Mr. Charles E. Revilla joined HGS in January 1978. With over four decades of membership, his passion for the HGS Bulletin has been relentless. He has written and published several articles for the "Geotales from Far Away" column in the Bulletin from 1990 – 2002 (mainly 'Geological Travelogues' as he refers to them).
In November 2006, he wrote a column for the Bulletin called "On the Lighter Side", which consisted of quips, some very bad poetry, and some only slightly exaggerated stories. He also wrote articles for a column titled "In the News", which provided the members with a variety of geological news from other societies, from local and national newspapers, and from various government agencies engaged in geoscience research.
Charlie spent over 20 consecutive years conscientiously reviewing, proofing, and occasionally light editing the text of the Bulletin as an Advisory Editor. Charlie resigned from the position in late 2015, so I didn't get the esteemed pleasure of working with him, but I am still a recipient of his suggestions and articles. Charlie has truly been a dedicated member of the Society (he received the 2007 President's Award and the 2015 Outstanding Board Member Award), and his friends fondly recognize him for his hard work and dedication. Thank you, Charlie!!
"…It was a privilege to have such an opportunity… I am 90 years old, over nearly 40 years of membership have been able to appreciate the tremendous progress made in this publication's format and the usually excellent and all-inclusive nature of its choice of content, and I continue to be interested in the Society…" Charles Revilla – in an email to the editor, November 2016.
THE TEROSAUR OF TEXAS:
Of all the saurians that made the Mesozoic scene, like Stegosaurus (stupid) and Tyrannosaurus (mean), Brontosaurus (greedy) and the number one in size, my favorite is the Pterosaur, of the friendly skies of Texas. Some 60 million years ago, above the bleak terrain, this monstrous creature glided like a strange, unearthly plane. He had a tricky take-off when departing on a trip. His wingspan measured 47 feet from tip to tip. Out in front, he had a set of quite unbirdlike teeth. No feathers had this proto-bird, above or underneath. His wings were merely skinny flaps, much like a leather sail. The landing gear was primitive—the creature had no tail. His head was ornamented with a pointed bony crest. His scrawny neck was hardly more than functional, at best. In fact, his whole construction was dynamically wrong, but he didn’t notice as he Ptero-soared along. Oh, the eagle is a mighty bird; he is our symbol bold, The condor wheels majestically above the mountain’s fold, The albatross can cruise a thousand miles across the sea — But the Pterosaur of Ptexas is the only bird for me!*
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*If you are really depraved and can carry a tune, you can sing this to "The Yellow Rose of Texas". Permission to reprint the poem in a newsletter was also given to a group of sailplane pilots. It seemed appropriate; they were planning a national soaring contest in Texas.
FROM PANDORA'S BAUXITE: The Best of Bates, Selections from The Geologic Column 1966-1985, by Robert C. Bates. Submitted by Charles Rivella with permission from the American Geological Institute.
