NO. I ETHNOGEOGRAPHIC BOARD BENNETT IO3 



operation with independent committees is a better arrangement than 

 subordination. Each committee affiHated with the Ethnogeographic 

 Board had its own function and its own enthusiastic personnel, both 

 of which tend to get lost in a subcommittee which is too dependent on 

 the top group for all guidance and action. 



4. A BOARD SHOULD HAVE A SIMPLE, INTELLIGIBLE NAME 



The name "Ethnogeographic" was by no means clear to the 

 scholars and far less so to employees of Government and the Mili- 

 tary. Both Directors admit that the name was not too happy. It is 

 futile to suggest names for a future board, although certainly the 

 four-letter names so common in Washington should be avoided for 

 non-Governmental organizations. 



5. A BOARD SHOULD HAVE WELL-DEFINED FUNCTIONS 



As in the case of the present Board, one of these would be to guide 

 and advise its Washington Directorate by means of an executive or 

 an advisory committee composed of Washington members. However, 

 in the future the board itself should assume the responsibility for es- 

 tablishing relationships with sponsors, scientists, and academic insti- 

 tutions ; should undertake a survey of the existing materials, person- 

 nel, and research programs of those institutions, and make these ma- 

 terials available to its Washington office; and should initiate projects 

 to fill in significant gaps in area knowledge. Techniques of keeping 

 in touch with the scholarly resources might involve the naming of con- 

 sultants in each major institution, financing surveys, making small 

 grants for reports, and calling problem conferences. Since the board 

 would handle one aspect of the clearinghouse, it would naturally 

 have to aid in the phrasing of Government requirements to meet the 

 academic abilities, and in the translation of academic reports to serve 

 the Government needs. 



6. THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARD SHOULD BE IN TERMS 

 OF ITS FUNCTIONS 



The members selected should have academic connections, aware- 

 ness of the problems, and an interest in serving. A paid chairman or 

 executive officer would be necessary, although routine work and sec- 

 retarial assistance could be handled through the Directorate. 



