“Can you hear me now? … Can you hear me now?”

Thankfully that’s not what we experienced during last week’s first-ever IPRA Board meeting done via teleconference. Board members and section directors from across the state met up online and over the phone to interact and conduct business. Those involved called into a secure phone number to talk with the group while simultaneously viewing the agenda on their computer screen.

A nice feature of the teleconferencing application was that participants could ask questions by using a chat feature. This, along with a “raise your hand” feature to be called upon, really helped streamline the meeting and keep everyone on track. Even more impressive is that the whole meeting was recorded - both audibly and visually.

Until now, the entire IPRA membership has not really had the opportunity to experience a Board meeting. Login to the IPRA site and select the “September 2007 Board Meeting Teleconference” link to hear and see what happened. Login to the IPRA site and click on the September 2007 Board Meeting Teleconference link.

This new technology will not be used for every Board meeting - it can never replace the face-to-face meeting experience. However, it most certainly can be used for small, niche educational workshops. We look to bring the membership of IPRA these types of opportunities really soon.