Small Project Design

I think the comment "you get out of it what you put in is correct". I have been a member since 1978 or so. I was a "watcher" until 1990's. Then began to participate as a local section trustee. I then became a committee chair and soon a representative for our section going to Grass Roots which I did for four years. I was active in our State APAC and legislative and government affairs committee. What this has done is open my eyes as what needs to be done in our state legislature and in the bigger picture to keep our proffession strong and viable. I have weathered several recessions with this being the worst ever but as Mr. Chartoff says "This "economic event" will eventually end, and the cycle will begin all over again!"

Get active and voice your opinions to National. Like every other bureaucratic concern I guess there must be great waste and mis-allocations for the fees we pay so our individual voices should be heard at National. 

It may be the most important time to maintain membership so we do not become weaker at this crossroads.

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Scott Lurie AIA
Scott F. Lurie, Architect
Oradell NJ
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The chastisement couched in the phrase "you get out of it what you put in" is toxic. I can say I haven't gotten $700 worth of value out of the AIA every year. I can also say I haven't gotten full value for what I was charged for contract documents. I can also say I haven't gotten full value out of what I've paid for national conventions and CEU seminars. The prices are more akin to extortion than fee-for-service.

What I expect in exchange for my money is more help with my marketing, more marketing of AIA members by the AIA on my behalf and a greater increase in and dissemination of our collective body of knowledge about architecture (such as the AIA Journal--very few issues of which have been published). Where are the national, state and local advertisements encouraging my clients to use an AIA member architect? Where is the searchable, online database of research and scholarship on architectural issues?

And with the economy in crisis, how many people have the time to volunteer to sit on committees and lead other members? With fees declining, how can I afford to hire someone to do my work while I'm off helping other architects and not getting paid for it?

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Sean Catherall, AIA
Herriman UT
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