First identify a topic. Sources: the newspaper, articles in technical journals, trade magazines, websites of faculty members of local universities.
Next find a speaker. Faculty at local universities and researchers at Argonne or Fermilab are always good choices. Or ask anyone connected with the topic for the names of local people who might be involved. Examples: A newspaper article gave the name and email address of a person at Harvard; he provided the name of a local person who was happy to speak. In another case, someone on an IEEE-USA committee provided the name of a researcher at Motorola who was willing to speak.
The meeting announcement is the next step.
The format of an announcement can be seen by viewing "details" of any meeting listed
on the FVSS Home Page <www.ieee.org/foxvalley>.
Feel free to copy one of these, or send the necessary information to Al Varney
Keep it short; it will be distributed electronically to many IEEE members in the area via "e-notice".
Select a date.
This step is deliberately listed after the meeting announcement to avoid situations where
the speaker chooses a date but never provides the meeting announcement.
The Fox Valley subsection
has traditionally held its meetings on the 4th Wednesday of the month; but if this is a problem feel free
to schedule any date that works.
Check with the chairman of the Fox Valley subsection to avoid
conflicts with other events; contact Pam Stella (stella@iit.edu, 682-6013) to reserve the
auditorium at IIT's Rice campus in Wheaton.
Send the announcement
via email to Al Varney (varney@ieee.org); he will put it on the Fox Valley
subsection's web site.
Copy Carol Davids (cdavids@interaccess.com) so she can refer to it on
the Chicago section's web page, Bob Parro (b.parro@ieee.org) so the Region is aware, and
Bernie Sander (bsander@ieee.org) who will make a certificate to be presented to the speaker after
the presentation.
Send the announcement
to the chairman of the Fox Valley subsection so he can prepare it for the
IEEE electronic e-notice service.
The chairman will send an e-notice about one month before
the meeting and again about one week before the meeting.
Check with the speaker
to find out if he/she needs any special equipment.
Most speakers put their presentations on a laptop (PowerPoint) and connect
it to the projector that is on the ceiling of the auditorium, but IIT can
also provide an overhead projector if required.
The ceiling projector turns on with its remote control only
if the room lights have been dimmed.
IIT will provide tech support for projector(s) and microphones
(arrange with Pam Stella: she will send some IIT student familiar with the equipment).
Optional, but appreciated:
On the day of the meeting get about three dozen miscellaneous cookies and two "Box
of Joe" (one regular, on decaf) from Dunkin Donuts (on Naperville Road, about one block
straight west of the IIT building, south of the Shell station).
Some extra cups are helpful; Dunkin Donuts never provides enough.
Total cost will be about $45; present your receipt to Fox Valley treasurer
Hugh Edfors, telephone (630) 369-8038, for reimbursement.
As an alternative (for the coffee), IIT will provide coffee service for a $40 fee.
Request a check from the treasurer beforehand and give it to Pam Stella.
Arrive at the meeting early
(at least by 6:30 for a 7 pm meeting) to put out the coffee and cookies, greet
the speaker, and help set up the equipment.
Refreshments must and will be set up in the main lobby by the front (south) door and
not by the auditorium, due to IIT policy.
It is a good idea to advise attendees about the location of the refreshments.
At the start of the meeting,
announce the next meeting and introduce the speaker.
Initiate the applause at the end of the presentation and ask (if the speaker didn't)
for questions from the audience.
Thank the speaker in the presence of the audience and give him/her a certificate
(or ask Bernie Sander to do this).
Clean up the remains of the coffee and cookies.
That's it!!!
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URL: https://ewh.ieee.org/r4/chicago/foxvalley/organize.html