It has finally dawned on me just how hard it is to continue to write this Section/Division article, month after month, year after year, without knowing just what the results might be. There just isn't any way to find out if anybody joined their favorite Division just because they read this column. Nor is there really any way to know how many, if any, people actually read this column. I guess that I might just have to resort to having my wife proofread the article before it is submitted, then I will be assured that it will have been read by at least one person. The truth is, just having an article in the newsletter, or having the words posted on a Web site, doesn't guarantee any readership. But, those of us who like to write, I guess, will persevere.

Now, what is on the agenda for this month? There is no question that the re-emergence of the Divisions was highlighted during ISA 2001 and the success of the technical program has to be credited to the renewed interest in Division programming. In the next few years, vigorous efforts will be directed toward making the existing Divisions, as well as soon-to-be formed Divisions, the number one players in the technical programming for the Society once again. We have just started to scrape the surface of a technical "gold mine" when it comes to future programming for conferences and symposia. And lots of you may want to get on board, so to speak, so that you, too, can be a part of this revival of Divisions. Couple the success of Division programming at ISA 2001 with the latest recommendations of the Reinventing Divisions Taskforce and you may have a recipe for success that will be virtually unstoppable.

Now, how can you become a part of this success? Pretty easily if you really want to be. All it takes is the few dollars to join one or more of the 20 Divisions and you are on your way. Think about joining one Division in each of the Departments. Say you are a control systems engineer with a company specializing in the power industry and your expertise is in DCS systems. Well, just sign up for membership in the Power Industry Division (Industries and Sciences Dept.) and the Automatic Controls Division (Automation and Technology Dept.) and see if you don't find the sort of technical support that we all look for as Members of the Society. And if your skills are in sales, investigate the Marketing and Sales Division, one of the fastest growing Divisions. And for all you out there who have ever said, "What's in it for me?". Well, Divisions have it for you, and all you have to do is participate. For more information about the Divisions of the I&S Department, contact Bob Hubby, bob.hubby@msn.com, or for information about the Divisions of the A&T Department, contact me, dutch.keen@att.net.

'til next time,

L.M."Dutch" Keen, P.E.

Section/Division Liaison