Lack of IET Scotland Events White Book

Ryan,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

Just to confirm that I understand it is for session 2013-14 i.e starting September/October 2013 that a booklet will not be published not session 2014-15….yet.

 

I am not sure how you know that the majority of the membership use the web to access information. Certainly, without the white book, the web is the only source of information but that doesn’t mean that over 50% of the membership actually access it.  

Last year’s white book indicates that there are 10,000+ members in Scotland but by my reckoning only 267 individuals (excluding IET staff) have currently joined one or more of the nine Scottish MyCommunities. I realise that information can be obtained from the website without joining (thank goodness!) but it does indicate significant lack of interest.

 

The key benefit of the white book is that it proactively provides information on IET events and contacts in Scotland to every member once a year.

 

It is impossible for me to judge the numbers of members who might be interested in SERMS events who do not access the web.

 

Maybe the most cost effective solution is for a hard copy of the white book to be sent out to those members in Scotland for whom the IET do not have an e-mail address and an e-mail to be sent to the others which includes a direct link to an online copy of the same.

 

By the way since I saw the Minute I have been in touch with John Maconochie on the subject.

 

Regards

 

Walter Thomson

Hi Walter



As far as I am aware the booklet is being printed for the 2013-14 session, just not posted out.  John This will be distributed to the various groups in Scotland to hand out at events.  John Maconochie and Andy Till have been requesting the information from the various committees.



There have been many discussions over the booklet and whether there is still a need for a paper booklet, especially when some of the information on it is not complete and we then direct people to the website to check final dates, venues etc.  



IET Scotland have discusses a smaller version of the booklet, but the committee was unable to make a decsion as to what should be removed from the printed copy and put on the web and what should remain in the printed booklet.  



By having this at events, it not only will benefit the members, but it will also highlight the events to many non member who would not receive the booklet.  As many of those who attend events are non members, this may encourage them to attend more events.



Kind regards



Lynsay Callaghan

CRM, IET

Lynsay

 

Thanks for your input.

 

If there is no booklet mailed to members, all those who attend an event can, by definition, only have obtained information about the event from the website or in an IET e-mail.  They will, therefore, be able to access information on future events by the same methods.

 

I suspect there is a large number of IET Scotland members who do not access the website and who do not receive e-mails who will be effectively marginalised if a hard copy booklet is not sent out.

Maybe you could check with Stevenage the number and percentage of Scottish members who have not supplied an e-mail address to the IET. I believe the IET should be maintaining direct contact with these members at least once per year.

 

With regard to members obtaining information about incomplete events in the white booklet, contact telephone numbers are also provided for most events for members with no access to the website.

 

Regards

 

Walter Thomson

Hi Walter



I have been looking at the figures, and out of the 10, 617 members in Scotland we do not have email addresses for around 1%.  There are groups who do not wish to be contacted by email and groups who do not wish to be contacted by post, so no matter which method we use, we will not get this to everyone.  



Lynsay 

The White Booklet while providing a calendar of events also contained useful information on Student Advisor, Professional Regustration Advisors and Schools Liaison Representatives.



The annual circulation proved to be useful in finding members willing to work with schools when they noted there was no representative in their area.



The White Booklet I believe was "the Glue" that made a major contribution to keeping the IET in Scotland together and will be a major loss.



A web based version is an extremely poor substitute.



Ron McMurtrie

Hi folks



The problem, as I see it, is that the "white book" had 2 sources of information:

1. 
   Information remaining current for year of publication

• 
  Information on events throughout the year that was likely to change

The latter being the problem.



I agree with some of Ron's comments - so why don't we produce a printed booklet that contains info about  Student Advisor, Professional Registration Advisors and Schools Liaison Representatives and anything else current for the year of publication etc.?  All other information subject to change i.e. event details would be put on to the IET website or directly e-mailed to "local circulation" lists.



Andrew Mackenzie

Hon. Sec. LN IET Scotland (North)

Thanks Andrew,



I realised later I should have included Committees as here too members can see who is involved in LNs and TNs and may well be inspired themselves to become involved.



In the dim and distant this information together with Council, Boards and Professional Groups membership used to be published annually in IEE News - rememeber it? Then you knew who was involved!



Now one has to trawl through the IET website and as Neil quite rightly points out having to log on any time one wants to keep in touch is for many a step too far in a busy day. Even then it is not always possible to find out who is involved down below Council and Board level.



One remark made to me about having to log on, was that many people now spend a lot of their working day looking at a computer screen, so it is the least likely thing they will do in the leisure time.



Given the finance involved compared to say  of an IET Council meeting, it is small beer in comparison and should not be used as an argument to move from the printed word which does show the IET in Scotland is still alive.