Welcome to the Caribbean Division/Group

Dear members,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the launch of the Web Site of the Caribbean Division of The Institution of Structural Engineers.

The Division covers all the Caribbean islands, Bermuda, Belize, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname. At present there are 104 members of all grades located in 11 countries spread across 2400 kilometres of ocean. This poses significant problems for communications and meetings and in this respect the Division is probably unique among IStructE groupings.

The Division will facilitate increased communications between the Caribbean and IStructE headquarters and between the Caribbean and other divisions of IStructE. The Division Web Site will be of critical importance because of the geographical challenges of the region. Electronic communications will also facilitate increased communication between the Caribbean and HQ and other divisions of IStructE.

The Division will promote the practice of structural engineering in partnership with national and regional engineering bodies. This will be achieved by encouraging the formation of structural engineering sections within national and regional bodies and by holding joint technical meetings with such sections on a regular basis. Such collaboration may be enhanced by joint membership agreements such as those currently in place in Trinidad & Tobago and Barbados.

It is the intention of the Division not to rival or duplicate national and regional engineering bodies but to support and strengthen the structural engineering activities of such bodies.

The members of the first Committee can be seen elsewhere on the Web Site.

The Division was launched in Trinidad & Tobago with two meetings on 20 October 2003 - one for Corporate Members and Graduates and the other for Students at The University of the West Indies. Launches were also held in the British Virgin Islands on 7 November 2003, in Barbados on 12 December 2003 and in Jamaica on 14 January 2004. In all cases there was close to 100% turnout of the available membership.

I encourage you to visit the Web Site regularly and to provide the "Web Master" with feedback so that he may make the Site more responsive to your needs. The Web Master is Denis P Murphy.

Sincerely
Tony Gibbs, Chairman