Editorial
By Mike Renslow, ISPRS Treasurer
It has been 20 months since the Beijing Congress, and all of the eight Technical Commissions are preparing for the mid-term symposia. Planning is also well underway for the next Congress to be held in Melbourne starting in late-August 2012. Council and the Technical Commissions urge everyone to check the ISPRS calendar at www.isprs.org for the latest information for all these and other ISPRS sponsored events. There are 60 Working Groups spread throughout the world supporting the goals of the Technical Commissions, so it is quite likely that a technical meeting is scheduled in your area.
2010 is the 100-year anniversary of ISPRS, and a celebration will be held on 04 July in Vienna, Austria at the very site of the society's establishment. Everyone is encouraged to attend, and the members will approve the new ISPRS Strategic Plan, the roadmap to our future. Several other highlights are the election of 12 new ISPRS fellows by the General Assembly, an open business meeting to discuss the role of developing regions, a Gala Dinner at the Vienna Town Hall, and a new publication on the history of ISPRS. By extending your trip in Vienna by three more days, you can attend the 2010 Technical Commission VII (Thematic Processing, Modeling and Analysis of Remotely Sensed Data) Symposium. The full schedule is at the ISPRS website.
At 100 years old, ISPRS is well positioned in the global community. The last several Presidents have made outreach their primary focus, and the result is productive relationships with like scientific bodies and increased participation in conferences and exhibitions. Among these international societies, ISPRS is involved with (a) the United Nations (primarily UNOOSA), (b) the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU), the GeoUnions consisting of ISPRS, IUGG, IUSS, IGU, and IUGS, and (c) the international governmental organization termed the Group on Earth Observation (GEO).
As a result, there are many opportunities for every ISPRS member to be involved. Council is aware that this high level of activity would not be possible without the continued support of our Ordinary, Associate, Regional, and Sustaining Members through yearly membership fees. Every year during the Spring Council Meeting, the agenda for supporting our members and maintaining ISPRS presence in the global geospatial community is established within our budget for projected revenue and anticipated expenses. Through this process, the members have access to the top international bodies and the expertise of the Technical Commissions, Working Groups, and relevant technical advances.
As the ISPRS Treasurer, most of you have likely received notices from me regarding membership yearly fees. This year, the members have responded very well to the first invoices sent in January, and several inactive members have become active. Also, ISPRS has welcomed several new members this year. The first reminder invoices will be sent in June; please remit your outstanding payments as soon as possible so we can continue to serve your interests.