• IEEE Sections Congress - Officer Training Material available
• New Initiatives to Highlight the Benefits of Society Membership
• IEEE Seeks Volunteers for Humanitarian Technology Challenge
• 2008 IEEE Annual Election Tally of Votes
• IEEE Global History Network
• Pilot Program To Use IEEE Expert Now Courses During Your Next Local IEEE Event Ends 31 December 2008.
• Last Senior Member Review Panel Meeting of 2008
• Previous Headlines
   

IEEE Sections Congress

The Member and Geographic Activities (MGA) Board partnered with Region 7 and the Quebec Section in hosting Sections Congress 2008 in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada from September 19th to 22nd. This was the largest Sections Congress ever, including 1,072 attendees from 89 countries representing 293 Sections. Early feedback from the participants viewed Sections Congress as a tremendous success. We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and commitment to IEEE by the attendees.

Information that was presented at IEEE Sections Congress is available for your use as an IEEE Section officer at the IEEE SC08 website. If you are a new or continuing Section officer you should view the material available since they provide you with material you need to engage the member and promote IEEE locally.

• Core Track Training Material - The Core Training presentations explained the impetus for the MGA transition and provided a view of what MGA success will look like. MGA is about putting members first and at the center of IEEE. The guiding principles summarize it all: IEEE is the member and the member is IEEE. The MGA Board is a complete change from RAB and a shift in focus to the member. Sections are now part of an organization focused solely on the member and designed to inspire members’ participation in IEEE. The stage is being set for MGA to be the primary touch point for IEEE members, engaging them throughout their careers and providing them with what they need, when they need it, to be successful in their profession. Section Chairs are being called to help support IEEE and act as the key point of contact for their members.
• Membership Breakout Sessions - The growth and nurturing of our 375,000+ members is a core value of IEEE. The material presented in this track focuses on how a member’s relationship with IEEE can be enhanced through local engagement. Geographic unit leaders will be trained on the benefits of IEEE membership, and how to communicate and apply these benefits to the needs of members in their local area. Material presented also includes best practices for using the IEEE Membership Development tools, staff and volunteer network. Leveraging these resources will ultimately lead to significantly increased retention, recruitment and recovery of members at the local Section level.
• Section/Chapter Activities Breakout Sessions - The success of IEEE depends on the continued cooperation between geographic units at the local level. This material presented in this track focuses on how to promote and facilitate the delivery of technical, professional and educational material. Issues cover a broad range of topics such as learning how to leverage Standards; acknowledging contributions of members through awards and recognition; learning about new humanitarian projects supported by IEEE and its members; and working with students and student branches. Activities your Section can undertake to enhance its image and support IEEE are also discussed.
• Section Management Breakout Sessions - Running a successful Section requires having the tools and support to do the job. The material presented in this track provides information on obtaining support and resources from the IEEE organization and discusses best practices to follow. Several sessions address how to manage activities such as finances, conferences and affinity groups. Effective practices for planning successful meetings, volunteer recruitment and leadership development are also covered. New tools for supporting the volunteer administrative responsibilities will also be introduced.
• SC08 Recommendations - The highlight of every Sections Congress is when delegates develop and vote on recommendations that IEEE will address in order to best serve the needs of its members. The Top ten recommendations, as ranked by the primary Section Delegates, are available.
• Highlights from IEEE Sections Congress via IEEE.tv - The following video highlights from the IEEE Sections Congress and the IEEE Honors Ceremony are available via IEEE.tv.
  • 2008 Sections Congress Highlights - Inspire, Enable, Empower and Engage
  • 2008 Sections Congress Opening Highlights
  • 2008 Honors Ceremony Program
  • Profile of 2008 Medal of Honor winner Gordon Moore

New Initiatives to Highlight the Benefits of Society Membership

There are two new exciting initiatives set to launch in the near future that will highlight the benefits of Society Membership. The initiatives are working in concert with the start of the 2009 membership year and renewal billing cycle.

The first is a new "Featured Societies" web page that will highlight key benefits of IEEE Society membership. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about upcoming events, read about a profiled member, view a list of publications, and join on-line. Three societies will be featured at a time, with the first three as Computer, Power & Energy and Power Electronics. This "Featured Society" page will be promoted throughout many IEEE web pages and newsletters in the coming months.

