At the ChemLuminary event at the Boston ACS National Meeting on August 20, the ACS Committee on Membership Affairs announced the winner of the ChemPower 2002 Award. Four divisions were nominated for the award. POLY was selected as the winner. We received a trophy plus $1500 which will be used towards POLY membership activities.

The ChemLuminary event is held every year during the Fall National ACS Meetings. This is a festive event, attended by the ACS President, Chair of the Board of Directors, and other members of the ACS leadership. Activities in the technical divisions and local sections are considered, and winners chosen for each category of activities. The event is attended by several hundred representatives of technical divisions and local sections.

In the ChemPower competition, the technical divisions were rated according to their membership initiatives and program impact. The Polymer Division has in place a strong membership committee with a strategic focus in four areas: member recruitment, member retention, member recognition, and communication. The POLY membership program is pro-active and balanced, with well-defined goals and numerous on-going activities. By giving POLY the ChemPower 2002 award, the ACS recognizes the excellent efforts in membership affairs by POLY's leadership and POLY's membership committee.