Value of membership

Occasionally a letter of resignation is received in which the writer states that he is so situated that he cannot attend meetings, or that he reads the Institute papers in the technical journals, the inference being that he does not get the worth of his money. Statements of this nature indicate that the writer takes such a narrow view of his profession that he loses sight of one of the most important incentives to progress. If he is so isolated, he should strive in every way to keep abreast of progress in the art. If he cannot personally meet the leaders in the electrical field, he may profit by their opinions and thoughts as recorded in the printed discussions, and these may be found in their most complete form in the monthly Proceedings. No technical journal would undertake to print the complete discussions and papers of the Institute or any similar organization. The amount of matter continually pressing for publication in the Proceedings is so great that the question of selecting the most timely or important continually confronts the editor. The reading matter is. however, but a portion of the value of membership. Many leading engineers belong to the four national societies. They could purchase the Proceedings at a less cost than the annual dues. It is well understood that association with their fellows through the recognized organization gives them a professional standing second only to their own ability and experience. Requests are frequently received by the Secretary from city officials, capitalists, and lawyers for the names of electrical experts for certain purposes. These inquiries can only be met in a general way by furnishing a copy of the catalogue or directory of membership. It is for this reason that an electrical engineer should appreciate the importance of continuing his name on the list. It shows that he is recognized by his colleagues as being identified with the profession of electrical engineering. It is true that the larger proportion of the me- bership is not made up of independent electrical engineers. Many are associated with manufacturing or operating companies, but should they ever find occasion to change their positions they are likely to learn that membership in the institute improves their standing.