Monday:
 Today the programs started out with Alice Monroe speaking about the effect of
ultraviolet light on shells. How some fluoresce and others do not. Alice
explained what ultraviolet light was and why some shells, which absorb
impurities, fluoresce. She had some great slides of shells under black light.
Two of the more spectacular were Angaria vicdani and Cyprea mappa.
  Helen Kwiat then spoke about her experiences giving shell talks to schools
and stressed surprise to keep the children interested.
   After that Harry Lee gave us a program on Nassariidae of the Western
Atlantic and explained that while protoconchs are an important part of
identification, opercula are not. He described some taxonomic problems in
identification and showed some extinct fossil species as well.
  After lunch,  and let me say the abundance of good eating places is to be
marveled at, Chris Takahashi  showed us some wonderful slides of live Hawaiian
shells in their habitat. The slides were really superb, of some rare live
shells, but Chris left us all worrying about his deep diving. Be careful
Chris!!!
   Alan Gettelman started out his program with some shots of different star
galaxies, and a YOU ARE HERE!!!  shots of the earth. He told us of the
experiments going on in space and the first mollusk was Mytilus edulus. The
scientists are studying calcium loss in space for one thing. The first snail
in space was Biophalaria glabrata. (He had a great video of  the trochophore
stage of  one of those two, can't remember now) You have to understant, the
room is very dark and any notes I take are largely unreadable by the time I am
finished.
  Dave Green had our business meeting and the election of new officers. Gary
Rosenberg our Grants Chairman told us the new grant recipients and what they
were studying. You will read more about all this in American Conchologist.
  Gene Everson gave us a preview about the 1999 convention in Louisville,
Kentucky. I don't think we are going to miss going shelling with all that is
being planned. Although there are field trips planned, there seems to be
enough to do without shelling. He tells us that a two bed room will cost about
$79 per night, which is quite reasonable. You will read more about this as
well.
 The silent auctions are quite competitive, the T-shirts are very nicely done
and again the fun part is talking to everyone from everywhere.
  I went on the field trip to the Sleuths Mystery Dinner which was great fun.
They asked me to be a gypsy who was to come in making noise with a tambourine
while two little children (not from our group) went around stealing spoons. We
laughed a lot, it was a spoof, after all, and had a great time.
   As in many of these conventions, the bar, and restaurants are great for
making new friends.