I need to reply to these earlier comments to clarify what I understand
it to be now... (Perhaps if I am mistaken someone from IPC can clarify
this relationship better for the members of this list). 
  
As far as I know, there is no real 'board of directors' for the
Designers Council... There IS an "executive committee" for the Designers
council made up of volunteer designers. They advise, recommend, and
represent the chapters and members to the IPC Representative... Not
nearly the same thing as a "Board of Directors". No real fiduciary
responsibility or liability in the executive committee... ALL the
responsibility and liability lies with the IPC representative... and
ultimately with the IPC Board of Directors. 

That is a significant difference I believe from what you described
although I know what you meant. The DC is by nature very dependant upon
the IPC for its functioning as an organization and this is by design.
But it has and does function in this roll and would not function well
without the volunteer participation and input of volunteers in the
organization preparing and lobbying for designers needs with the IPC to
get things done. 

The IPC has denied our previous inquiries into the potential presence of
a Designer to be on the board of the IPC for some patiently explained
understandable reasons but they have instead appointed representation by
their IPC Board members at our executive committee meetings to
communicate our concerns, wishes, and ideas back to the IPC board. So
they do listen, and act based upon that input and get what they want to
hear from us. 
 
I seem to recall Nelish's presence at a number of our DC executive
meetings in the past. And Dieter is typically always there as an IPC
representative along with Jean Hebeisen. So the BOD of IPC does get
representation from the DC and acts in the IPC's best interest in
creating and disseminating training, workshops and the like to the
designer membership and industry at large. 

 There is really nothing critically wrong with that arrangement as it
is, if it supplies PCB Designers with what they want and need.  Gary
(who still advises and helps) and the designers that currently serve on
the executive committee give of their personal time and effort freely to
that end... and should be honored for that effort and thanked by our
membership for going out of their way to try to bring a better
professional experience to designers all over the world. I think we owe
them a debt of gratitude at the very least for helping to build an
organization that now serves the design community when there really was
nothing else out there for designers before. 

So don't get too discouraged if things aren't as ideal as you would like
them to be... it is what it is, but it can ALSO be whatever we are
willing to make it, with our volunteer effort. It's really up to the
membership what we do with it within the framework that the IPC is
willing to offer. Frankly the DC events I have been to have been filled
with good information that many designers have benefited from... and the
industry as a whole benefits from good designers using standards in
their designs. 
If we want more... we need to make it happen. Leave the negativity out
of it, it won't do anything but discourage those who are somewhat
interested but won't join for sure now that they hear the discontent in
the ranks... 

Give of your experience and self if you can, and try to make it better.
I know I have been able to make a difference to some degree while I was
active in it, and you can too. 



Bill Brooks, CID+

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