Getting it back

Concrete Construction, Dec, 2002 by William D. Palmer, Jr.

I tend to eat too much when I'm at ACI or ASCC meetings. When I finally get back home, I have to starve myself for a few days. I also tend to volunteer for too much. Unfortunately, there's no quick and easy way to get rid of that burden.

The thing is, when you gather a group of members of the American Society of Concrete Contractors or the American Concrete Institute to talk about concrete for a couple of hours, they inevitably come up with lots of great ideas on how to solve the industry's problems. I find myself agreeing, and the next thing I know, I'm saying, "Sure, I can write that book for you; sure, I can speak at that seminar. No problem."

But then I get back, and there's this magazine to put out each month, and when I finally get home, my wife wants to talk (do we have to!), or my daughter wants to go hiking, or I might even want to spend a couple of hours watching a football game. The next thing I know, several months have passed, and it's almost time for the next meeting--and I haven't even started my assignment.

But most of the time I do complete the tasks I volunteer for, and it's almost always worth it--I get back value worth much more than the effort I put in. Not only have I contributed to the future of our industry, but I've learned something and made some friends along the way. You've probably heard this pitch before, but I truly believe that getting involved with an association is one of the most valuable things you will ever do for your personal development.

Let me give you an example: I was asked to come up with some questions for the ACI concrete flatwork finisher's certification exam. To do that, I had to read through several publications on slabs and talk to a couple of contractors. I wrote lots of questions and learned a lot about slab construction along the way. So did this end up being good for ACI Committee C 640 or for me? Both! And that's the beauty of participating in an industry group.

Get involved with ASCC or ACI or your local ACI chapter, and not just as a paying member, but as a participant. We're all spread very thin, but I guarantee that you'll get back more than you give. If you want some advice on where to focus your efforts, give me a call or directly contact ASCC (866-788-ASCC, www.ascconc.org) or ACI (248-848-3720, www.concrete.org).

William D. Palmer Jr. / Editor in Chief