In message <[email protected]>, dated Fri, 24 Jul 2009, Jim Bacher <[email protected]> writes:
>Derek, The general feeling (in TAB) is a society needs to be about >1,500 members to be able to substain itself long term. This provides >enough members for the society to have TACs, symposium papers and some >form of a journal. Well, instead of shutting things down that don't meet some arbitrary criteria that some few people 'feel' are valid. 'cut your coat according to the cloth and don't indulge in stuff that you can't afford. I help run a small, niche learned society in Britain (www.isce.org.uk) with about 350 members. We have a mailing list, a web site (obviously) and a quarterly magazine, semi-professionally produced, with about 32 pages. We run an annual exhibition and a members' event, as well as training course and seminars. It CAN be done on a small budget. >There is some overhead costs to be covered as well, the more members >the easier it is to cover those costs. Up until last year the >society was in the RED, however we are now in the black. For us to turn >on access to symposium papers in Xplore is about $8,000 a year in costs >to the soceity. Below 1000 members we can not afford it, above 1000 >members we can turn it on. Well, don't do it; we can't afford it. If people want a paper enough, they buy it - I do. Or cadge one from the author. (;-) > >About 5 years ago when we had about 400 members the PSES BoD put >together a 5 year plan that said at the end of this year we would be at >1,000 members. Five year plans are for Stalin. Did that plan take into account the credit crunch and consequent unemployment? Of course not. >For the first few years we were more concerned with TACs, symposiums, >and other things that added value to society membership. Now it is time >to focus on building membership. I agree with building up membership, but it's crazy to do this on the basis that 'our administrators regard us as a basket case, so please rally round the sinking ship'. > >The IEEE is a complex organization. All societies are part of what is >called TAB, which standands for Technical Activities Board. TAB has a >management committee called TMC which stands for TAB Management >Committee. It is TMC that is pushing to sunset any function that is not >holding its own. Can you say 'bean counters'? While we respect the individual members of this august body, their collegiate mind-set need to be reviewed. It's well known that a 50 million dollar project is nodded through by such bodies, followed by a 3 hour debate on whether to spend 50 thousand on secure parking for bicycles. 'Holding its own' - if expenditure exceeds income, reduce expenditure FIRST, because you can control what you spend. After that, TRY to increase income, but you CAN'T control that - it's in the (often mindless) control of diverse others. >Be it a journal, magazine or society that is nor financial solvent. >When our society goes into the review process at the end of this year I >fully expect to be able to derail the sunsetting of our soceity. >However we need to make a reasonable effort to increase membership. >Promoting membership on the list is one of the efforts towards that end. Well, we can try. But this is not a propitious time, is it? Rather than looking to join societies, people are looking for new employment! -- OOO - Own Opinions Only. Try www.jmwa.demon.co.uk and www.isce.org.uk Things can always get better. But that's not the only option. John Woodgate, J M Woodgate and Associates, Rayleigh, Essex UK - This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to <[email protected]> All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieeecommunities.org/emc-pstc Graphics (in well-used formats), large files, etc. can be posted to that URL. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ Instructions: http://listserv.ieee.org/request/user-guide.html List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas <[email protected]> Mike Cantwell <[email protected]> For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher: <[email protected]> David Heald: <[email protected]>
