NEHA Green Book

S EHA published newsletters in 1974 and 1975, but the printing and postage were costly and assistance was sought from NEHA. Thereafter SNEHA news was included in the Journal ofEnvironmental Health. In 1987 SNEHA again published a newsletter in an effort to improve communications among student chapters. Attendance at the NEHA annual meetings was good in the early 70's; more than 50 students attended the conference in Minneapolis in 1975, when there were 21 student chapters.

In 1975, NEHA began reserving $1.00 per student from their dues for use by SNEHA. The dues also included dues to the state affiliate of NEHA.

Students were encouraged to become familiar with the scientific method, undertake a research project and present their findings before the NEHA membership at an annual conference. A Research Committee of the Association judged the papers and the presen tations. Awards of $70 for first place and $30 for second place were funded by the American Academy of Sanitarians. After peer review, some of the papers were accepted for publication in the Journal of Environmental Health. In 1975, SNEHA under the presidency of June Kellogg, a student at Colorado State University, announced that awards would be presented to the chapters who traveled the greatest distance to the annual conference, to the most active new chapter, and to the most outstanding SNEHA chapter. A proposal to give SNEHA a vote on the NEHA Board of Directors was made in 1976 to a NEHA Executive Committee meeting, but the Board did not approve the issue being on the mail ballot until 1981 when students were allowed one vote on the Board but not participation in election of national officers since they are a nonvoting membership category. In 1976, 60 students representing 10 chapters attended the NEHA annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee, the largest number ever to participate in a national meeting. SNEHA adopted a new constitution, assuming responsibility for developing its own program. A new letterhead was prepared and printed at Delgado College, New Orleans, at minimum cost. Besides the original goals, students added an endeavor to coordinate the activities of school chapters and to act as a clearing house for educational informa tion. President Michael Osterholm, a University of Minnesota graduate student, reported that communications were a problem. While he was swamped with correspondence from some chapters, there was little communication with others. Student memberships began in September and expired in August at that time, but NEHA extended the membership of June graduates until the following December to coincide with the year-end expirations ofNEHA active memberships. Students attended the annual educational conference program sessions without payment of a registration fee. There were 39 chapters still officially on the books in September 1978; however, it was believed that they were not all active. It was proposed to do a survey to deter mine the chapters that were still active. In 1979, student chapters participated in a nationwide Environmental Law Day on May 1. They also participated in NEHA's self-assessment phase of the federally funded Manpower Project. The roll of chapters had increased to 42 and students were collect ing textbooks or donations for students in Barbados. SNEHA funds were used to ship the books.