Chairman's Welcome
Welcome to the new IEE year and the 2004/2005 programme of events.
I have succeeded Paul Walker as branch chairman for the next year (or two maybe) and hope that I can follow in his footsteps and do as well as he did. I also hope he has no plans for emigrating away from South Yorkshire in the near future as I am sure I will be needing his advice in the months to come! I would like to thank Paul for all he has done for the branch and his sure guidance of the committee through the last couple of years.
I said I was to be branch chairman for the next year or so, but there is an uncertainty as to whether or not there will be an IEE for that long. The merger talks between the IIE, the I Mech E and the IEE ended earlier in the year. Apparently discussions continued with the IIE and plans for a completely new institution are well advanced. There has not been much communication with members about this, although there have been a couple of announcements in the IEE Review, an e-mail in July and some information is available on the IEE website. Go to:- www.iee.org and on the home page there is a search box. Type in 'new institution' and that will take you to the statement by the President and an on-line discussion forum.
There are arguments for and against the proposals, so it is important you put forward your ideas and comments, both to the IEE and the committee. Eventually, a prospectus will be issued and members asked to vote on the issue and whether or not they see any advantage for the membership in joining with the IIE If the proposals are accepted a new institution will be created. The exact form it will take and what it will achieve is not clear to me as yet.
Your committee have worked hard to produce a programme that reflects both new areas of interest, such as the Linux workshops and lectures and the latest digital techniques in animation and audio, and also more traditional ones such as power generation and distribution topics. My own lecture will discuss science and engineering communication and there are events directed at the business side of engineering. Please support these as much as you can, because the more people attending, then the livelier the event and the discussion. The Dinner/Dance will run again this year and it may be the last ever, local IEE social event if the merger proposals go ahead. Why not mark the date in your diary and come and enjoy a really good evening?
The Younger Members section has had a good year including a successful 'Papers Evening' and a trip to Dinorwic power station. The programme for the next session promises to be as rewarding and support for the events will ensure the hard work by the organisers is justified.
My thanks go to all the committee members for their 'behind the scenes' work, which make the branch function as well as it does. Without their continuous efforts and the personal time given to organising branch activities, there would be no programme or events at all.
I hope to be able to welcome you to some of the branch events and wish you an enjoyable year.
Mike Diprose
Branch Chairman
2004/2005 Session
|
