SPE Membership Survey - Divisions
Last month I shared the results of SPE’s Member Value survey discussing Sections. This article is reprinted from the Divisions’ section of the study.

Awareness of Division membership peaks among the leadership, consultants, and retired members, with more than 75% in each of these segments indicating they are Division members. In contrast, only 29.8% of the just-joined individuals say they are Division members. Significant numbers of members in this latter segment are also unaware of their Division membership status, with nearly one-third (32.8%) professing uncertainty. The only other segment that exceeds this level is the student segment, with 43.6% uncertain of their Division membership status. Members outside the U.S. are more uncertain of their Division status than are their U.S.-based peers (only 45.4% of non-U.S. members say they are Division members versus 57.9% of U.S. members). Article.

Executive Director

July 2007 Financial Report
The July financial dashboard and consolidated income statement are attached. July showed a slight increase in revenue, but not much has changed in terms of the overall picture for SPE. SPE experienced a good ANTEC, but had poor results for Plastics Engineering magazine in the beginning of this year, which is bringing down the overall financial picture for SPE. In addition, there have been slower than projected schedules and attendance at the early-year SPE seminars and e-Live™ presentations. These are, however, showing better progress as we head into the second half of this year. Advertising revenues for Plastics Engineering are also picking up for July through December, but are still significantly off budget. Report.

IRS Issues Redesigned Form 990
On June 14, 2007, the IRS released the first major redesign of Form 990 for tax-exempt organizations since 1979. The new draft 990 consists of a 10-page core form to be completed by each filing organization, along with 15 separate schedules requiring specific information only from organizations engaged in particular activities, such as fundraising, non-cash charitable contributions, loans, tax-exempt bonds, etc.

The IRS is soliciting comments on the core form and the schedules. The comment period lasts until September 14, 2007. Click here to download and/or review the draft of the redesigned Form 990.

ANTEC 2008 Plenary Speakers Announced
Leading futurist Ed Barlow will present his take on the future of industry and the global economy with his plenary address titled “A Journey Through the 21st Century” on Monday, May 5.

William Banholzer, Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, The Dow Chemical Company, will address “Challenges and Opportunities in Future Feedstocks for the Plastics Industry” during his plenary session on Tuesday, May 6.

Both presentations will take place at the Midwest Express Center, Milwaukee, WI. For more information on these presentations, click here.

ANTEC™ 2008 and Plastics Encounter
SPE and Plastics News will again co-locate their events in 2008. The combined conference and exhibition will be held at the Midwest Express Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from May 4 through May 8. For developing information, please visit the ANTEC website or the Plastics Encounter website.

ANTEC Abstract and Paper Deadlines
The ANTEC abstract deadline is October 15, and the paper submission deadline is December 3. An abstract is not required in order to submit a paper. For more information on the ANTEC 2008 Technical Program or to submit an abstract, click here.

2008 Annual Awards Program
Recognizing outstanding individuals for their work in the plastics industry is the focus of SPE’s Annual Awards Program. We invite you to nominate someone you know who is deserving of one of these prestigious awards!

The International Award – recognizing outstanding lifetime achievements in plastics
Annual Awards – recognizing outstanding contributions in the following fields: Business Management - Engineering/Technology - Research – Education - Benefit to Society.

Think about someone you know from your Section or Division or SIG or company. Would your company CEO be a good nominee for the Business Management Award? Maybe one of the folks you know who works in R&D should be nominated for the Engineering/Technology or Research Award. And how about nominating that Department Chair or Professor at a school near you for the Education Award? The Benefit to Society Award is given in recognition of work that has truly benefited the general public - medical applications and health-related applications are prime candidates for this award.

Applications are available on the SPE website, or may be requested from Gail Bristol at SPE HQ. The nomination deadline is November 15, 2007.

2007-08 Leadership Rosters Still Needed!
If you have not yet shared your group's 2007-08 leadership roster with SPE Headquarters, please be certain to contact Tricia McKnight at your earliest opportunity - +1 203-740-5430. It is vital that we have a way to communicate important SPE information with the leaders of the Society.

