What have Professional Associations Done for You?

Welcome to MCEIA’s first “official” blog.  Our goal and hope is that this will be another avenue to help and assist our membership in growth and knowledge.  Please be kind as we begin an adventure in trying this medium.

Professional associations what can one say about these groups?  We encourage our students to participate.  We tell them how wonderful it is to network, be known in your profession, and the list can go on.  Do we always take our own advice?  What professional associations do you participate in?  How do they benefit you?  What do you do to benefit them?

I just read an interesting article on the web by Susan Ellis called Chicken or Egg: Why Are Our Professional Associations Weak?  This made me think about how I view my profession.  Her article looks at the reasons people do and don’t participate.

Her chicken view:

• Collegial exchange and debate on issues
• Setting standards for themselves
• A voice for issues facing the profession
• Mentor newcomers to the field
• Analyze trends through the lens of their perspective/approach
• Affect public opinion on behalf of their profession

Her egg view:

• For too many practitioners, professional associations are volunteer efforts and not our primary career.
• Lack of formal education in the profession – many of us tends to “fall into” the field and learn by doing.
• Many of us are isolated in our positions – we’re the only one in our organization doing the work.
• Because of isolation – we may not even know there is a professional association out there.

Wow, what do you think about this?  Do you see yourself in some of this?  I see myself.  What impact does seeing this information have on you?

I encourage you to discuss this.  Give some feedback.  Think about how we encourage the future to service through our actions today.

Kelly Harper
Cincinnati State