The second initiative is a "Topic Invitation Letter". The letter allows societies to highlight the benefits of membership as they relate to a specific topic. The first topic is "Wireless Infrastructure" and the societies highlighting their benefits are Communications, Computer, and Signal Processing. The invitation will be sent to wireless industry professionals throughout the world. The content of the letter is an invitation from Vic Hayes, the 2007 IEEE Steinmetz Award Recipient to come and learn about how being a member of an IEEE society allows them to be part of a community making valuable contributions to the wireless industry.

“Roughly 53% of IEEE members belong to one or more of IEEE’s 38 Societies. The goal of these initiatives is to not only educate new members, but also remind existing members of the essential elements of their society membership", says Ron Jensen, Chair, IEEE Strategic Planning Committee. “We’re optimistic that this will increase society membership across all fields of interest, and allow more opportunities for members to engage and further the core purpose of the IEEE.”

Please download the Featured Society Presentation for use at your section and chapter meetings. Find the PowerPoint presentation in the right column, under "Recruitment Programs & Tools". Start the slide show and it will continuously play as people are coming into the meeting. Request that attendees consider the societies that are available to support them in their professional life.

For specific questions or to get involved, contact Ron Jensen.

IEEE Seeks Volunteers for Humanitarian Technology Challenge

The Humanitarian Technology Challenge (HTC) is a partnership between IEEE and the United Nations Foundation designed to bring together technical professionals and humanitarians to develop technological solutions for pressing challenges facing humanity.

A small number of IEEE members are needed to help shape the early stages of the program, working with humanitarians to further detail challenge definitions and outline a solution process. This is a unique opportunity for IEEE volunteers experienced in systems engineering to work directly with prominent humanitarian volunteers.
The following initial challenges were identified by focus groups composed of representatives from ten humanitarian organizations:

• Reliable Electricity – Availability of power for electronic devices
• Data Connectivity of Rural District Health Offices -- Capability of exchanging data among remote field offices and central health facilities
• Local Management and Tracking of Supply Distribution – Ensure that supplies are getting to the people that need them in order to maximize the impact of assistance
• Incident Tracking – Determine locations and extent of medical problems in order to focus resources
• Patient ID and Tie to Health Records – Maintain consistent patient records, including when patients visit different clinics and when they relocate.

IEEE volunteers should be experienced in the application of technology to solve humanitarian issues and be willing to commit approximately two to four hours per week to the project. A conference call/webcast for early stage volunteers is scheduled to take place in late November, 2008. This will be followed by an in-person conference scheduled for the first quarter of 2009, where additional volunteers will be needed.  For more information, visit the HTC Web site . Interested volunteers should contact Harold Tepper, IEEE HTC Project Manager.

2008 IEEE Annual Election Tally of Votes (Note: The information provided below is the tally of votes of the 2008 IEEE Tellers Committee. These results are unofficial until the Tellers Committee Report is accepted by the IEEE Board of Directors at its meeting 16 November 2008.)

OFFICE OF PRESIDENT-ELECT, 2009: Pedro A. Ray

OFFICE OF DIVISION DELEGATE-ELECT/DIRECTOR-ELECT, 2009
Division I: Hiroshi Iwai
Division III: Nim K. Cheung
Division V: Michael R. Williams
Division VII: Enrique A. Tejera M.
Division IX: Alfred O. Hero, III

OFFICE OF REGION DELEGATE-ELECT/DIRECTOR-ELECT, 2009-2010
Region 2: Ralph M. Ford
Region 4: James N. Riess
Region 6: Edward G. Perkins
Region 8: Marko Delimar
Region 10: Wai-Choong (Lawrence) Wong

OFFICE OF STANDARDS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Member-at-Large, 2009-2010: Paul Nikolich
Member-at-Large, 2008-2009: James R. Williamson

OFFICE OF TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT, 2009:
Roger D. Pollard

OFFICE OF IEEE-USA
President-Elect, 2009: Evelyn H. Hirt
Member-at-Large, 2009-2010: Emily A. Sopensky

View the full results at https://www.ieee.org/web/aboutus/corporate/election/results.html

IEEE Global History Network

You are invited to visit the new IEEE Global History Network (GHN) and share your experiences in developing the products and services that have changed the world. Introduced at IEEE Sections Congress 2008, the GHN is prepared to chronicle historical information from individuals, groups, and organizations to become the premier public record for preserving and interpreting the history of technological innovation.

