Continuity and Change

As some readers are aware from my recent e-mail message and from the Web site, ASME is in the process of a reorganization that will bring improvements providing greater value to the mechanical engineering community and to aspirants to the profession.

The campaign launched at the 2003 Summer Annual Meeting is named "Continuity and Change," and it begins with an assessment of possible opportunities for change consistent with core principles dating back to the earliest days of the Society.

Courage is required to develop strategies for change within the context of well-entrenched core values that contributed to the growth of ASME and define the culture of the organization.

When we look at the landscape, however, we can start to envision new and exciting vistas and pathways. It is the responsibility of the leadership to paint these vistas. It is the responsibility of the membership to provide bottom-up input and critique.

As we embark on continuity and change, ASME has a rich experience from which to draw. ASME was founded in 1880 with incredible foresight. When incorporated in 1881, the Society's objective was to "promote the arts and sciences connected with engineering and mechanical construction for scientific purposes, and to that end to meet and associate together to read and discuss professional papers, and to circulate by means of publication among its members, the information thus obtained." This is our charter.

Since then, we have reorganized several times, yet stayed true to this charter. We can see how choices were made and the consequences of those actions. We see the implications of certain trends in a given context, which can give us insight into current trends. This is the continuity in "Continuity and Change" — the retention of the objectives that ensured our professional integrity as a technical society.

Indeed, our roots go back 123 years, when the founders had the foresight to create a national society, which intended to act as a collective whole that could influence the world around it. Upon our founding, Alexander Holley addressed the advantages and character of this Society as follows:

—The collection and diffusion of knowledge.

—The advantages of personal acquaintances.

—The educational value of the habit of writing papers and of debate upon them.

—The significance of the endorsement of a high quality of elected membership.

—The tendency to combine the professional, scientifically trained mind with the qualities of leadership in the process of production.

These underlie all that we have become. For today's challenges, a higher vantage point will give us a better view of what's on the horizon. We have a strong foundation to build the future ASME, which sets out to:

—Embrace integrity and ethical conduct.

—Respect the dignity and culture of all people.

—Nurture and treasure the environment and our natural and man-made resources.

—Facilitate the development, dissemination and application of engineering knowledge.

—Promote the benefits of continuing education and engineering education.

—Respect and document engineering history.

Looking ahead, we can be confident that tradition is our strength, because our values, goals and objectives remain very close to those of our founders. Our challenge is in how we execute them. We may be very efficient in the way we do things, but are we effective? Effectiveness speaks to our serving society and our members, customers and stakeholders. Effectiveness is in keeping with our vision and mission. ASME must become more effective.

In this, I invite you to envision the future boldly. Since ASME has rooted itself in knowledge building, we can add another important ingredient to successfully broaden ASME horizons — the imagination to envision an even better future.

Albert Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Success takes both.

I invite you to provide the input we need to do this, particularly within the next few months. Let us know what you see over that horizon and where we should improve. Join in the discussion forum at http://www.asme.org/change. Make it part of your discussions at upcoming meetings. Share your vistas with us.

— Reginald I. Vachon
ASME President

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