From the President of INCE (Sept 2019)
The Spanish Acoustical Society (SEA) was the host for the very successful INTER-NOISE 2019 congress in Madrid. The main organizers were Antonio Perez Lopez, Antonio Calvo-Manzano, and Salvador Santiago from SEA, plus Jorge Patricio from the Portuguese Acoustical Society, and they were ably assisted by a team of enthusiastic acousticians from the region, all of whom deserve thanks for their efforts. Not only was it the time for the congress but it was also a celebration for the 50th anniversary of the SEA. There is a full report on this congress elsewhere in this issue, but I wish to particularly mention the honor bestowed on the I-INCE. The Caracola SEA is the highest award of the Spanish Acoustical Society, and it was presented to I-INCE during the congress for “the important contributions of I-INCE on promoting Noise Control all over the world through the organization of the INTER-NOISE congresses and your strong support to our Association.” The award comprises a three-dimensional solid bronze sculpture in the shape of a shell fixed to a wooden base. The award was received by three persons from I-INCE: the past president Joachim Scheuren, the president Marion Burgess, and the president-elect Robert Bernhard. It has now traveled to Korea to be on the table at the board meeting to be held in conjunction with the INTER-NOISE 2020 in Seoul.
The time of the congress is also the time for the meeting of the board of I-INCE and the general assembly of member organizations. In addition to the business undertaken during the year by email, these meetings are important to manage the affairs of the institute. The board meets on Saturday afternoon and again on Wednesday evening, and the general assembly meets on Sunday before the congress opens.
The terms for the board members are between three and four years and the bylaws define that any member can only serve two terms in the same position, unless there are exceptional circumstances. At the end of 2019, the terms of a number of board members come to an end. The board and general assembly approved the recommendations from the nominating committee for the 2020 board composition. There will be three automatic changes. The term of the past president, Joachim Scheuren, ends; however, he has been reappointed as a distinguished board member for 2020, to complete the work associated with the legal status for I-INCE plus work on the planning for the 50th anniversary celebration in 2021 at the time of INTER-NOISE in Washington. The current president becomes past president, and Robert Bernhard becomes president. Luigi Maffei becomes the president-elect for the period 2020–22. Paul Donovan has been reappointed as secretary general for 2020–21, and Otto von Estorff has been elected as a distinguished board member to assist with updating administrative tasks and tools. Doug Manvell has accepted another term as treasurer. We will welcome to the board Gijsjan van Blokland as vice president development and outreach and Antonio Perez-Lopez as a director for INTER-NOISE 2019. Following a vote, the general assembly elected John Davy to serve a term as director-at-large for Asia Pacific.
The I-INCE is strongly supporting the International Year of Sound in 2020 (IYS2020). This is an initiative from the International Commission for Acoustics (ICA) with the intent that there will be a particular focus on the importance of sound, and of course, that includes the control of noise, in our world. I-INCE also encourages all member organizations to consider some form of outreach activity in their region in 2020. The activity can take any form but should aim to engage with the wider community and enhance the understanding and appreciation of sound. The ICA has set up a website where organizations can post their events, gain the authority to use the IYS2020 logo, and then provide a report on their activity, which will comprise the historical record for IYS2020 (for more information, visit http://sound2020.org/).
Marion Burgess
President, I-INCE
