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I DA U N I V E R S A L N ove m b e r - D e ce m b e r 2 0 1 6 4 EDITOR'S NOTES Nancy Estes, MBA, CAE Executive Director/Editor Many fi ne articles have been written about the importance of membership. Some have been printed in e Universal. Fulton Owensby, IDA's newest Honorary Member, explained it better than anyone else when he accepted his award at this year's convention. He relayed stories about how other member companies helped him and his company prosper over the decades, as State Line Machine has passed from Owensby's father to him to Owensby's son and, soon, to his grandson. A er each of the 20 IDA conventions I have attended, I have heard those kinds of stories. Members have learned a critical piece of informa- tion, formed a new alliance or met a new customer that was going to make a large diff erence to their bottom line. ose are priceless conversations they would have missed if they had not come every year. During the annual membership drives, I sometimes hear this question: If I spend the $450 to join, what will IDA do for me? Our answer: IDA membership will provide opportunities to spend time with some of the fi nest people you will ever meet and to grow your industry knowledge which, in turn, will build your business. Do you go fi shing only when you are guaranteed to catch fi sh? Life off ers few guarantees, but IDA members who understand "the secret" have reaped signifi cant benefi ts. What is the secret? Show up and get involved. I t seems every country and culture has a day designated to give thanks for all they have received during the year. In the United States, that day is anks- giving Day, celebrated on the fourth ursday in November. is year, I am giving thanks for IDA member companies that know "the secret." For without them, IDA would not exist. In my article, I mentioned a few of our long-term member companies that were around as the association was getting started. From reading old letters and meeting minutes, it appears they decided the only way to survive was to pull together. ese companies also solicited and brought other companies into the fold. It was not unusual for one member company to bring in fi ve new members a year. In fact, the membership applica- tion asked the question: Who encouraged you to join IDA? at spirit of recruitment is the premise of associations…pulling together, bringing more into the fold. ose pioneers did not just join IDA, they owned IDA and made it strong. ey realized that paying dues, buying an ad and/or attending convention would keep IDA open and, thereby, benefi t the entire industry. ankfully, they held on. ey attended every convention – whether they felt like it or not, whether they had a profi table year or not and regardless of where it was held. A core group of members still retains that tradition as "standard operating procedure" and a perma- nent line item in their annual budgets. You will fi nd most of these members in the pictures within this magazine. Fulton Owensby, State Line Machine, Honorary Member Al Buescher, Interstate McBee Bob Rasmussen, IPD, an original member of IDA Peter Svensgaard, Ira Svensgaard & Assoc., Oldest Active Member Company Barry Stoughton, BLS, waiting for IDA offi ce to open. Over 20 years, the fi rst in line to reserve show booth for next year. The Secret With my deepest appreciation, Nancy