IEEE Life Members Affinity Group Management and Procedures

This page describes Life Member positions and Life Member Affinity Group administrative requirements and activities.

General Affinity Group management

  • Responsibility for Life Members Affinity Group management shall rest with the Section/Council, which shall have control of all financial and other aspects of the Affinity Group in carrying out its activities.
  • Reasonable efforts should be made to notify all members of meetings. Methods of communication could be hard copy distributions, email distributions in keeping with IEEE email policies, and Affinity Group website updates. Not less than once a year, a hard copy mailing should be sent to the active Affinity Group membership, including at least the following information: how to remain in the IEEE Life Members listing and how members may update their contact information in the IEEE master database. The Life Members Affinity Group may serve non-members wishing to receive meeting announcements or other Life Members Affinity Group publications. 

Regional Life Members Coordinator positions

A Regional Life Members Coordinator will be appointed by the Region Director.

The Regional Life Members Coordinator will be a member of the Region Committee.

Responsibilities of the Regional Life Members Coordinator include:

  • Act on behalf of the Region Director in establishing IEEE Life Members Affinity Groups in the Sections of the Region. Any expenses needed for a Group's first meeting would be covered by funds available from the IEEE Life Members Committee, through the Life Members Group Activities Coordinator.
  • Receive Life Members Group rosters, to include Group members and Officers, from Life Members Group Chairs, and forward the rosters to the IEEE Member and Geographic Activities (MGA) Department.
  • At the end of each year, receive a brief summary of Life Members Group activities and a budget proposal for the next year from each Group.
  • Forward the above mentioned documents (with remarks or proposals) to the Committee's Life Members Group Activities Coordinator.
  • At the end of each year, send a summary of the Region's Life Members Group expenditures to Life Members Committee Support Staff.
  • Advise the Life Members Affinity Group Activities Coordinator of situations and trends of interest regarding Life Members Groups and advise the Region Director of activities pertinent to Life members in the Region.

The Life Members Group Activities Coordinator and each Regional Life Members Coordinator are authorized an annual budget of a sum not exceeding US$500 each. This funding is to be used for organizational and administrative purposes to assist in activities of existing Life Members Groups and the formation of new Groups. 

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Life Members Affinity Group Coordinator position

The Life Member Committee (LMC) Chair will appoint from among the Committee members a Life Members Affinity Group Coordinator, who will have the following responsibilities:

  • Act on behalf of the LMC Chair in keeping contact with the Regional Life Members (LM) Coordinators and bringing their requests to the LMC.
  • Present to the LMC an annual report on Life Members Group activities, based on the reports of the Regional LM Coordinators.
  • Advise the LMC on objectives, activities, and trends of interest regarding Life Members Affinity Group activities. 

Affinity Group officer positions

Officers of the Life Members Affinity Group shall be at least a Chair and a Vice Chair. 

  • Each member of the Life Members Affinity Group Committee shall have attained IEEE Life member status and be an IEEE member of Member, Senior Member, or Fellow grade.
  • The Affinity Group Chair shall serve as Chair for all meetings. Duties include oversight and/or coordination of the Affinity Group activities, submission of brief summary of activities, and submission of reimbursement forms to the Regional Life Members Coordinator.
  • The Affinity Group Vice Chair shall assist the Chair in the coordination of all activities.  At the request of the Chair or in the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall chair meetings of the Affinity Group.

All officers shall be elected annually. The term of office for all officers shall normally be one year, but may continue until a successor has been duly elected and take office. The term of office will date from 1 January through 31 December.

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Requirements for membership, meetings, and activity
  • A Life Members Affinity Group shall be required to maintain a membership of not fewer than six (6) members and to hold not less than two programs per year, or to maintain a level of activity acceptable to the Regional Life Members Coordinator.
  • A Life Members Affinity Group shall submit annually a meeting report, a roster of officers, and a budget proposal for the next year, to the Regional Life Members Coordinator. 

Financial management of Affinity Group funds 

  • Funds within the Life Members Affinity Group, from whatever source derived, are the property of IEEE, and shall not be used for purposes other the normal operations of the Affinity Group as defined in the MGA Operations Manual/IEEE Bylaws or published interpretation of policy, without prior authorization of MGA, unless otherwise published.
  • Funds derived from member dues shall not be used for scholarships, fellowships, and other education awards. The award activities shall be supported by funds from activities all or in part specifically directed to such usage. Contributions may be accepted for such use, and donations should be encouraged by the use of tax-exempt mechanisms.
  • Life Members Affinity Groups shall have the right to obligate their funds for all purposes necessary to promote their objectives, except that no Affinity Group or any officer or representative thereof shall have any authority to contract debts for, pledge the credit of, or in any way bind IEEE for those activities specifically prohibited in the governing documents of IEEE or published interpretation of policy.
  • Life Members Affinity Groups may accept local voluntary financial contributions.
  • Life Members Affinity Groups are authorized by the IEEE Life Members Committee an annual budget, not exceeding US$2,000, towards meetings or activities acceptable to the Regional Life Members Coordinator. The funding will be provided upon actual expenses. Prior to any Life Members Affinity Group expenditure requiring additional Life Members Committee funding, the approval must first be obtained from the Regional Life Members Coordinator. The reimbursement of expenses can occur in 2 manners (1) the LM Affinity Group Chair to submit the reimbursement request to the IEEE MGA Department for processing (2) the LM Affinity Group Chair to obtain reimbursement from their Section and the Section will contact the IEEE MGA Department for reimbursement.

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Affinity Group dissolution

With the concurrence of the Section Chair, the Regional Life Members Coordinator, and the Region Director, a Life Members Affinity Group or Joint Life Members Affinity Group may be dissolved. Such dissolution will be reported to MGA and the IEEE Life Members Committee.


Potential Affinity Group activities 

  • Technical lecture
  • Joint activities with parent Section
  • Visit to museum or technical site
  • Social gathering, luncheon - enjoy each other's company
  • Assist your local Student Branches
    • Resource for soft skills for job interviews and early career know how
    • Student paper contests judging
    • Host book sharing days
  • Assist your local school districts (pre-university)
    • Career days
    • Science fair judging
  • IEEE Mentoring Program
    • Become a participating mentor
  • Assist the local Section
  • New officer orientation sessions
    • Past/current volunteers that are Life members can host
  • New unit formations
    • Provide assistance in getting Student Branches, Chapters, Affinity Groups formed
    • Reference point for new officers
  • Senior Member Elevations
    • Produce reference letters for local members

 

Staff support

Staff support for Life Members Groups will be provided by the IEEE Member and Geographic Activities (MGA) Department. Please email MGA Staff at life-members@ieee.org for Life Members Affinity Group support.

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