44 Fall / Automne 2017 In addition to this small-group session, there was also a break- out session on MOVE; a com- munity outreach project spon- sored by IEEE USA. This start- ed as a section project where members outfitted a vehicle to provide some communications and limited power to assist communities facing a natural disaster. When not providing disaster assistance, it is used for community outreach to bring more awareness of IEEE to the general public. More information is at http:// move.ieeeusa.org/ Other presentations included information on the major IEEE boards (e.g. Technical Activities, Educational Activities) and what they offer for sections. I also found the networking at SC very valuable. I had discus- sions with Section representa- tives from IEEE Canada and around the world, and compared section issues and solutions with them. All sections encounter similar problems with the ups and downs of member involve- ment and it is good to compare ideas and understand your par- ticular section is not alone. The MGA Outstanding Section awards are also presented at Sections Congress. Two awards went to Region 7. I am proud to announce that the Southern Al- berta Section won the Outstand- ing Medium Section award, and London Section won the Out- standing Small Section Award. Congratulations to the London Section; and many thanks to the members and volunteers of both sections that have made this rec- ognition possible. Dale Tardiff Innovative Power Solutions, Inc. Section Chair, Southern Alberta THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME to attend Sections Congress. I attended as the Primary Sec- tion Delegate from Southern Alberta Section (SAS). The congress was worthwhile for the information presented and the people I met. Shan Pand- her also attended from SAS as the secondary delegate, coming away with some good ideas for the section. SC was very informative, with booths and presentations cov- ering a large variety of IEEE services volunteers can take advantage of. The major tools and services were presented in large-group sessions. Small- group sessions were more spe- cifically targeted. Of particular interest to me go- ing in was to learn about pro- jects that sections can under- take to engage their members. There was such a small-group session Shan and I attended; it turned out to be very popu- lar. By the end, we had several good ideas for possible section projects. For SAS, a humanitar- ian outreach project would have wide appeal. Humanitarian Appeal BY DALE TARDIFF SECTIONS CONGRESS WAS a tremendous success. It al- lowed us to explore how we can offer more opportunities to our members here in Vancou- ver and all across Canada. The Vancouver delegation met dele- gates from all over the world to share ideas and best prac- tices. We saw a presentation on the IEEE Xtreme 24-Hour Programming Competition, and how it is now a major success that we want to encour- age all students and professors to contribute to. There were presentations on how to make IEEE Day a greater success. We intend this year to organize an IEEE Day event across four sections (Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Portland) to generate a greater sense of community. There was the IEEE Move Hu- manitarian Truck Initiative; we will investigate how to launch a similar program here in Can- ada. There were many other programs that were presented that we can bring back to im- prove the experience and op- portunities for IEEE members here. Many thanks to Witold Kinsner, Maike Luiken and all the IEEE Canada executive for organizing R7 participation in this event. Guillaume Boisset Sierra Wireless Section Vice-Chair, Vancouver All about ideas BY GUILLAUME BOISSET BEING RELATIVELY NEW TO the IEEE community, I did not know what to expect at the 2017 Sections Congress. My exposure to the organiza- tion had been mainly through technical conferences confined to the narrow scope of my field of academic research. By the end of the first day, I gained a greater appreciation for the breadth, depth, and reach of the IEEE and the important role it plays in advancing science and technology around the globe. Of particularly interest to me were presentations by mem- bers of the IEEE Society on So- cial Implications of Technol- ogy (SSIT), specifically those of Mr. Paul Cunningham. During these presentations I learned of the sustainable development initiatives being spearheaded by IEEE in Africa and Central America. I had no idea that IEEE was making that kind of impact. I also had the opportunity to meet a lot of interesting and fun people. In particular, I attended several network- ing events organized by IEEE Young Professionals (YP), and found the activities engaged in by many of those attending to be highly motivating. Finally, our Region held a stra- tegic planning session at the tail end of the Sections Con- gress. During this time we put forth ideas that will help us set a trajectory that is aligned with IEEE’s goals for the future. I returned home with a better perspective on where my Sec- tion stands and a handful of ideas to help us improve. P. Travis Jardine, Royal Military College of Canada Section Secretary, Kingston Breadth, depth and reach of IEEE BY P. TRAVIS JARDINE, IEEE’s Mobile Outreach VEhicle (MOVE) program assists in natural disasters with short-term communications