Ontario engineers attend Society AGM
Nearly 150 engineers gather, vote on bylaws

May, 10, 2003
Toronto, Ontario

On Saturday, May 10, 2003, engineers from across the province gathered at Toronto's Westin Prince Hotel for the Annual General Meeting of the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers. Activity at the registration tables was brisk, as close to 150 engineers filled the meeting room over the course of the day.

Along with the annual business meeting and installation of new Board members, this year's event featured a dynamic keynote address from George Roter, President and Co-CEO of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). The day also included discussion of proposed revisions to the Society's bylaws and a series of votes that saw the acceptance of these changes.

The day began with a morning information session set aside for open discussion on the proposed bylaw revisions. The session, led by Past-Chair Robert A. Goodings, P.Eng., and Linda Godel, legal counsel for the Society, saw members put forward a range of questions and comments on each bylaw change.

The work of engineers in the developing world was in the spotlight over lunch, as EWB's George Roter discussed ways in which his group is mobilizing Canadian engineers and engineering students to help solve today's direst human challenges across the globe. Sharing first-hand accounts of his experiences in developing communities, Mr. Roter emphasized the vital role of engineers in achieving UN Millennium Development Goals aimed at drastically reducing poverty and hunger worldwide. (For more information on the activities of Engineers Without Borders, see www.ewb-isf.org.)

Also during lunch, a presentation was made to the York University Engineering Student Society as winners of the Society's Engineering for a lifetime contest. Visit Student Online to view the winners.

The afternoon business meeting was chaired by the Society's outgoing President and Chair, Catherine Karakatsanis, M.E.Sc., P.Eng., who offered a detailed retrospective on the Society's growth and accomplishments in 2002. Later in the meeting, discussion and voting on proposed bylaw changes generated a good deal of debate and commentary from members in attendance. In the end, all motions were carried with a strong majority.

The day concluded with a presentation of the Society's 2002 audited financial statements by outgoing Treasurer Chris Cragg, P.Eng., followed by members' questions and comments from the floor.

"Our AGM is an important opportunity for Society members to evaluate the year's achievements and have a say in our decision-making process," said the Society's new President and Chair, Daniel J. Young, P.Eng. "We were very pleased to see so many engineers in attendance and the discussion and results of the voting were very encouraging."

The Society would like to thank the volunteers and sponsors who made this year's Annual General Meeting a great success.