If you ever had a doubt that craftsmanship is alive and well, just travel from club to club. The members of the clubs I've visited are all excited and hard working, many put craftsmanship ahead of their own job.

With the economy and stress levels the way they are today, it's harder and harder to get club members to commit their valuable time. It's even more difficult to try and recruit new members. In some clubs it's working, and in some it's not working as well as they would like. Some are succeeding, while others are just existing.

Most clubs have a better attendance at meetings that are more social than educational. Maybe there's a message here. Everyone's tired at the end of a day's work and would rather enjoy a fun filled program rather than listen to a speaker, no matter how pertinent the program might be. I'm not suggesting that we become a social club but, more "fun" programs seem to pay off with increased attendance.

Perhaps the time has come to reevaluate our organization. With our industry changing at warp speed, it's hard to keep up with technology on our jobs, much less trying to continue the way we currently operate. There is definitely a need for our organization but, perhaps we need to look at it from a different perspective. The Mid-Winter marketing session will focus on this, and on how we can become an even better organization.

The upcoming months will be busy ones with District Conferences and club elections, just around the corner, and in August the IAPHC Convention in Los Angeles. The Convention Committee is working hard to provide us with a great time, at a superb hotel. I encourage everyone, even in these austere times, to attend. It's always great to see each other and renew old acquaintances.