A hearty thanks to IAEI members. The proposed change in the IAEI Articles of Association that included an increase in membership dues received a favorable vote during the 1998 IAEI Annual Section meetings. Over 90% of those casting votes during the section meetings supported the dues increase. The support expressed by members of the IAEI was and is vital to the existence of the IAEI as an active and effective organization in the electrical industry. With dues making up less than half of the income and covering less than half of the operating expenses, the IAEI needed help from its members. It was a difficult decision to ask members to pay higher membership dues but there was little choice. IAEI International President Tom Trainor identified many services presently being provided for members as well as some obligations that must be met by the IAEI in the future. In order to become really effective in industry affairs, we must become a more active participant. We need to greatly expand our knowledge of world affairs and become more directly involved in them. The IAEI Board of Directors is taking the challenge of preparing the IAEI for the 21st century very seriously. Concerns ranging from local needs to international affairs face the Board and with your support, we should be more able to address them. It is clear that the IAEI must operate in a businesslike manner and it must meet issues that affect its stated goals in a professional manner.
Members Working Hard in Mexico
The new Central Mexico Chapter of the IAEI is active and growing. Under the leadership of Chapter President Manuel Vila, Vice President Javier Velez, and Secretary/Treasurer Antonio Macias, a strong education program is being promoted and focus is placed on achieving safe electrical installations. The photographs included with this article show the Central Mexico Chapter officers being installed during the first official meeting of the chapter. The installation ceremony was preceded by an two-day Code training session. The National Fire Protection Association joined with the IAEI in assisting the Central Mexico Chapter in conducting the training. John Caloggero of the NFPA Engineering Department, who has a good command of the Spanish language, presented a major portion of the material. He is very effective in bridging the language barrier between those who speak little or no English and those of us who speak Spanish with difficulty or not at all. Thanks must also be given to AMERIC and its staff for their effort in making the IAEI educational seminars in Mexico City possible.
Work is also being done to establish additional chapters in Mexico. A petition for a new Sinaloa Chapter is expected to be approved during the 1998 IAEI Board of Directors meeting. It is anticipated that one or two more chapters will be estab
lished during 1999. With the quality of leadership being demonstrated by IAEI chapter officers and members in Mexico, it is expected that electrical training involving the electrical code and installation practices will expand rapidly and the interest in the work of the chapters will grow. Raising the level of awareness of the need for safe installation and use of electrical systems is a major goal and will ultimately benefit those who use electricity.
Those who need to make contact with the Central Mexico Chapter can do so by contacting Secretary/Treasurer Antonio Macias. His telephone number in Mexico City is 594 91 93. His e-mail address is am5307@servidor.unam.mx. He can also provide information on new IAEI chapters being established in Mexico.
Editor’s Note: Photos from the installation ceremony of the new IAEI chapter in Mexico were incorrectly mixed with another article submitted from Mexico in the September/October magazine. The photos properly belong with the above information.
