August 2003
Dear Member,
Welcome to the new programme for the 2003/2004 season of branch meetings.
This is my first year as Chairman of the branch, and I am looking forward to the challenges and duties that this role entails. I have been a member of the BCS for over 10 years and with the Oxfordshire Branch for the past 5. I would like to thank the new committee for helping me into this role, and for the help and support they will give me during my term as Chairman. I would also like to thank Geoff Stone, our retiring chairman, for the work he did during his term of office, and for taking on the role of Deputy Chairman, to assist me in my role. Full details of all the committee members are available on the branch website.
This year’s programme brings together a range of different topics, from the history of computing by the Computer Conservation Society to the latest technology with Real-Time computing at Wimbledon by IBM. We hope that the programme provides something of interest to all our members. Our meetings continue to be held at the Wolfson building, Oxford University.
We are following on from our recent successful ‘Meet the Committee’ evenings with Autumn and Spring Symposiums. The format of these social evenings will remain unchanged. The evening is an opportunity for networking and to talk with the committee and other members on a variety of topics. These meetings will continue to be held in the back room of the Lamb and Flag public house on St Giles, Oxford and are open to all members and non-members.
As you are aware, the BCS is proposing changes to the Governance and Membership structure. These changes are proposed to encourage an increased membership, and also to allow the society to grow stronger and more relevant in today’s rapidly changing environment. All full members have the right to vote on the changes, and I encourage everyone to take that right to ensure that the society is moved into a situation where it can prosper in our changing industry. Details of the EGM and the proposed changes are available at http://www.bcs.org/thewayforward [not any longer – Ed]. Members will be able to make postal votes, and details of this will be sent out nearer the time.
During the past year, we have had a popular series of presentations, with an excellent attendance to all meetings. The Schools Web Competition was another success, with all the children taking part having a good time, and enjoying the educational experience! We thank all our sponsors, without whom we would not have been able to run the competition. We hope to build on these successes in the coming years. We are always open to new members, and suggestions. If you would like to discuss any ideas, questions or advice, then I would encourage you to contact us by e-mail at committee (at) bcsoxon.org or by completing the form on our website at http://www.oxon.bcs.org/.
Meetings are available to both members and non-members, so we’d encourage you to display the calendar on the reverse of this letter, so that everyone can find out about the meetings. We look forward to meeting you during the coming year, and hope that you enjoy our programme of meetings.
Robert Ward
Chairman, BCS Oxfordshire Branch
