card card won't stick in preferences

[Todd And Margo Chester]

Hi All,

Scientific Linux 6.1
Xfce 4.8

On my Panel 1 (the one at the top), on the far right, I have an
icon for a speaker.  Clicking on the icon give me a speaker
volume control.  The icon will not identify what program it is.

I have two sound cards: my on board and my HDMI on my video
card.

The speaker pull down called "Sound Preferences" lets me select
which "output" I want the volume control to operate.

Problem: "Sound Preferences" never remembers what I set "output"
to and makes me reset it to my on board sound every time I log
into my desktop.

Is there a way to force the turkey to default to the sound card I
want?

Many thanks,
-T