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  • 1.  Benefits of in-person chapter events

    Posted 02-16-2023 11:40

    Living in our current social-media-dominated “virtual world”, how would you perceive the usefulness and benefits of organizing and attending local in-person ASM Chapter events to establish “real connections”?



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    Linruo Zhao
    Principal Research Officer
    National Research Council of Canada
    Ottawa ON
    (613) 990-3548
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  • 2.  RE: Benefits of in-person chapter events

    Posted 02-21-2023 16:57
    I believe in the value of in-person meetings.  Unfortunately my local Chapter folded (close to 20 years ago) because of the inability to get members to attend in-person meetings and to participate in the organization and governance of the Chapter.  This is in a very large metro area with very difficult commute conditions.  But I also believe the lack of support from employers was a factor.  If one does not think their employees will benefit from knowledge and networking, and therefore that the employer will benefit from more able employees, then there is much less incentive for workers to attend.  For advancement in my own firm, participation in professional activities was one of the checklist behaviors on the list for advancement, at least in the more distant past.

    The Chapter made efforts to institute various types of remote meetings, in more than one case even having a remote presenter (this was in the 1990's and quite unusual).  But the lack of enough attendees, particularly younger ones, and the change in the local job market away from heavier industry, coupled with the previous factors I mentioned to send participation into a death spiral.  The only other Chapter within effective range is still over an hour's travel.  And their participation has been on the decline as well.



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  • 3.  RE: Benefits of in-person chapter events

    Posted 02-22-2023 11:44

    I agree that there are many benefits of participating in in-person ASM Chapter activities. I have been an ASM member for 60 years and still attend my local chapter meetings. Over the years my employers have benefited, the chapters have benefited, I have benefited, and society outside of ASM has benefited. Whenever I changed employers I always made sure that they saw the benefits of professional activities by willingly paying for my participation. That way everyone benefited.



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    A. Alan Swiglo
    Principal
    Swiglo Metallurgical Consulting
    Little Canada MN
    (651) 490-7752
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    IMAT Conference & Expo


  • 4.  RE: Benefits of in-person chapter events

    Posted 02-23-2023 09:30

    At one time the Hartford Chapter was very active with regular meetings, events, and education.  I am very disappointed that this chapter is pretty much inactive.  I'm sure it has to do with the loss of many manufacturing corporations over the years with no replacements coming in.  Would it make sense to focus on creating larger regional chapters that would have less events, but make them a higher quality?  I am also a member of MTI, and it seems that is a model that works for them.

    If things don't improve, I probably won't renew my membership.



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    Robert Lyman
    CEO
    Eastern Metal Treating, Inc.
    Enfield CT
    6039035140
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  • 5.  RE: Benefits of in-person chapter events

    Posted 02-24-2023 17:32

    Being in an active local chapter has been valuable there there are fewer and fewer of them. I now live somewhere that apparently has a local chapter (Dayton), but ASM on the web site does not offer me a way to change that from an old one I belonged to.



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    Aaron Tanzer
    Principal Research Engineer
    University of Dayton Research Institute
    Beavercreek OH
    (407) 247-9557
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  • 6.  RE: Benefits of in-person chapter events

    Posted 02-27-2023 09:26
    Edited by Drew Fleming 02-27-2023 09:26

    Hi, Aaron,

    Thanks for your post – great to hear you are in an area with an active Chapter! Currently, members can send an email to the ASM Member Service Center (memberservicecenter@asminternational.org) to update their Chapter affiliation. We went ahead and updated your affiliation today to ASM Dayton.

    ASM is exploring ways to allow members to update their Chapter membership online.

    Thank you!



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    Drew Fleming
    Staff
    ASM International
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    IMAT Conference & Expo