This week was an historic one for the IMechE. On Wednesday night I chaired a special meeting where Associates were granted the right to vote alongside corporate members . The decision was unanimous. With 17,380 Associates, this is an important step for the IMechE and it was great seeing so many young engineers in the audience. They are the future of the IMechE. After the meeting we had an inspiring talk from Sir Tom Farmer, who now owns Kwik-Fit. He retired at 28 having built his first business and subsequently established Kwik-Fit, the largest independent supplier of exhausts to the motor industry world wide. He also chairs the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and is an advisor to the Vatican on their art treasures! It was inspiring.

David Reeves comment confirms my view about the recognition professional engineers get in the UK. To change this, I believe engineers need to communicate in a different way. How many of us spend time talking to the wider public about the great and interesting things that engineers do ? What engineers find interesting and what the non-technical public find interesting are often two different things.

My George Stephenson lecture tries to put the energy density of fuels and the environment effect into context. I also use the Stirling engine to illustrate how we might better utilise waste heat. Interestingly it is the Stirling engine that seems to gather many more comments than the comparisons of different types of fuels. If we are not really imaginative in how we sell our skills and capabilities why should the public believe in us? I am now in the last three months of my Presidency and it feels as if the pace has accelerated! It was a real pleasure to visit my old nuclear site in Dounreay in the north of Scotland to hear about the work they are doing on de-commissioning. Dounreay and the naval reactor test site both have vibrant apprentice training programmes and it was great to hear how many of the apprentices move on to part time degrees in due course. The landscape around Dounreay provides some wonderful views of coast and moor land but in places wind turbines tend to spoil the feeling of remoteness. I think this will be an interesting challenge for us engineers to power our modern society without spoiling the beautiful environment.

17th - 22nd February is Engineers Week in the USA and I was delighted to be asked to give my George Stephenson lecture at Ohio University. I am also taking the opportunity of repeating it again in Houston the following week.

Comments, as ever, are welcome.

Yours Aye John