Director Alan Phillips welcomes the new season with staff additions, committee meetings and improved communications
 Phillips: ‘Institute has gone from humble beginnings to global player in raising professional standards’ |
After the summer break, with batteries hopefully recharged, September brought with it not only the Institute’s flagship occasion – the Prize-giving Awards Luncheon – but also a raft of specialist committee meetings leading up to the Controlling Council meeting on 25-26 October.
This year’s meeting is being hosted by London branch; so our thanks to the branch committee for all their advance preparations. We are also preparing for this year’s annual meeting, scheduled for 25 October. The main item on this year’s agenda is the acceptance of the amended bye-laws. A subcommittee, led by Bruce Ogilvy, has been very busy over the past few months and we are coming to the final stages of the review process. Their proposals have been circulated to members and branches; the comments received will be placed before the Controlling Council later in the month. At the AGM, the approval of the membership will be sought before the amended bye-laws are submitted to the Privy Council for their approval.
Meanwhile, at head office, we welcome new member of staff Duncan Judd. As Membership Project Manager he has a responsibility for improving the benefits ICS offers its members. He has been very busy populating the members’ area of the website. We trust that you support the development and I’m sure Duncan would welcome some feedback. He is also very keen to coordinate some professional development lectures. But rather than just organise them, it would be very useful if you could let us know what topics you would wish to be included.
As a member of a highly respected international professional body it is important that members keep up-to-date with developments in their industry. Please let Duncan know what you want so that we can help you – shipping is a service sector industry where knowledge gives a company a competitive edge. In a further attempt to improve our communications with and services for members, we commissioned Navigate PR, based in the Baltic Exchange, to develop an ICS news ezine. The first edition was distributed to all members whose email address the Institute has on file.
We have also revamped our publicity material, in cooperation with Scholarship Press. Sets of the new corporate carrier and inserts in pdf format have been forwarded to all branches. The corporate carrier is available from head office while the inserts can be printed locally or distributed as an email attachment. Please use them to help market your Institute.
With regard to the Shipping Network magazine, the Council is seeking to balance its editorial content between providing a professional benefit to members through an increase in industryrelated professional articles with membership and Institute news. We are trying to estimate the sort of magazine/journal you, the membership, wish to have. What should we move from the magazine to the ezine and/or members area of the website? Thanks to those members who responded to the Survey Monkey online survey. The Council will analyse the findings of the survey at its meeting in October.
Elsewhere, both the Chairman and Director have been presenting the Institute’s case for professionalism in the shipping industry since the last edition – Chairman Bruce Ogilvy spoke to the Intertan ko associate members while the Director delivered presentations to the Manning and Training conference in St Petersburg and at the Galbraiths’ Shipping Course. We firmly believe that it is important that the Institute continues to seek out and take opportunities to present its very strong “professional” case.
And as we approach our centenary in 2011, we can reflect that the Institute has gone from humble beginnings to a global player in the raising of professional standards in shipping worldwide. The Council believes that we should celebrate these achievements appropriately. To that end we would be grateful if you would let us have your thoughts on how you wish the past 100 years to be celebrated. I am sure that Kevin Shakesheff, who is masterminding the event, would welcome your thoughts and offers of assistance, please email kshakesheff@casperltd.com.
So, as you can read, there continues to be a great deal going on in your Institute worldwide and ICS qualifications are still held in high esteem by the shipping industry worldwide.
Alan Phillips
Director
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