FROM AFS
Membership for Personal Advancement Is Not Archaic
LEO BARAN, MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR, AFS (SCHAUMBURG, ILLINOIS) M
embership . . . what an archaic concept. No one joins anything anymore.
And why even consider it? No matter what you need, you can find it on the Internet, and it’s all free. Perfect! Tat’s all I need. Now that I have your attention with my sarcastic statements, let me tell you that though you might hear such commentary from one of your more naïve colleagues, it is nowhere near the truth. And for the record, I don’t believe what I wrote in the open- ing paragraph. Not at all. Last time I checked, humans are
still extremely social beings. We enjoy interacting and at a multitude of different levels, too. We also find personal satisfaction and profes- sional value in these interactions and in doing so, we advocate, educate, innovate . . . and even have some fun doing it. But isn’t that what a membership-based organization, such as AFS, is all about? For over 100 years, AFS has been
the “go-to” group that continues to evolve, bringing together all of the metalcasting industry’s stakeholders— casters, suppliers, buyer, designers, part specifiers, and even students and teachers—from across North America and around the world. And these personal interactions,
these “bringing together” activities, are not about the association nor any hon- ors, awards or tributes someone might say it deserves, but rather, it is all about the members and volunteers. Tey are the heart of the organization, and without both of these groups, there is no pulse, no AFS. Tink about it: Did you ever
wonder where “leaders” come from? Seldom do they just suddenly “arrive on the scene.” Rather, they have honed their technical, management and even
74 | MODERN CASTING March 2017
various soft skills via volunteer in- volvement with organizations such as AFS. I have been witness to this many times: an individual refines their tech- nical knowledge through involvement with an AFS committee; a person polishes their people management and event planning skills through partici- pation in the AFS Chapter structure; a company employee begins to feel more comfortable with public speaking due to their volunteer presentations at vari- ous AFS events cross the continent. Tis mosaic, as it is slowly as- sembled with many additional pieces during a person’s lifetime, becomes the foundational structure upon which a leader in the metalcasting industry is
dustry award, the various AFS Gold Medals. Wow! All
this from a simple little membership investment? You bet, and there is so much more. Not a member? You should be.
Leo Baran
Not a Corporate Member? It is more critical than ever in this glob- ally competitive business environ- ment. Key career advancement opportunities, through organizations
Did you ever wonder where “leaders” come from? Seldom do they just suddenly “arrive on the scene.” Rather, they have honed their technical, management and even various soft skills via volunteer involvement with organizations such as AFS.
built. Again, I have been privy to these stories of how AFS was a turning point in their business life or critical in someone’s career advancement, during nearly all acceptance speeches by AFS Service Award recipients as well as those bestowed with the highest in-
such as AFS, seldom pass by twice, yet all they need is your member- ship commitment and a simple “yes” to volunteer involvement. Invest in yourself, and then reap the benefits. Nothing archaic about personal advancement, is there?
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