction when the job is done.

On assuming my role as chairman of Paper and Board, I began to wonder about the history of the division and its past leaders. Using the TAPPI annual reports archive, I have pieced some of the history together. Take a look back in time in my article in this newsletter. Amazingly, we have one past chair from 40 years ago who is still a TAPPI member. How many past chairs do you recognize? I count thirteen on my list. If you can top that, and I am sure there are many who can, drop me a note at terodenc@gapac.com and let’s see who has the longest list.

As always, feel free to contact me or any member of the division steering committee with your comments.

• More education and training brought to them;
• Events of shorter duration, focused on specific topics (depth vs. breadth) and offered regionally in less expensive locations; and
• Content highlighting how to decrease manufacturing costs, improve quality, and improve operating efficiencies.

Currently, a subcommittee of the Operating Committee is working on specific recommendations to present to the member groups on how we might achieve these outcomes. These recommendations will be presented to the committee at our next meeting in late November.

BOD Focuses on Member Satisfaction
At the June Board of Directors’ meeting, discussion focused on the member satisfaction survey conducted in the spring. Some highlights from the survey are outlined below:

• The major factors preventing more interaction with TAPPI are travel limitations (81.4%); lack of time (44.8%), and programs/products that aren’t relevant to my work (13.1%).
• 71.5% of domestic members and 76.6% of international members are extremely satisfied/satisfied with their membership.
• Members don’t feel that TAPPI offers enough 1-day regional events within driving distance, practical tips and strategies, information on new technology, case studies, and 2-day conferences with more focused topics.

If you are interested in learning more about what your fellow members said about TAPPI, please email Susan Blevins (sblevins@tappi.org) at TAPPI headquarters.

Many of us have visited the TAPPI web site at http://www.tappi.org/ to download TAPPI journal articles or to get information on an upcoming conference or short course. However, most of us have not taken full advantage of everything the TAPPI web site has to offer. For example, each Paper and Board division committee has its own web page which provides us with many tools to conduct our committee’s business. I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to your committee’s home page and to show you how to navigate through the TAPPI web site to get there.

As you know, you can access the web site by typing http://www.tappi.org/ in the address line of your internet browser. This will bring up the TAPPI home page which looks like this:

The TAPPI home page is the launch point for many of the things that we try to do with our membership such as: (1) searching of over 18,000 items (articles, technical papers, test methods, TIPS), (2) browsing Industry news, (3) downloading a TAPPI Journal article, (4) and getting information on upcoming events.

The TAPPI home page is also the place to start to get member-specific content about your membership and your member groups (e.g. Papermaker’s Committee and the Papermaking Additives Committee).

In order to access your member specific content pages, you must first login in the upper left-hand corner of the TAPPI home page. Your TAPPI membership number is your default username and your last name is your default password. After you login, you may change this password selection.

Once you login, a welcome message and a “My TAPPI” icon appears in place of the login boxes. There are three additional steps that are required to bring you to your committee’s home page.

1. Left click on the “My TAPPI” icon
· to bring up your membership information page.
2. Left click on “My Member Groups” from the left-hand panel
· to bring up a list of the committees and communities of which you are a member
3. Left click on committee and community that you want to explore
· to bring up a list of the committee home page

The community home page is a starting point to view and participate in your committee’s activities. These activities include

A. Announcements
B. Member list
C. File sharing
D. Discussion boards
E. Projects

In future issues we’ll explore more of the features available to us at http://www.tappi.org/!

The Paper and Board Division joined with Coating and Graphic Arts and Finishing and Converting Divisions for the Spring TAPPI Technical conference. Also supporting the event were the Water Removal, Fluid Mechanics, Process Control, and Microbiological committees as well as ISA Pulp and Paper Division. The conference was held at the Chicago Sheraton.

This was the first official spring platform event designed to cluster several TAPPI community groups in one location. For our Division, it was our 32nd Papermakers Conference. Total attendance at the technical program was 671 (full and single day) compared to 455 in 2002. We had 219 exhibitors with 56 booths at the trade fair. Industry economics were not particularly healthy and the organizing committee took that in to account when setting the budget. Despite this, we did not achieve budgeted attendance, which greatly impacted the bottom line.

