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How to Form a Technical Group

An expanding area of Section activity has been the Technical Groups. These groups generally deal with a single specialized field of Civil Engineering and serve the needs and interests of the regional members. Any Section may form technical groups. How do you do it? Following is a recommended procedure to form a viable and effective technical group.

1. Meet with your Section's Board of Direction requesting their initial approval and assistance in planning for the technical group.

2. Those proposing to form the group should get together to draft a set of bylaws and elect temporary officers to handle the formation, organization and initial operations of the group. Submit a package to the Section's Board of Direction officially requesting the formation of the technical group. This package should contain:

The name of the group.
A brief statement of the technical group's objectives, and some indication of how the group will be of advantage to the members.
A brief statement of the technical group's officers (chairperson, secretary, etc.)
A list of current membership and some indication of the projected size of the technical group.

3. The Section secretary will notify Society Headquarters by letter when official action has been taken by the Section Board of Direction endorsing the formation of the technical group. Such notification shall contain the following information:

A statement indicating endorsement of the formation of the technical group by the Section's Board of Direction.
The names and titles of the group's officers (chairperson, secretary, etc.) and the current size and projected size of the technical group.
A brief statement of the technical group's objectives.
The proposed bylaws for the group.
A brief indication of the necessary revisions to the Section Constitution to officially encompass the Technical Group.
Any additional information which the Section may wish to submit to record the formation of the technical group.

4. Upon receipt of notification, the Executive Director shall refer the request to the Council of Vice Presidents for review and approval. Once approved at this level, the technical group is formed.