The GHN was developed through the IEEE History Center and is the website for history activities including milestones, oral and video histories, and other history programs. The GHN provides the author of a historical experience with both the ability to determine who may edit the material shared, and the ability to classify their experiences for access by others, including the public. A joint-authorship feature allows members of a group, such as an R&D lab design team, to join together to share their experiences. This feature will also allow IEEE organizational units to preserve and present their heritage.  To see if your Section is listed on the website you have 2 options (1) type the name of the Section into the Search box or (2) under Topics browse list - look for IEEE and the appropriate subcategory (Sections)

You are also encouraged to also participate in the building of a wiki-style article about the history of a technical area of interest to you, or contribute to the history of one of your organizational units.

The GHN provides immediate authoring access for IEEE members using their IEEE web account (username/password). There is also a registration process for non-members. Please go to www.ieeeghn.org and share your experiences in developing our technologies.

Reminder: Pilot Program To Use IEEE Expert Now Courses During Your Next Local IEEE Event Ends 31 December 2008.

Don’t miss your chance to take advantage of the IEEE Expert Now Section-Chapter Pilot Program which concludes at the end of 2008. In this program, IEEE Expert Now courses are available for use by IEEE Regions, Sections, and Chapters interested in utilizing them as a part of local IEEE events. IEEE volunteers can organize an event where attendees can view one or more IEEE Expert Now course(s) and discuss the materials with a local expert on that topic. There is no charge for participating in this program in 2008. An added bonus for IEEE Regions, Sections and Chapters who participate in this pilot program, is that they will be able to award Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for their event free of charge.

A preliminary “Best Practices” document is available on the website to help you organize your event. IEEE Regions, Sections and Chapters interested in participating should contact IEEE Educational Activities (EA) Staff for more information. IEEE EA Staff provides access to the selected course(s), IEEE Expert Now promotional materials, surveys for attendees’ feedback, and IEEE CEUs to attendees who return completed surveys. For more information visit the IEEE Expert Now Section-Chapter Program web page  or send a message to expertnowinfo@ieee.org.

Last Senior Member Review Panel Meeting of 2008

The last Senior Member Review Panel meeting of 2008 is scheduled for 15 November 2008 in New Brunswick, NJ. This years deadline for staff to receive complete applications and reference forms is 13 November. Applications and references received after this date will be forwarded to a 2009 meeting.    This is the last chance this year for Sections to nominate a Senior Members and be eligible for the 2008 incentive. Details on the Senior Member Program and how your Section can benefit can be found on the membership webpage.  For more information contact senior-member@ieee.org.

PREVIOUS HEADLINES

• Nominations are being accepted for the IEEE Fellows class of 2010. The deadline for nominations is 1 March 2009.
• All Regions, Chapters and Sections should submit an Information Schedule for all Conferences, Symposia, Workshops, Tutorials, Short Courses, Expositions and Conventions.
• IEEE online Membership Directory has been launched visit <https://www.ieee.org/membernet>.
• Monthly Membership Highlights are available - <https://www.ieee.org/mdprogreport>.
• National Societies in your country - IEEE Section leaders in Regions 7-10 are encouraged to work together with National Societies in their respective country. Areas of cooperation can include technical and social meetings, conferences and exhibitions, distinguished lecturers, joint awards and seminars. To find out more, visit <https://www.ieee.org/web/aboutus/agreements/idea.html>

Note: This newsletter is intended for the interest of IEEE volunteers and may be shared with other volunteers. The newsletter, in its entirety or in part, should not be sent to public bulletin board systems.

Archival issues of SCOOP are available at the following URL: <https://bmsmail3.ieee.org:80/u/13585/414>.

IEEE Member and Geographic Activities, November 2008 v01