Chairman's Report for 2013/14 to Fortran SG AGM, 2^nd October 2014

This year I have little to report on my own efforts on behalf of the Group.

Because of a clash of dates with a Birmingham Branch meeting I was organising I was unable to attend the Spring Member Groups Convention on 11th March and unfortunately no one else on the committee was able to attend and represent the Group.

There is to be an Autumn Member Groups Convention on 12th November which will be only for Chairs, Secretaries, Events/Publicity organisers (inc. Social Media) and committee members with Recording/Broadcasting responsibilities; no substitutes will be accepted! I plan to attend and further discussion on who else will be able to come along is on the agenda under item (ix).

I attended the BCS Treasurer's Day at the beginning of March on behalf of our Treasurer, John Reid, and also on behalf of the Treasurers of the Birmingham and Wolverhampton Branch who were not able to attend. We were given guidance on submitting our budget bid for 2014-15 and our supplementary funding request for 2013-14. I am pleased to say that once again BCS has provided funds so that we could help to ensure that the UK was adequately represented at the WG5 meeting held in Las Vegas at the end of June. David Muxworthy will be describing under the next agenda item what has been achieved by the UK participants in Fortran standardisation in the last 12 months.

Speaking of WG5, I am pleased to say that BCS has once again agreed to provide meeting rooms in the London office for the event in August 2105 and the rooms have been booked. Time for further discussion of the arrangements for this meeting is on the agenda under item (ix).

As I have said each year for the last few years, I have been Chairman of the Group for n years, where n=12 on this occasion. I do not wish to become "Chairman for Life"! While I am willing to stand for re-election under item (viii) of today's agenda I will continue to say that I think the Committee and the Group as a whole should consider if we need fresh blood on the Committee and at the head of the Group. We will be discussing the future direction for the Group under item (ix) of the agenda.

I want to take this annual opportunity to thank all the members of the Committee for their assistance in the smooth running of the Group during the past year. especially John Reid, our Treasurer and John Pelan as Vice-Chairman, who through his contacts enables us to organise joint activities with the Institute of Physics Computational Physics Group, such as this afternoon's presentations, and for his thoughts on options to broaden the remit and appeal of the Group, which is also down for discussion under item (ix).

I would also like to mention the willing support which I, wearing numerous hats, have received from the staff at BCS HQ and the London Office, from Judith Taylor and her Member Groups team, especially Mandy Bauer, and Sinead Champ and her colleagues in London.

To finish on a traditional note, if anyone reading this report has any comments or suggestions relating to the Group, its activities or Fortran in general please contact myself or any other member of the Committee. Don't let the fact that we may invite you to help us put your suggestions into practice put you off!

Peter Crouch
Chairman Fortran SG
29^th September 2014

Last modified: Mon 12 Oct 2015 22:30:34