This year saw a sharp drop in abstract submissions reducing the pool of potential papers. We also saw a sharp drop in posters and submissions for the new technology showcase. Obviously this reflects the difficult times that our industry is experiencing. This was a major factor in increasing the difficulty in organizing a program that would meet our high standards. A major lesson learned is that more proactive solicitation of engineered sessions will be needed in future events to maintain a quality program.

The good news is that over 600 industry personnel were in attendance increasing networking opportunities which received high ratings in the post conference survey. Another good outcome was that only 6% of those responding to the survey indicated they would definitely not attend next year. This indicates that attendees were able to take back something significant to their place of work.

Next year’s conference which will be in Atlanta, GA May 3-6, 2004 at the Georgia World Congress Center in conjunction with the Paperloop Paper Summit exhibit. Watch the TAPPI web site for more details.

TAPPI’s Environmental; Paper and Board; Process Control, Electrical & Information; Process and Product Quality Divisions and the Fluid Mechanics & Water Removal Committees of the Engineering Division and the ISA Pulp & Paper Industry Division (PUPID) have issued an "Invitation to Present" for the 2004 TAPPI Spring Technical Conference May 3-6 to be held in conjunction with Paper Summit at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

The integrated technical program will focus on the tracks listed below.

Innovations (New Technology; Applications, Applied Research, “Work in Progress Technology”)

Product Performance (End User Applications, Testing and Measurement, Quality Assurance)

People & Infrastructure (People issues within companies and the systems that support them)

Manufacturing Excellence (Best Practices, Processes & Asset Optimization, Cost Reduction)

Environmental Specific Topics (Water Quality, Air Quality, Environmental Management, Residuals Management, Solid Engineered Wood)

Authors interested in sharing their real-life experiences in a roundtable or panel discussion, tutorial, case study, or traditional paper presentation (papers with mill experience are encouraged) on these or related topics should submit a draft manuscript or extended abstract (*) online by clicking on this link.

On the Abstract Form under: "Select Event", please scroll down and highlight "2004 TAPPI Spring Technical Conference” and then follow the instructions listed. If you encounter any difficulty entering your abstract on line, please contact Kristi Ledbetter at: kledbetter@tappi.org.

*NOTE: An extended abstract is required for technical papers but is not required for roundtables, panel discussions, tutorial, or case studies. Extended abstracts must include title, author, introduction, theoretical considerations, experimental procedures, results/discussions, conclusions, and references. Extended Abstracts describe the technical subject, provide adequate background information, summarize key conclusions and convey how key conclusions were reached. An extended abstract is not required for roundtables, panel discussions, tutorials, or case studies. However, when submitting your abstract, please describe in detail what you plan on presenting, so that the peer review committee can better identify which track this abstract would be suited for.

Depending on the completeness of your draft manuscript/extended abstract, the peer review committee may require additional revision before your finished manuscript will be accepted into the conference. The peer review process will require any necessary revisions to then be completed by November 30, 2003 and finished manuscripts are due to TAPPI by February 15, 2004.

Exhibit space is available through Paperloop. If you are interested in exhibit space, please contact Jay Gorga at 212-268-4160, ext. 104, or jgorga@paperloop.com.

My dear friend, Tom Rodencal, asked if I would write an article for the Paper and Board Division newsletter on TAPPI membership. I’ve had the pleasure of working with many of you over the years and I welcome the opportunity to share my thoughts with you. Tom was particularly intrigued by the update from the Operating Committee that noted that TAPPI membership is dropping at a higher level than employment rates in the industry. The following graphs show the age distribution, employer, and location for TAPPI members:

TAPPI’s membership has decreased over the past several years from a high of over 30,000 in the early 1990s to about 18,000 today. This decrease can be attributed to several factors. As you undoubtedly know, the industry has seen unprecedented downsizing in recent years. TAPPI’s traditional members, scientists and engineers working in technical positions in the pulp and paper mills, have become nearly extinct. Those who remain have seen great changes in their jobs and find less and less time for TAPPI involvement. They also tell us that their needs are changing. Instead of the traditional technical information they’ve used in the past, now they need immediate solutions to production problems as well as knowledge in areas like finance and management. Industry downsizing and consolidation have also had a dramatic effect on face-to-face meeting attendance, an area that used to make up the major portion of TAPPI’s revenue. TAPPI’s leadership found it necessary to raise membership dues and cut expenses to keep the budget in line. When you combine the decrease in traditional members with significant changes in needs and increases in dues I believe you get our current situation…a drop in the number of members and the increasing importance of membership dues to TAPPI’s bottom line.

