Editorial

Of mice or men

Over the past few months, as much time has been spent organizing our collective response to the Covid-19 health crisis as it has managing the Association’s regular business. President Van Rooten elaborated on this point in his previous editorial, and I have no further details to add on this front. That said, one unexpected consequence of the pandemic has been to prevent physical contact, whether at meetings of Technical Committees or Study Groups, or at sessions of the Association’s governing bodies (Council, Executive Committee, Commissions). Fortunately, PIARC was able to hold its Technical Committee kickoff meetings in January and February, shortly before air travel was interrupted and countries by and large entered lockdown. This contact, at least, gave the Association the opportunity to get acquainted with the committees’ newest experts, make proper introductions and infuse the basic momentum and esprit de corps for the work programs to successfully begin.