Call for Participation: Life Member Affinity Groups An IEEE Life Members Affinity Group (LMAG) is a local unit of an IEEE Section constituted by IEEE members who have obtained Life Member, Life Senior Member or Life Fellow Member status. LMAG's are organized to fulfill the needs of this group of members and retain active IEEE associations. LMAG's allow members to enjoy each other's company through professional, educational, and social activities. Find out if you have LMAG in your Section by viewing the list at https://www.ieee.org/communities/life-members/by-region.html If your Section does not have an LMAG, you can petition to establish one by following the instructions at https://www.ieee.org/communities/life-members/groups.html#how-to-establish-a-life-members-group If you have questions or need assistance, contact Walt Downing at [email protected] About the Lone Star Section Life Member Affinity Group The Lone Star Section LMAG (formerly Central Texas, San Antonio, Region 5) won the 2019 LMAG Achievement Award and is an example of a group that is very active and has a good time together. They organize monthly luncheon meetings with speakers on topics of general interest to the group and their families. They regularly support local STEM activities such as serving as science fair judges or advisors for science projects. They support local museums of science and technology with special exhibits funded through IEEE grants and awards. And they promote the recognition of historical technical achievements as IEEE Milestones and Region 5 Stepping Stone Awards. Photo: Using grant funds from the IEEE Foundation, LMAG members developed hands-on exhibits on cybersecurity at the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology. IEEE Life Members Committee Selects Life Member Affinity Groups for 2022 Awards Each year, the IEEE Life Members Committee (LMC) recognizes a Life Member Affinity Group (LMAG) for substantive projects, noteworthy activities, or other extraordinary contributions. Achievement awards are based on accomplishments in the preceding year. Awards are not granted if there are no suitable recipients. Starting in 2022, regional achievement awards were presented to the outstanding LMAG in each region. From this group, one LMAG was selected for a global achievement award. The 2022 IEEE LMAG Regional Achievement Award winners were: North New Jersey (Region 1), Florida West Coast (Region 3), Lone Star (Region 5), Germany (Region 8), Argentina (Region 9), and Delhi (Region 10). The 2022 IEEE LMAG Global Achievement Award was presented to the Lone Star LMAG. This group was recognized for a variety of activities and initiatives such as the development of a cybersecurity exhibit for the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology through life member volunteer efforts and IEEE LMC grant funding. Most significantly, the Lone Star LMAG led the effort to recognize the Datapoint 2200 with an IEEE Region 5 Stepping-Stone Award. IEEE Region 5 Recognizes Datapoint 2200 With Stepping-Stone Award On 30 May 2022 the IEEE Lone Star Section held a ceremony at the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology (SAMSAT) to recognize the Datapoint 2200 with an IEEE Region 5 Stepping-Stone Award. Over 60 people attended the hybrid event, including many Datapoint retirees and former employees who contributed to the design and development of the Datapoint 2200, which was one of the first commercially-available, self-contained, personal computers. A bronze plaque commemorating the award will reside at SAMSAT where examples of the original Datapoint 2200 are on display. Stepping-Stone is a Region 5 award that recognizes significant technical achievements in IEEE fields of interest. An achievement must have importance to Region 5 – e.g. invented, initially demonstrated, first used, produced in Region 5. Stepping-Stone Awards honor the achievement rather than necessarily a place or a person. LMAG members serve as mentors for the SA Best Robotics Competition. Another LMAG project was making "George the Robot" functional for the San Antonio Zoo. In 2019, fifty LMAG members and companions took a 10-day motor coach tour of major science and engineering sites in Texas. The group meets at a local Mexican restaurant in a private room. Here, the chair (Scott Atkinson) conducts business at the start of the meeting. The guest speaker (John Brogan) is seated at the head table. John is a retired engineer from the local utility company and spoke about his experiences installing a standby power generator at his home. Afterward, the current and past LMAG chairs presented John with a token of appreciation. Pictured from left to right are Garrett Polhamus, Richard Wiggins, Ernest Franke, Scott Atkinson, John Brogan, James Brakefield, and Larry Higgins. Life Senior Member Walt Downing wears his Lone Star Section LMAG shirt with pride.