So what is TAPPI doing to keep the members we have and to attract new members? We’re listening to you. Earlier this year 3000 TAPPI members were asked to complete a Member Satisfaction Survey. The findings are very interesting and are being used throughout the Association. First, the good news: survey respondents told us that the top two benefits of TAPPI membership are “to gain access to technical information” and “to be a part of a technical association serving my industry.” Most of the respondents think TAPPI is meeting its mission and 90% think TAPPI offers the most comprehensive, reliable technical information in the industry. And, more than 90% would recommend TAPPI membership to others.

Now, the not-so-good news: Just over 70% of the respondents are either satisfied or extremely satisfied with their TAPPI membership and more than one fourth are somewhat satisfied. More than one-third of the respondents would like to receive TAPPI JOURNAL as part of their membership. And, about one-third of the respondents don’t think TAPPI offers enough information in the areas of practical tips and strategies, new technology, case studies, and training programs for operators.

So what does this mean to you? Changes to the membership benefits package have already been implemented. You’ll notice on your 2004 Membership Renewal form that you can get TAPPI JOURNAL for much less than last year. In fact, if you renew before December 31, you can get the electronic pdf version of TAPPI JOURNAL emailed to you each month at no charge. Or, you can get the print version by mail each month for $40 for the year, instead of last year’s $100 annual subscription. If you renew after December 31 the pdf version of TAPPI JOURNAL will be $20 for the year.

You may also notice that the test methods are back at a reduced price. You can order the Test Methods CD-ROM for just $50 if you order it at the time you renew your membership.

While we’ve made some immediate changes to the membership package for 2004, the Board of Directors has asked us to consider alternative membership models for future years. According to the Member Satisfaction Survey results, nearly one-fourth of respondents would like to choose from a menu of benefits with dues calculated according to their choices. We’re looking into this as well as possibly offering electronic only memberships with no print publications, and offering site licenses which would enable everyone at one location to access http://www.tappi.org/ for one set fee. As we consider these and other alternative models, I would appreciate any thoughts and ideas you’d like to share.

I strongly believe that you as a Division are in a unique position to impact the most significant findings. First, if 91% of the survey respondents say they’d recommend TAPPI membership to others, how many of you would do that? Think about it. If every TAPPI member recruited one new member or encouraged a member to renew, our membership troubles would be over. I challenge you individually and as a Division to share TAPPI membership with your peers, subordinates, and co-workers. You can even earn credit for your efforts through the TAPPI Ambassador Program. Click here for details.

The other area I think you can address is the need for more information in the areas of practical tips and strategies, new technology, case studies, and training programs for operators. Can you work on some new TIPs, TAPPI PRESS publications, or a Virtual Seminar or two? I know that you as a group have the knowledge and expertise to provide the information that’s needed. Will you work to gather this information into a format that can be easily shared with others?

I thank you for your continued support of TAPPI through your membership and your service to the Association and I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas. Please contact me at 770-209-7364 - or by email at lfeix@tappi.org.

Laura L. Feix
Director of Membership
TAPPI

After assuming my new role as chair of the Paper and Board Division, I began to wonder how old is the Division and how many have served before me? So began a small research project using TAPPI annual membership directories hidden away inside the walls of TAPPI headquarters. Before reading on, what is your guess on when our Division was founded?

If you had attended the 24th TAPPI Annual Meeting at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City on February 20, 1939, you would know the answer. At this meeting, the Operating Division was formally dissolved and two new divisions formed, Paper and Board Manufacture and Pulp Manufacture. Our first division chairman was G. Lamont Bidwell with Riegel Paper Company. Committees that existed under the Operating Division related to papermaking included Preparation of Fibrous Materials, Stuff Preparation, Paper Manufacture, and Finishing. The later two committees were merged into the Forming and Finishing Committee to make three committees within the new Division. In 1943 the finishing group left, the Forming Committee was renamed the Paper Making Committee and Stuff Preparation changed to Preparation of Nonfibrous Materials. In 1946, the last group was again renamed the Preparation of Papermaking Materials. In 1947, the Paper Making Committee formed two sub-committees called the Fourdrinier Machine and Cylinder Machine. Since 1947, several more changes have occurred regarding committee names but this was then the foundation of the current Division structure.

