Additional American Polygraph Association Information and Commentary

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Additional APA Seminar Information and Commentary
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At the American Polygraph Association Annual Business
Meeting, the following persons were either re-elected or
remained in office:

PRESIDENT: Milton "Skip" Webb*
BOARD CHAIRMAN: Don Weinstein
VP - PRIVATE: T.V. O'Malley**
VP - LAW ENFORCEMENT: John Consigli*
VP - GOVERNMENT: Donnie Dutton*
SECRETARY: Vickie Murphy
TREASURER: Larry Wasser
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Mike Smith
DIRECTOR: Steve Eliot
DIRECTOR: Dave Knefelkamp
DIRECTOR: Roy Ortiz*
DIRECTOR: Dan Sosnowski*

*Re-elected by acclimation
**Re-elected by vote (T.V. O'Malley ran against Nathan
Gordon)

The following were presented the Annual Awards at the
Banquet

William L. Bennett Memorial Award - T. V. O'Malley
Al & Dorothea Clinchard Award - Leonard H. (Len) Harrelson
J. J. Heger Award - Robert C. Heard
Leonard Keeler Award - Daniel Sosnowski
David L. Motsinger Award - Chris Fausett
John E. Reid Award - Richard O. Arther
President's Award: T. V. O'Malley and Kay Logan (Lafayette
Instrument)

It was very fitting that Dick Arther received the John Reid
Award since John Reid was the person who trained Dick Arther,
and Dick has followed in his footsteps by providing
excellence in polygraph training, research, and writing just
as his mentor did.

Next year's APA Annual Seminar is planned for Sparks (Reno),
Nevada, for August 3rd through August 8th. Rumor has it that
there is a volcano brewing somewhere in Nevada that may
decide to "blow it's top", and if so, the aftermath and lava
flow may cause us to have to make some changes. This came
from a seminar attendee from Nevada (or it could have been
someone having a LSD flashback from the old days). I have
tried searching the news (but not very thoroughly since my
time has been very limited) to find if there is any credence
to this, but I have found nothing yet so don't start packing
your survival kits yet. The 2004 seminar site is being
investigated with Nashville, Orlando, and Fort Lauderdale as
possibilities.

Another issue that occurred during the week was that the APA
is considering re-instituting the APA Entrance Membership
examination for all applicants. In the past, the entrance
examination was conducted during the last week of the
various polygraph school's instruction, many times as the
final, comprehensive examination. The problem was it seems,
however, that the examination was compromised by an
unscrupulous School Director, and copies, although not
allowed, were being made.

If the APA Board does decide to require this examination,
which I whole-heartedly support, it should have the
examination conducted only at the APA Annual Seminar and any
regional APA seminars throughout the country. It might also
be possible to have it given at AAPP's and NPA's seminars as
well as those of the state associations if a member of the
APA Membership Committee can attend to conduct the
examination.

By doing the process in this manner, there will be copious
opportunities for applicants to take the examination, and
the integrity of the examination will no longer be in danger
of being compromised. As a kicker, it may also increase the
attendance at the various continuing education programs
since the applicant will be there for the test anyway. Some
people with whom I talked suggested that doing it this way
would pose a hardship on the applicant since the information
would not be fresh in their minds as it would be if given
during the last week of their basic training.

My response is, "Welcome to life, it has hardships"! Those
who receive their basic training and have to go back to a
state that requires a licensing examination don't get to
have the information fresh in their minds, and they may have
to apply themselves some more by studying for the
examination. If they are being tested properly and prepared
properly by their basic training polygraph school, they
should have few problems and have the need to expend little
effort in reviewing what is necessary to prepare themselves
for the examination. This is also true for the law
profession, nursing profession, medical profession, etc.
When the graduates have to take the state qualifying
examinations, they have to study again.

Of course, this will require us in the polygraph basic
training schools to get off our collective butts and make
sure that what we are all teaching is consistent so that
everyone's graduates, theoretically, will have an equal
chance of passing the entrance examination. If we spend the
time allotted for the School Director's meeting to achieve
this goal rather than sitting around and complaining
(except where necessary, which it sometimes is but could be
greatly reduced to where we actually accomplish something
progressive), get everyone on the same basic "sheet of
music" with the expected and necessary deviations as needed.

We, or the APA, should also require that primary
instructors in polygraph schools have more continuing
education hours annually than that required at present
under the Standards of Practice for all members. We
cannot continue to have some of our instructors teaching
techniques or systems that have been changed or abandoned
because of available research indicating that the technique
or system is outmoded or unsupported. I surveyed all of the
schools last year with this proposal, and of those who
responded (about 50%), all but one agreed that our school
staff should have a higher required commitment of annual
continuing education. Some suggested that this might create
a financial hardship on those who would have to do this.
All I can say to that is that if they want to teach, then
it goes with the territory. If they can't or don't want to
take the time necessary to attend at least one APA or AAPP
Annual 40 hour seminar every year, they shouldn't be
teaching polygraphy since some of what they are teaching
may be wrong because they are not abreast of the updated
material.

There may have been other important issues discussed
throughout the week, but as reported in the last issue, I
was ill most of the seminar and missed most of the
activities and the issues. If anyone has any that they
would like to report, please send me an e-mail, and I'll
print it.

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