IIW History 1990-2015

t he means of communication takes many forms. It can be in the written sense or it can be verbal. It can be in the form of documentation or it can be as a result of seminars, or similar gatherings, or it can be accessed through electronic and social media such as messaging and websites, or by visual means through media presentations and the like. There are numerous means of communication that cover the full spectrum of activities that are involved in the running of a worldwide organisation such as IIW. From its very beginning, the IIW Secretariat

was the central hub aroundwhich all communication systems emanated and gradually it became the source of all aggregated information coming from the activities of the IIWWorking Units. Clearly, the Secretariat served as the repository for exchange of information and knowledge on all things pertaining to welding and its associated activities. The foundation for effective communication was initially well recognised by Mr Guy Parsloe (UK),

FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION To ensure the Commissions were not working in isolation, the practice of circulating minutes to Chairs of other Commissions commenced in 1951, eventually leading to the start of regular meetings of Commission Chairs in March 1953 for the purpose of discussing matters of mutual interest. The main reason for convening such meetings was to achieve the ‘harmonious execution of complex work programmes for all Commissions’. Parsloe was influential in producing the first Annual Report of the Executive Council and Secretariat Secretary General of IIW 1948-1966. Being an historian he was particularly interested in the dissemination of information and a strong advocate of the Institute’s involvement in documentation and terminology, which attracted little support from the majority of engineers. 1 The means of communication was quite ponderous in these early years and was dependent to a large extent on a process of typing and copying, then the distribution of documents by hand or through a slow and sometimes unreliable mailing system. Great emphasis was placed on verbal reports by the Chair of Commissions. These reports were not recorded or translated into official documents.