Thirty volunteers have served in the leadership role before me. A complete list of past leaders is in the accompanying table. In the early years, it was not uncommon for a chairman to serve four or even six years. Today, rotation is every two years with the change occurring at the conclusion of the even year conference.

Paper and Board Division Chairs
Year	Chair	Company	Location
02-04	Thomas E Rodencal *	Georgia-Pacific	Atlanta, GA
00-02	Jonathon C Kerr *	Andritz-Ahlstrom	Glens Falls, NY
98-00	Lynden J Stryker *	Specialty Minerals	Easton, PA
96-98	L Diane Murdock *	JWI Group	Jonesboro, GA
94-96	Ellen Warner *	Eastman Kodak	Rochester, NY
92-94	Joseph Wilson, Jr *	Henkel Corp. & Lion Industries	Charlotte, NC & Midway, GA
90-92	Benjamin A Thorp*	James River	Richmond, VA
88-90	William V Stevens *	Beloit, Jones Division	Dalton, MA
86-88	Oscar W May *	Buckman Laboratories	Memphis, TN
84-86	James W Atkins *	James River	Norwalk, CT
82-84	Larry A Gaspar *	National Starch & Chemical	Bridgewater, NJ
80-82	Charles P Klass *	Asten Group	Devon, PA
78-80	L H Smaine	P H Glatfelter	Spring Grove, PA
76-78	William H Griggs	Eastman Kodak	Rochester, NY
74-76	Donald D Anderson	International Paper	Mobile, AL
72-74	William R Sherman	S D Warren	Westbrooke, ME
70-72	R Bryam Porter	Moore & Munger	Stamford, CT
70-71	Dan W Manson	Oxford Paper	Rumford, ME
68-70	James J Higgins	Packaging Corporation of America	Grand Rapids, MI
65-68	Ralph W Peters	Eastman Kodak	Rochester, NY
63-65	William H Kennedy	Black Clawson Kennedy	Watertown,NY & Montreal, QE
59-62	Roscoe C Masterman *	International Paper	Glens Falls, NY
57-59	Fredrick S Klein	Byron Westin	Dalton, MA
56-57	Donald J Goodman	The Sorg Paper Co	Middletown, OH
54-56	Harry C Moore	Beloit Iron Works	Beloit, WI
53-54	Richard P Price	Hammermill Paper	Erie, PA
49-52	A L Sherwood	Sutherland Paper	Kalamazoo, MI
48-49	John B Davis	Dill & Collins	Philadelphia, PA
47-48	James A Wise	Kalamazoo Paper	Kalamazoo, MI
45-47	Pierre Drewsen	Unknown	Northhampton, MA
42-44	Pierre Drewsen	Hinde & Dauch Paper	Sandusky, OH
39-42	G Lamont Bidwell	Riegel Paper	Riegelsville, PA
	* Current TAPPI Member

The division changed its name in 1998 by dropping the word “Manufacture” to better reflect the broad ranger of topics and interest within division membership.

Twelve past chairs are still TAPPI members. Nine are shown in the photo taken at the 2002 conference.

Taken in chairman’s suite at 2002 Paper Summit, Atlanta GA

Front row right to left - Jim Atkins, Chuck Klass, Ellen Warner, Bill Stevens, Jon Kerr

Back row right to left - Tom Rodencal, Diane Murdock, Joe Wilson, Ben Thorp

The Division has an active history of change to fit the needs of its members. It will certainly require further change in order to best serve its members.

TJ delivers--at a special price
Want full-text, peer reviewed papers on the industry's most trenchant research, delivered in the way you choose? You need a subscription to TAPPI JOURNAL--and our limited-time offer makes it so easy to subscribe. Renew your membership before December 31, and you may elect to receive a TAPPI JOURNAL electronic subscription FREE (after December 31, pay only $20.) Or you can choose a full-year TJ print subscription for only $40--that's a $60 savings over last year's rate. For complete details, contact the TAPPI Member Connection Center: 1 800 332-8686 (USA), 1 800 446-9431 (Canada) or +1 770 446-1400, or visit http://www.tappi.org/. Renew your membership--and take advantage of this special offer--today!

Let TAPPI start working for you today! Visit http://www.tappi.org/ and enter TAPPI’s world of education and training.

Scientific and Technical Advances in Internal and Surface Sizing of Paper and Board Conference
Co-sponsored by TAPPI
December 11 – 12, 2003, Austria Trend Hotel Europe, Graz, Austria