International Hydrofoil Society...
On April 11, 2007, the IHS Board of Directors met to agree on conducting a survey with our membership to aid the IHS in further understanding the expertise and interests of all our members. This information will be used to tailor the Societys emphasis and activities in the future.
On June 2, 2004, the IHS Board of Directors met to discuss the final outcome of the Planning Process that the Board started last year. As I have related in recent Presidents Columns of the IHS Newsletters, the Board embarked on a program to lay out plans for the future of the Society. Under the leadership of Dennis Clark (as facilitator), the Board established 5 Goals with positive observations and areas needing improvement for each of them. This was followed by defining Desired Outcomes for each Goal. Subsequently, Priorities in terms of A, B, C, and D, were established.
Located below are the results that summarize the Goals and their Observations from our planning sessions, and the resulting Desired Outcomes that will guide the implementation of the 5 goals. The Goals are listed in order with their Observations followed by the Desired Outcomes
I need to make it clear that most of our Board members are very much occupied carrying out the daily tasks required to keep the Society running. The Board members CANNOT do it all! So please take time to review this material and volunteer some of YOUR time to help where you believe you can. The IHS can use your active support no matter what your expertise in any given area. Please select the area(s) where you wish to help by identifying the GOAL No.(s) and Desired Outcome No.(s). Then please notify me (John Meyer, IHS President ) and Dennis Clark ASAP. Please also make any suggestions you may have about HOW the IHS may reach the Desired Outcomes. Subsequently, you will be contacted since there may be others who will want to participate in the same or related area.
7. Bulletin Board (A Global Repository)
8. Global Connectivity
17. Knowledge Gateway (Links and references)
9. Web Site Needs Improvement (Organization, FAQ’s, Navigation, Video)
14. Improve Viability of Newsletter (increase support for original articles and shorten the time to publish)
* Blue are positive observations; Others are areas needing improvement
Desired Outcomes
Priorities are in terms of A, B, C, and D
1. Website maintained at least at current level of content. A
2. Website automation expanded in selected areas both structurally and with better organization and navigational aids. . B
3. Website staffing increased by a minimum of two volunteers to assist Bill White. B
4. Bulletin Board effectiveness maintained at current level as a minimum. A
5. Links expansion continued. A
6. Website video capability established. D
7. Establish IHS liaison with RINA and other societies. C
8. Two board members to assist the Newsletter Editor in obtaining, screening and editing a goal of 3 additional member- authored articles per issue. A
13. Significant Technical Influence
5. Need Roadmap for Formal Knowledge (Bibliography?)
7. Hydrofoil Design Criteria Not Published
18. Gather and Preserve personal Experience Files
19. Improve Relations with the Russians
Priorities are in terms of A, B, C, and D
1. Issue CD #3. C
2. Provision of “roadmap” for CDs. B
3. Provision of annotation for documents on CDs. B
4. Establishment of linkage of CDs to other pertinent data bases (SNAME, FFI, etc.) (part of “roadmap”). D
5. Provision of hydrofoil design tutorial. B
6. Expand, reorganize, and update personal experience files. C
7. Make members aware of critical hydrofoil documentation available on AMV CDs such as Hydrofoil Design Criteria, and the ANVCE Hydrofoil Assessment A
8. Improvement of content and scheduling of Troika dinners. A
9. Consolidate and edit design criteria information submitted by members via the BBS and incorporate into the website A.
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Goal # 3 – Membership
The IHS desires to retain and expand its existing hydrofoil knowledge inventory. In addition, financial support for these and other society activities will continue to be provided primarily through annual dues. Accordingly, the IHS must endeavor to increase its membership base by vigorous recruiting of new members and by increasing the value of membership to both new and existing members.
1. Obtaining New Members (goal = 4 per quarter)
2. Level of Internal Participation
11. Networking Membership (e-mails, names)
12. Fellowship (Quarterly Meetings)
14. Sustains Operational Community ( PHM & International)
4. Need “Young Blood” (Replacement for leadership and support)
10. Membership Volatility (Retention issue)
16. Membership Knowledge Inventory (data base of experts)
18. Increase Operator Participation (i.e. more about cost of operations) Improve Value of membership
* Blue are positive observations; Others are areas needing improvement
Desired Outcomes
Priorities are in terms of A, B, C, and D
1. Enhance the value of IHS membership and improve recruiting/retention methodology. A
2. Establishment of national and international corporate memberships with suitable incentives, including corporate visibility in the NL and website, individual memberships, etc. (involvement of worldwide hydrofoil designers, builders and operators at the corporate level). A
3. Accomplishment of an increase in membership worldwide of at least 4 per quarter. A
4. Establishment, and distribution to members, of a member “knowledge inventory”. B
3. Lack of Academic Support
4. Links to Academic Engineering Departments (weak)
6. Need an Educational Strategy
12. Improve Interaction with Museums (exhibits, virtual museum)
17. (Sponsor) Hydrofoil Design Competition
* Blue are positive observations; Others are areas needing improvement
Desired Outcomes
Priorities are in terms of A, B, C, and D
1. Reestablishment of contacts with Naval Architecture schools worldwide starting with the 14 respondents to the CD#1 offer (include at least the 51 who received the original letter). Include an offer of a free CD#2 and introduce IHS, the website etc., soliciting student and faculty membership via their email distribution lists . A
2. Mailing of free newsletters to libraries of all responding Universities. A
3. Solicitation of participation in IHS educational activities on the part of the University faculties. B
4. Complete study of potential of IHS sponsorship of a hydrofoil or hydrofoil hybrid passenger/car ferry design competition. B
5. Establishment of contacts with at least ten worldwide maritime museums to encourage, and support, the development of hydrofoil exhibits (to include models, photos, videos etc.) B
6. Compilation of a database of available hydrofoil models and videos worldwide. D
7. Solicitation of sponsorship for the IHS museum initiative by the Smithsonian Maritime Curator. B
8. Maintenance of contacts with 28 embassy naval attaches. C
15. Store-like” Financial System (i.e. Pay Pal)
16. Society Leadership (Competent People)
17. Effective Execution of Activities
5. Membership Support (Limited help)
8. IHS Overall Plan / Roadmap (needs to be developed)
11. Expand the Scope of the Society to include AMV’s *
13. (Need) a Communications Strategy (for getting the word out)
14. Publicizing Local Meetings (get twice the people compare to now)
23. Need a Government Advocate
* Blue are positive observations; Others are areas needing improvement
Desired Outcomes
Priorities are in terms of A, B, C, and D
1. Establishment of government IHS advocate(s). C
2. Establishment of expanded industry IHS support. A
3. Achievement of a minimum of 60-70 % Board member attendance at bi-monthly Board meetings. A
4. Achievement of 100% participation in Board meetings through attendance and pre-meeting e-mails. A
5. Identification of “replacement/understudy” individuals for key IHS management posts (“young blood”). B
6. Completion and publication of an “IHS Plan” as a result of this planning effort. A
7. Maintenance of a balanced budget with some surplus available for efforts such as CDs. B
8. Expanded participation, in IHS management, of offshore Board members and correspondents. D
9. Establishment of a “real-time” on line IHS member address directory (help for Steve – can be limited access). D
10. Centralization of distribution of all items orderable from the website (including production of all CDs by Lee Dick). A
International Hydrofoil Society
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