History

The British Columbia Inventors Society's origin stems back to early 1983 when the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) offered a course covering several aspects of inventions and innovation - conducted by William Cameron, a well-respected Canadian inventor.

Mr. Cameron, also a successful entrepreneur, had spent his entire career in a number of countries - including Canada, the USA and Japan - in the development of ideas and inventions ranging from laminated skis to exercise equipment to business machines to airport baggage equipment - to mention only a very small sampling of the many scores of items he had either invented or enhanced.

Following exposure to this very enlightening presentation, Frank D. Butler, along with a dozen or so other interested individuals, formed the energetic nucleus of the then titled "Greater Vancouver Inventors' Society". This group then incorporated the Society, formed the founding Executive and Board of Directors, negotiated the provision of meeting facilities (CREO, until it needed the space, provided a room for the monthly meetings for many years) and enrolled its first and subsequent members. It then commenced well-attended monthly meetings and introduced many services of value to inventors.

Subsequently, to reflect the Province-wide interest in the Society, its name was changed to the "British Columbia Inventors' Society" (BCIS) and, some twenty years later, this organization is now the longest-established Provincial Inventors' Society in Canada.

Indeed, through their involvement in the Society, hundreds of inventors - and would-be inventors - have benefitted significantly from exposure to the many facets of the invention process - including such important aspects as patent searches, prototype preparation, market research, manufacturing techniques, merchandising, royalty determination, membership networking and the legal aspects of inventions - plus a host of related skills, contacts and knowledge.

Organizationally, the B.C.Inventors' Society operates as a registered non-profit Society - with no paid positions, modest membership fees and virtually no restrictions on membership eligibility. The Society's Executive and Board of Directors are elected annually and also meet monthly to formulate policy and to organize meaningful programs. The Board also represents the Society to outside agencies and oversees the legal, financial and organizational requirements of this organization.

Today, the Society's main activity is organizing monthly meetings with guest speakers on a variety of topics of interest to inventors, such as patenting, prototyping, marketing and manufacturing. The typical agenda for a meeting is as follows: