IEEE Orlando Section

Strategic Planning Committee Report

11 December 2005

 

 

  1. The next Region 3 Excom will be held in Atlanta, January 27-29.  A Florida Council meeting will be held in conjunction with it.
  2. A list of the top twenty recommendations from the 2005 Sections Congress is posted at https://www.ieee.org/organizations/rab/sc/2005/SC05_Recommendations.htm
  3. Reporting new officers.  As soon as possible, new section and chapter officers (including student branches) should be reported to georoster@ieee.org, to update the geographic roster on the web.
  4. Meeting reports, financial report.  L31s should be filed electronically  as soon after the meeting as possible.  This includes administrative meetings.  The L50 financial report must be filed by March 31, 2006 (this is a change).
  5. Enlisting new volunteer members – Engineers typically dislike asking for help, but to get volunteers it is necessary to advertise, solicit, and – ask.  We have a volunteers needed page at the Web site, for the following:

             Chapters Chair

Chair AES Chapter

Chair Computer Chapter

Chair, SRC Chapter
Chair, UFFC Chapter

Chair, Membership Development

            The Computer chapter chair can be deleted, since Ken Truong has volunteered.  There is a Volunteer Recruitment Toolkit to aid in soliciting new section/chapter volunteers, at https://www.ieee.org/organizations/rab/scs/volunteer/index.htm  IEEE annually sends membership development materials to the MD chair or the section chair.

 

  1. Need to continue efforts to get a regular listing in the CFB weekly for our URL under Small Business Resources, Web Sites, and our meetings under Technology Events, each week.  Email announcements to businessnews@orlandosentinel.com  at least one week ahead of the event.  Include time, date, complete address, cost, and contact phone.
  2. Formation of a Life Member Group.  Life Member chapters are being reclassified as Affinity Groups, under Regional Activities.  This means that their meetings qualify for section rebate credit.  Only six signatures are required to form an affinity group.  A printout from SAMIEEE of the local life members will be helpful in getting a LM chapter started in Orlando.
  3. Southeastcon 2006 will be held in Memphis, TN, 30 March-April 2.  A regional meeting will be included.   The robotic competition in Fort Lauderdale was well-attended, with over 30 teams competing.  High school groups also competed in a simplified competition.  Lego Mind-Storm modular robotic kits are popular from 7th grade level up, and could form a pre-college project for the Orlando Section if desired.  The kits cost about $200, are reusable, and provide a vehicle for interested IEEE members to stimulate interest in math and science among pre-college students.  A Life Member chapter could take on such a project, which could qualify for PACE project funding.
  4. The Orlando section could plan an S-PAC and M-PAC over the next six months, as a service to its student members and regular members.  Speakers are available, and each qualifies for PACE shared-funding.  See https://www.ieeeusa.org/volunteers/committees/SPAC/  and https://www.ieeeusa.org/volunteers/pace/mpac.asp   The Tallahassee section held one in September, with 75 attendees.  Jim Howard is SPAC Coordinator j.howard@ieee.org.  Funds are available through Adeeb Hamzey, R3 PACE chair, a.hamzey@ieee.org
  5. Some key dates in 2006:

Engineers Week, Feb. 19-26  www.eweek.org

IEEE-USA Leadership Workshop, St. Louis, March 3-5

Southcon, Orlando, March 7-9

2006 IEEE International Symposium on Power Line Communications and Its Applications (ISPLC), Orlando Mar. 26-29

Southeastcon 2006 and Region 3 Meeting, Memphis, Mar. 30-April 2

International Robotics & Automation Conference, Orlando, May 15-19

30th Annual International Computer Conference, Orlando, July 11-15

  1. Society support for Chapters.  Many IEEE societies offer financial support for chapters, either to organize (or reorganize), to aid in obtaining speakers through their distinguished lecturer programs, to assist with meeting expenses, and/or for special projects that further the goals of the societies.  A letter request can get the ball rolling, and with the start of a new year almost upon us, now is a good time to get those letters drafted.
  2. Section assistance for IEEE conferences.  The Orlando section is well-positioned to gain both experience and surplus through support of society conferences planned for the Orlando area.  Check the IEEE conference directory for further information. 

Suggestions are welcomed, for improving services to members through the Orlando section and its chapters.  Contact information is given below.

 

George F. McClure, Strategic Planning Committee

407 647-5092                       g.mcclure@ieee.org

Dec. 11, 2005