Chapter Spotlight: United Kingdom and Ireland

We’re back with another Spotlight, and this time we cross the pond to take a closer look at the United Kingdom and Ireland Chapter. Our thanks to Chapter President David Hollis for his great answers! If you’d like your chapter or SIG spotlighted, please email me to volunteer.

What's the official name of your chapter?
United Kingdom and Ireland Chapter.

How many members does it have?
136

Who are the chapter leaders?
President: David Hollis
Secretary: Tina Hoffmann
Treasurer: Peter Hirons
Immediate Past President: Ant Davey
Membership Secretary: Karen Lewis
Jobs Manager: CK Jung

I hear you just had your annual dinner and a tour of The Globe; how was that?
It was unfortunately cancelled due to the bad weather, as there has been significant disruption to public transport and we didn’t want to see folk stranded in London.

Keeping with the theme, if you had to pick one Shakespeare play that best described your chapter, which would it be and why?
Well now, that’s an interesting question! As many of the bard’s plays were comedies, trgedies, or historical I think I’d be rather reluctant to pick one. How could the Chapter possibly be characterised by Comedy of Errors, Much Ado About Nothing, or Taming of the Shrew? The titles As You Like It or Two Gentlemen of Verona may seem more appropriate, but then you look at the plots and any parallels quickly disappear.

Can you give me a rundown of a generic chapter meeting?
There are local groups meeting regularly in London and Cambridge. These are often informal meetings in a pub or bistro. Occasionally these groups arrange meetings which focus on a specific topic, and may be held in a local company’s conference facilities.

The Chapter arranges a number of day or weekend seminars on specific topics such as content management or DITA.

What kinds of speakers have you had at your meetings?
The Chapter has benefited from a wide variety of speakers, from within the Chapter, outside the Chapter, UK based, and from abroad. Speakers have included consultants, specialists, and senior managers.

Do you do any outreach in the UK techcomm community? If so, what types of things do you do?
The local groups draw both members and nonmembers.

Who would you say is your chapter's best dresser?
That would undoubtedly be Julianna.

What's normally on tap at a chapter meeting?
Only the best British draught bitter! That and good company with lively, topical debate.

Is there an overall favorite football team for your chapter?
The Chapter tries to avoid contentious issues!

Who do you have in the 2010 World Cup? And how much talk of Thierry Henry's handball was there at the next meeting after the France-Ireland match?
Only England made it to the 2010 World Cup. We were all sympathetic to the Irish cause.

Brag a little bit—about anything you'd like!
The British, bragging? Whatever next!

However, as you brought up the World Cup, we’re all looking forward to England destroying the US!

Leave a Reply