Peter L. Hendricks, .M.D.

Before addressing the above headline, it is a great pleasure to announce that as of April 30, 2004, ASA hit another all-time high with 39,447 members in all categories. Again, as was the case last year, ASA continues to grow in the “Active” and “Resident” member categories, and that is GRRRREAT!!

Each year ASA membership numbers are at their highest on April 30, but then comes the dawning of May 1, and that number begins to decrease as ASA membership “drop” letters go out to members for nonpayment of dues to their component society, ASA or both. Even though May 1 is the official drop day, ASA gives the dropped member until December to rectify these delinquencies without the hassle of submitting a new application. The good news is that the majority of these dropped members rejoin both their component and ASA during this time period. The number-one reason given for nonpayment is: “The bills were on my desk, and I either misplaced or forgot about them.”

Each year, however, a number of members do leave feeling that ASA is coercing them by requiring component membership as a condition of ASA membership. They have various dissatisfactions with their component and would like to stay in ASA. Article 3.111 of the ASA Bylaws, however, clearly states: “Active membership in this Society shall consist of each active member of a component,” and so when a member is dropped from his/her component, ASA must also drop the member, no questions, no wiggle room, no choice. This article of the Bylaws is of long standing, and the reasons for it may go back as far as the time of the original component charters in 1947. (This article was in the 1960 bylaws; earlier documents were not readily available.)

Just as the United States could not easily function without its states, ASA would be hard-pressed to meet its stated purpose without its components. The component structure of ASA is essential for providing stability, administrative and political cohesiveness and organizational strength to the Society. This in turn allows ASA to carry out the purpose envisioned by the founding members as stated in Article 1.00 of the bylaws:

It shall be the purpose of this Society to associate and affiliate into one organization all of the reputable physicians in the United States, its territories and possessions, who are engaged in the practice of or otherwise especially interested in anesthesiology; to encourage specialization in this field, to raise the standards of the specialty by fostering and encouraging education, research and scientific progress in anesthesiology and by recommending standards of postgraduate education for qualifications as a specialist in anesthesiology and furthermore by recommending standards for approval of postgraduate training centers; to disseminate information in regard to anesthesiology; to protect the public against irresponsible and unqualified practitioners of anesthesiology; to edit and publish publications in the field of anesthesiology and related fields; to safeguard the professional interest of its members and in all ways to develop and further the specialty of anesthesiology for the general elevation of the standards of medical practice.

These lofty goals are as meaningful and appropriate today as they were when they were penned in the infancy of the Society. As the Society grew, it was realized that the only way to achieve these goals was to organize at the “grassroots” level, so beginning in December 1947 and continuing through October 2003, 54 component societies have been chartered (see history table). Today the components continue to be the foundation upon which this Society is built. Component societies must be able to work at both the federal and state levels to fight for patient safety, legislative and regulatory stability and our professional integrity. It is essential that they be strong and effective. Some members claim that their components are not responding to their needs or giving them “value.” It would be nice if every component had a great newsletter, Web site or large continuing medical education meeting, but they do not. Nearly all the components, however, provide structure to help fight the insidious and frustrating legislative and regulatory battles that are needed to protect our patients, our profession and our ability to make a fair living. Now that surely is a “value” to all members.

Without question the most valuable asset of ASA is its members, so if you believe in the purpose of this great Society, remain a member of your component, and give what only you can give — your time, talent and financial assistance. Your component, your ASA and your patients will all be better because you cared enough to participate.

During this year and next, the Committee on Membership, with the help of the Administrative Council, the Park Ridge, Illinois, Executive Office and the component societies, will be developing a bold new plan to make it easy to join and easy to remain a member of both the component society and ASA. In addition the committee will be looking at ways to keep all of our members involved in both, especially our retired members who are largely an underutilized resource.

Each and every member gives by belonging and participating. This is our responsibility — to keep ASA and its component societies strong for both the present membership and those who come after us.



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