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Subject:STC, Societies/Organisations etc From:Damien Braniff <Damien_Braniff -at- PAC -dot- CO -dot- UK> Date:Mon, 19 Jan 1998 16:38:12 +0000
My two pennies worth from the UK! I've not had a lot of dealings with the
STC but the few times I have they have been very helpful. My own
experience is of the Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators
(ISTC) in the UK of which I am member. I didn't join when I first became
a writer as it had not, at the time, got a particularly good reputation -
probably due to the usual reason - apathy etc. As someone said, you get
out what you put in.
A few years later I did join. There were several reasons for this:
They seemed to have got their act together (influx of new blood?) and
had become a more "professional" organisation. Membership is awarded
when the council are satisfied that you have reached an appropriate
level.
It looks good when applying for a job when you can say you are a member
of the relevant professional body - who says snobbery is dead!
Other benefits were provided - the Institute arranged preferential rates
with various organisation on insurance etc.
Fees to professional bodies in the UK are tax deductible!
Local area groups were set up (these tend to come and go depending on
entusiasm!) and outings/talks were arranged. These were entirely
optional and attendance varied depending on the "show".
The AGM became a floating affair and was held in different parts of the
country each year giving more members a chance to attend.
We have since gone through a few hard years where the Institute essentially
re-defined itself (I feel that every organisation NEEDS to do this on
regular basis or it can stagnate) and it is now a reasonably healthy
organisation. It is deeply involved in raising awareness of the industry
and has forged links with other institutes such as the British Standards
Institute etc. It has also become very involved in education (like the
STC) and has been instrumental in pioneering National Vocational
Certificates for writing. 75% of the ISTC's journal are produced by the TW
students at Coventry university giving them practical experience and
contact with the Institute.
Somebody said that the STC meetings were boring - the same could be said of
the ISTC and almost any other organisation. Attend those that are of
interest. I know that at the ISTC conference I attended last year the talk
in the bar AFTER the sessions was long and varied covering almost every
topic under the sun, not just writing!
This year we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Institute in its varying
guises and it continues to grow in stature. As I said before this is, in
large part, due to the effort people put into it and I feel that it is the
same in any organisation. It is nice to know that there are others out
there like you and that you can contact them for help/advice etc.
Damien Braniff MISTC
Technical Author
PAC International
