> What follows is the content of a letter that ASCE President David
> Mongan is sending to all of ASCE's 140,000 members:
My problem with ASCE is actually the same problem I have with virtually
ANY "umbrella organization" of any kind, whether professional society,
trade union, political party or even humanitarian organization.
There comes a time in its existence when somehow, some way, a switch is
thrown and the monster comes to life. It goes from a docile instrument
of policy or progress on the part of the membership, to a beast with a
will of its own (and a corresponding agenda). It goes from serving the
original cause to serving itself.
Generally you can tell about the point in time where this happens. It's
when a "permanent staff" is hired. Sometimes you can get along with a
director, and maybe an assistant to the director, but even that small a
staff can cause the beast to veer onto its own course. Certainly as soon
as you have an office suite with several departments, etc., you the
membership have lost total control.
I first saw a glimpse of this years ago when I attended (by forcible
mandate from my bosses) an "information meeting" of the local Houston
chapter of what was then called the Consulting Engineers Council. They
had a professional director AND lobbyist who spoke about the
organization's legislative efforts, and I realized I thought most of the
topics were irrelevant to the subject and business of consulting
engineering. It was mostly about persuading the state legislature to
allocate more money to public works projects that the CEC membership
could then feast upon. Many of the projects were, in a word, pork,
having little to do with good policy and everything to do with allowing
the membership to feed at the trough.
At one point I thought to raise my hand and ask "has anyone thought
about whether these activities are a good idea or not?" but refrained as
I sensed from the rather aggressive stance of this "professional
lobbyist" that it wouldn't go over too well.
I'm not saying "we should abolish ASCE" or any other such organization.
I'm simply saying "it is what it is, inevitably." And no one should be
surprised if an organization of this kind feathers its own nest and
looks to its own interests. To be "shocked, shocked" at such behavior is
either naive or cynical.
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