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Transmitter Editor Comments
by Terry V. Molloy, PE
(Reprint from November, 2003 Transmitter)
Did you notice that our [Transmitter Newsletter]
cover has changed? The change may not be permanent;
in fact it may get changed again by the next issue.
Why you may be asking did I decide to change the cover?
Well is seems that at the District 11 Council
meeting in Houston on October 20, 2004 there was an item added
to the agenda at the last minute by e-mail from Mr. Zee. Due
to unforeseen and unfortunate circumstances Mr. Zee could
not attend so he decided to bring the matter up via an addition
to our agenda.
I will not go into the details of the issue or my opinion
on it here at this time. The basic concern he expressed
was that since our Newsletter, the Transmitter, contained
the Masthead “District 11 News and Events” that the opinions
in the newsletter represented the views of the District 11
membership and he requested that the District 11 Council instruct
us to remove the masthead. The masthead has been removed
for the time being and this matter will be discussed by our
Board at the next meeting on November 6th.
NOW – As many of you know I have not been pleased with
some of the actions of ISA leaders and staff. You also
know that I have been vocal about those issues I felt were
important.
DID ANYONE THINK THAT THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN MY COLUMNS
IN THE “TRANSMITTER” REPRESENTED ANYONE’S VIEW BUT MY OWN?
If you did, I apologize, and want to make it very clear;
when my name appears on a column it is my opinion alone. The
information presented is correct and complete to the best
of my knowledge. Do I make my points in a way that some
might object to? I will accept that, but that is what
“freedom of the press” is all about. Our newsletter
has also printed responses to my articles from ISA leaders.
Those articles were printed with no editing, revisions,
or editorial comments.
Since my return from Chicago’s ISA C&E in 1993 I have
been expressing my concern about the declining focus on the
sections and local members. When issues or opportunities
have arisen we have tried to bring them to the attention of
our leaders. We had success with the Standards Subscription
Benefit only to see it virtually wiped out when the champions
of the program completed their term on the Executive Board.
This does not leave one with a sense of accomplishment
and this is one of the reasons our volunteer leaders work
so hard.
By the time many of you read this I will have celebrated
my sixty-fourth birthday. This gave me pause to think
about my accomplishments during my time as an active ISA leader
at the national level. During the last five years I
have spent a tremendous amount of time responding to e-mails,
attending meetings, and various other activities to get ISA
to focus on the needs of the local member and the sections.
Except for the few personal friendships made from those
efforts (that I will value throughout my life), I have not
really accomplished much for our Society.
My current commitments at the national level are to work
as an at large member of the Technical Information Synergy
Committee and to serve on the Strategic Planning Committee
as a Director. I plan to continue with those commitments
at least into 2005. However, my main focus will be on
the Norcal Section to bring needed and valued services to
the local membership. The Norcal section is the second
biggest section in ISA the last time I looked, so we make
a good place to “pilot” programs and ideas. I have been
unsuccessful convincing ISA to change its direction with words
perhaps our successes as a result of our deeds will have an
effect. This may really be a case where a “picture” is worth
a 1,000 words.
We have a strong team in the Norcal Section and we want
to make it stronger. We believe we are headed in the
right direction and we will be looking for other ISA sections
throughout the world that want to partner with us to bring
these needed and valued services to their members. We
will also work with the International ISA organization where
possible to enhance the value of the services we develop for
our members. As Suzanne said in her November message
we need your help to succeed. We need volunteers to
take on small tasks that may only take a couple hours per
month, but that relieves our Board members of those tasks
and frees up their time to do the really important stuff.
This is your section, your professional society and it
is your opportunity to contribute to its success while enhancing
your professional skills. We need increased participation
by our younger members and we need more younger members. I
first joined ISA almost forty years ago at twenty-five years
of age. I joined because my boss said that ISA was a
“hands on” professional society and I would learn about how
instrumentation and process control REALLY worked. I
did! I challenge each of our members to bring one new
member in their twenties or early thirties to our monthly
meetings or a training program.
Please be sure to read the update on our May 12 & 13,
2004 C&E at the California Maritime Academy.
11/02/03 GJG
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