44 / 234
THE ART OF GOVERNANCE
While not losing sight of the importance of the business planning cycle, emphasis on
this alone could be wearisome and detract from the well-being of what membership of IIW
was all about. The antithesis to the cold, hard facts of planning the business were the Annual
Assemblies, International Congresses and International Conferences which, in many ways,
were the lifeblood of the Institute and were where the trappings of governance became most
apparent to the membership. Friendships had been built up over numerous years through the
Annual Assemblies and the work of the Commissions, developing common bonds between
members in the best traditions of ‘liberté, égalité, and fraternité’.
The 60th Annual Assembly, held jointly in Dubrovnik and Cavtat,
Croatia, in 2007, epitomised the success of holding meetings of this nature.
This Assembly was a meeting of minds, if one might call it that, when 850
participants, including partners and non-members, attended from 45 different
countries. The engine rooms of the Institute, clearly, were the technical
Working Units – the Commissions, Study Groups and Select Committees
whichmet in full at theseAnnualAssemblies, and at othermeetings throughout
the year. Such meetings contributed significantly to the camaraderie and
harmony that pervaded within IIW as a result of common endeavours. Even
after a long day of presentations, discussions, and the thrashing out of many
resolutions and recommendations for standards, the combined effect of this
was a rewarding experience in itself. Mrs J. Fernandez-Ballesteros (Spain), in
1991 the first female representative member elected as Vice-President on the
Executive Committee, encapsulated this by saying that ‘…the cold, lifeless
exchange of technical information has been made more effective by personal
contact amongst those working in the same countries’. She added further,
‘This has created a greater understanding and has without doubt meant a
significant step forward, not only in technical progress, but also in mutual
respect between all who work in the welding sector around the world.’
10
Meetings, therefore, had their moments and sometimes the elements would conspire
against attendees and no better example can be given than when a terrible snowstorm kept
everyone captive at the International Congress Centre at Stara Lesna, Slovakia, in late
October 2009, working studiously until the blizzard finally abated.
11
A year earlier in Graz, Austria, even torrential rain could not dampen spirits at a
memorable Austrian evening at Kasermatten-Schlossberg. The late arrivals (due to the
rain) prospered most when they were placed in a dry restaurant with panoramic views.
12
In keeping with Austria’s Mozart connections the opening ceremony of the Assembly was
followed by excerpts from
The Magic Flute
, performed by the orchestra and singers of