ADVENTURES OF AN ITINERANT NAVAL ARCHITECT – Part One
January – March 2013
Peter Noble, SNAME President
It has been a very busy but enjoyable 3 months since I took on the role of President of our Society.
As many of you know, my career (approaching 50 years) has taken me to many parts of the world but one thing that has remained constant has been my involvement with SNAME. The last 3 months have been no exception. My travels have taken my around North America and internationally to Asia and the UK.
During these travels I have met with many members and also with a number of sister societies and I am pleased to report that our chosen profession is well respected and in high demand in many places in the world.
While in Singapore in late January, I met with the leadership of the Singapore Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, SNAMES, to explore ways to cooperate more closely. I met with them again recently in London when Tom Mackey, SNAME representative to the World Maritime Technology Congress, WMTC, Todd Grove, Chair of the 2015 WMT Conference which SNAME will host and myself attended the 2013 Spring Meeting of the WMT Congress. Other societies represented at the meeting were IMarEST, RINA and SUT from the UK, along with Shanghai Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers, Singapore SNAME, the Indian Institute of Marine Engineers, and The Russian National Scientific and Technical Society for Shipbuilding, NTOS, which hosted the WMT Conference in 2012.
Further, while in London Tom Mackey and myself met with a group of local SNAME members who are interested in establishing a UK Section of our Society. Watch for more information on this soon.
Another outstanding event in which Tom, Todd and I took part was the annual dinner for IMarEST held in the Guildhall, a building which was erected in the early 1400s. I was reminded of the long tradition of our own profession when one of my dinner companions explained that one of the City of London livery companies, the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights had a 700 year tradition!
I also had the opportunity to visit Strathclyde University, in Glasgow, one the leading UK institution teaching naval architecture and marine engineering, and gave a couple of seminars to students, research staff and faculty, including one on the importance to graduates of active participation in professional societies. We may see a new Student Section there before long
While international travel is interesting, the most rewarding part of my first 3 months in office has been my visits to our members in Sections around North America. I have long held the belief that our Sections are the real engines of our Society, where members actively engage in networking, where younger members are mentored, where new leaders are created, where current technology and design developments are presented etc. Even I, however, was surprised by the enthusiasm I found on my visits. I started by taking part in the Texas Section 18th Offshore Symposium on Feb 7, well attended by 165 persons, followed the next week with a visit to the Great Lakes-Great Rivers Section where more than 60 members attended a 2 day Winter Meeting in Cleveland and heard a number of papers on LNG as Marine Bunkers.
We also held our first Executive Committee meeting of my term in Cleveland as a way to bring the Society leadership a little closer to the grass-roots membership of our society.
February 20-21 found me in Ottawa taking part in a very well attended (>220 persons) two day Symposium organized by the Eastern Canadian Section and the Canadian Institute of Marine Engineers. A quick trip back to Texas to pick up a change of clothes and then on to San Diego to visit with the SW Section at their well attended Symposium on Ship Costs on Saturday 23 Feb.
While on the west coast I took the opportunity to visit the Northern California Section at a regular Section Meeting in Alameda on Feb 27, again very well attended.
Going back to international activities, I am very pleased to report that our international student sections are thriving and increasing in number. In the past year or so we have initiated active Student Sections in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico and each of these student groups has a strong local faculty Advisor and a dedicated volunteer from the Texas Section as a liaison to SNAME. We are looking forward to having a number of these students attend the upcoming Offshore Technology Conference in May along with student from our existing Student Sections, all of whom will be welcomed into our expanding Mentor-for-a-Day program.
Looking ahead, I can report that planning for our 2013 Annual Meeting which will be held in Bellevue WA in November is well in hand and from what I have seen we will have an exceptional technical program including some unique hands-on events.
I hope to continue my visits to Sections throughout my tenure and look forward to meeting as many of you as possible and hearing what you are doing for SNAME and what SNAME can do for you.
Fair winds and following seas,
Peter G. Noble