Effective work relationships form the cornerstone for success and satisfaction with your job and your career. How important are effective work relationships? Effective work relationships form the basis for promotion, pay increases, goal accomplishment, and job satisfaction.

These are the top seven ways you can play well with others at work. They form the basis for effective work relationships. These are the actions you want to take to create a positive, empowering, motivational work environment for people.

September Council Meeting
By now, all Councilors should have received information on the September Council Meeting, which included the attendance/proxy form, a tentative meeting schedule, and a hotel reservation form. Be sure to make your hotel reservations before the August 23rd cut-off date and return your attendance/proxy form to Marie Salzo as soon as possible. If you’re a new Councilor, and have not received any information on the meeting, please contact Marie immediately!

Product Focus
Did you know that each advertiser in Plastics Engineering receives a web advertisement in a special section of the SPE website called Product Focus? This special section offers PE advertisers a spot on our website that links directly to their corporate website.

If you or your company are looking for a product or service, be sure to check out Product Focus to see if one of our advertisers has what you need. And if you contact advertisers for additional information, be sure to let them know you saw their ad in Plastics Engineering or on the SPE website!

Faculty Advisors Earn Free Membership
Did you know that as the Faculty Advisor to an SPE Student Chapter, you can earn free membership in SPE? If your Student Chapter has ten Student Members, your membership is complimentary! This is not an automatic process, however, so please check with our Customer Relations Department to verify your eligibility.

As you prepare for the coming school year, make sure you have a supply of applications on hand to give out to the students in your classes. You may want to provide copies of our Student Member benefits sheet to potential members as well. And be sure to tell your students to check out the SPE Student Zone for information on programs and activities specific to them.

2008 Scholarship Application Available
The SPE Foundation 2008 Scholarship brochure/application is available for interested students who will be attending college in the 2008-2009 school year. General Foundation Scholarships range up to $4,000/year. Special Scholarships requiring specific knowledge or background range up to $7,500/year.

Three new scholarships have been added this year:
Injection Molding Division Scholarship – One award of $3,000 will be made to a graduate or undergraduate student with experience in the injection molding industry (courses taken, research conducted, or jobs held).
Pittsburgh Section Scholarships – Up to two awards of $2,000 will be made to graduate or undergraduate students who graduated from high school in specific western Pennsylvania counties.
Thermoplastic Elastomers Special Interest Group Scholarship – One award of $1,000 will be made to a graduate or undergraduate student with experience in the thermoplastic elastomers industry (courses taken, research conducted, or jobs held).

Applications for these, and all other Foundation scholarships, are available on the Foundation website or can be requested from Gail Bristol at SPE HQ. The application deadline is January 15, 2008.

Retention Tip of the Month
Remind suspended members with a 6/30/2007 paid-through date about the importance of renewing by August 31, 2007! If they renew within 60 days of their paid-through date, they will retain their original join date with the Society. Otherwise, they risk losing a record of their years of participation with SPE.

It is easy to determine who these members are. Log into your data download webpage and open your group’s suspended member roster. Sort by paid-through date to identify those members who are approaching the 60-day window. Reach out to all the other suspended members and encourage them to renew too!

Have an idea to share? Email it to Tobi Gebauer.

Extrusion Seminar/Workshop in Connecticut
Fall is a beautiful time in the Northeast! And what better place to be than Mystic, Connecticut – home to Mystic Seaport, Mystic Aquarium, the USS Nautilus Museum and Submarine Base – and the SPE Extrusion of Engineering Plastics Seminar and Workshop.

Encourage your members to join us from October 15-17 for this special seminar featuring laboratory sessions at Davis-Standard. The seminar has been developed for plant managers, production engineers and process engineers, as well as extrusion supervisors and technicians. It provides a simplified and thorough treatment of the extrusion of engineering plastics and exotic polymers. For more information on the entire program, and to register, click here.

Draft of Redesigned Form 990
The IRS has released a draft copy of a redesigned Form 990 and is soliciting comments on this new form. See Timely Topics above for more information.

Employment Anniversaries
Congratulations are extended to SPE staff celebrating employment anniversaries this month: Dan Domoff (21 years), Alyson Tabot (11 years), Cheryl Peatfield (5 years).