Guest blog post by Richard Liebrecht
Edmontonians who don’t mind paying an extra $10 for lunch are free to attend our professional development luncheons. Anyone can come to a mixer for even less, sometimes free.
Membership isn’t required, and the savings themselves don’t pay the difference.
So why bother? The answer depends on your perspective on community.
CPRS Edmonton is a community. It’s a gathering of professionals who care about their careers and are intent on advancing themselves. It’s a group of people who recognize that they, alone, cannot learn without learning from others. You could say that of almost anyone in the profession, but those who make the effort to participate in CPRS, at any level, are demonstrating that they recognize the value of community through action.
Membership in CPRS is, as much as anything, a formal commitment to join and support that community.
Membership dues contribute to keeping CPRS National and CPRS Edmonton operating. With the costs of hosting these days and the board’s aim to keep events accessibly priced, CPRS Edmonton doesn’t make much from luncheons. Any extras, and the ongoing operation of the board itself, is supported by the membership.
Members consistently participating in CPRS Edmonton events enrich our community. They join, share ideas, ask great questions and look to learn from each other. That conversation is the real gold nugget of our society. Your CPRS Edmonton board will be working to grow that value in the near future, with more member-only events that encourage peer-to-peer exchange.
The more professionals join CPRS Edmonton, the more we can do together, with more funds and more ideas on hand.
March is Membership Month for CPRS across Canada. We’re battling against stagnant or declining membership in organizations across the communications field. We’re aiming to revitalize the communications community here in Edmonton, stirring more conversations and exchanges that help us, together, raise the communications game in this city. All this takes commitment to the idea of community and membership.
To those who currently hold a CPRS membership: thank you for supporting our community. If you’re ready to increase your engagement by singing up for membership, visit CPRS.ca and sign up in March. You’ll enjoy special benefits, including a free magazine subscription and access to an upcoming CPRS member-exclusive event.