Joining nations 1947-1990

JOI I ' G

ATIO NS

national steel consumption; it was therefore proposed that the total steel consumption of IIW member countries should be calculated and that part of the subscription of each country should have the same relationship to the proposed total expenditure as that of its national steel consumption to the total consumption of member countries, the remainder of the subscription being a standard fixed levy. Although reservations were expressed, this method of assessment was adopted, it being recognized that no ideal solution would be found . A popular innovation at the l 988 Assembly was the provision for member societies to take part in demonstrations of welding soft– ware for microcomputers and for delegates to conduct bibliographical searches on on-line databases, including that of the IIW which attracted much interest. Such a demonstration would certainly have amazed the founders of the IIW which celebrated in 1988 the 4oth anniversary of its creation. For the occasion, a special issue was proJuced of Welding in the World which contained much information on the development of the Institute, including an historical article by the former Scientific and Technical Secretary, Mr H Granjon, which he presented verbally at the Opening Ceremony of the Assembly. At the same time the Edstrom medal was awarded to Mr M Evrard and Dr A A Wells. Both had firmly supported IIW activities for many years and had been long-serving Chairmen of Commissions I and X respectively; each was the Director of one of the two institutions which had provided the IIW with offices and secretarial staff since the foundation of the Secretariats. Some four months after the Assembly, the first Regional Congress was held in Hobart, Tasmania in November 1988. It was attended by 300 participants from 34 countries, eight of which were non-member developing countries in the Asian-Pacific region whose delegates were sponsored by either UNIDO or the Australian Government. The emphasis of the Congress was largely on education and training and the conclusions were that a regional Committee should be formed and a regional Commission XIV (and possibly others) set up. These proposals were reported to the Governing Council when it met in Helsinki in September 1989; that concerning the creation of the regional Committee was duly ratified while Commission XIV agreed to set up a regional Commission to advise on training and education in welding in the Asian-Pacific area. In l 989 both the President and the present writer were within a year of the conclusion of their terms of office and their successors