With this e-mail to all our Members I am replying on the mail and questions of Petar Makaveev, received on August 5, 2004.

1.     Kakvo se pravi, za po-lesnoto vlizane i priznavane na balgarskite ingeneri v organizaciyata Professional Engineers in Ontario PEO?

2.     Ste ima li nyakakvi realni oblagi (benefits) za chlenovete na ABEC, koito plastat vsyaka godina po 50 dolara?

3.     Imenata na tezi, koito ne sa platili vse oste chlenski vnos da se postvat v podoben e-mail.

4.     Dokade stignaha nestata s napravata na web site www.abec.ca i napravata na forum?

1. It is very unrealistic to hope and think that we alone, Bulgarian Engineers can change the rules and regulations of the 70 years old (on average) Provincial Professional licensing organizations. We will try to do that only in join efforts with other Professional Organizations, and preferably with European Engineering Groups. But we already acknowledge PEO in our existence and that we will support our own Members. The important task would be to initiate a Government assigned survey on the numbers of the ignored potential benefits of employing highly educated Professionals available in Canada. It is interesting to know that many Engineers coming to Canada from England, France, Germany and Sweden are working in their own branch plants here and they don’t need to be members of PEO, unless they are applying for governmental positions. As I worked 10 years for Urangessellschaft Canada Ltd., with projects in all Canada, many of my German Colleagues applied for Professional Engineers in Yukon or Saskatchewan – less populated area, where just 4 months work on the field was enough to apply. Recently, ABEC was invited to participate in project “CAPACITY CANADA” - joint efforts of Internationally Educated Professionals on campaigning for faster recognition and licensing. You will see our reply in the attached file.
2. To pay or not to pay 50 dollars?  The personal benefits of paying a Membership in our Associations will be to establish and maintain our professional and social group. There is much expenditure that is related with organizing of a functional communication center, and this is our first must do. After one year of operating as an Association, we will start looking for corporative sponsorships – as many another professional groups have been receiving. See attached file of the back of my membership card from CIM. If we get endorsement from Insurance Company (and that is the way to go) and get group insurance, most of our Members will cover the 50 dollars. Paying a Membership is also an honorable jest of respect - the minimum with which we are saying “Thank you” to this Colleagues of ours P. Eng., who are signing translations of a Bulgarian diplomas for the new applicants to PEO. In this respect we are very thankful to Mr. S. Simeonov P. Eng., who helped again a new Bulgarian Engineer. We never decline to advice for employment and sometime get lucky to get the link to the job or polishing resumes and broadcasting letters. Being Member of an organized Ethnical or Professional Association is very good on your resume - shows your character as a “Team player”.
3. Regarding publishing of a list of Colleagues that haven’t paid the membership fees is a very delicate question. I personally wouldn’t be so bold and would prefer to be more sensitive and diplomatic. The diplomacy is the greatest science in the world. Some of our Colleagues maybe are still (we believe) in a reconnaissance of our objectives, as our Association is in the process of being established. There is nothing wrong with that. We are working as volunteers, we will establish open communications and we will answer all questions. In same time, I have witness already in Canada what means an economical boom and bust, putting the young families within very tight budget; for them we will be patient and flexible.
4. The work on our website didn’t go the way we were planning. We were relying on one person, our Technical Director to design and organize it. Having seen his personal website which was excellent, we where encouraging him to speed with ours. Lately, he told us that he has been so busy in his work that hardly we could reach him by telephone. Regrettably we had to change the direction. For the last week, Nikolai Paskalev is working around the clock to help his brother from Bulgaria to organize ABEC’s website. We will know that on Monday. I think we will need help, so if someone is knowledgeable and likes to help, please, call me for update on the status of our site.

Best Regards,

Pauline
Pauline Lawrence
(905)832-4451
pauline_m_lawrence@hotmail.com