Joining professional organizations

I admit it.  I have commitment issues.  My inner desire to "belong" is seriously trumped by my aversion to feeling "trapped" and by my resistance to conformity.  To "belong" one needs to conform and once conformed, one is trapped by expectations and obligations that make me want to scream hysterically and run in the other direction.

These issues came into play when deciding, and procrastinating, whether or not to join the myriad of professional organizations for historians.  I have been told multiple times that "it looks great on a vitae" and "if you want the job, you've got to play the part" etc...but...(prepare for litany of excuses) there is the money that I could be spending on other things; and I'm an undergrad, so they don't care about me anyway; and I don't know which one to join; and, and, and...I finally decided it was time to pony up and join.  Here are a few reasons why:

• Most organization publish journals or newsletters that allow you to keep abreast of the current scholarship in your area; this could potentially show employers/grad schools that you are a serious student and that keeping tabs on what's new is important to you; it give you the heads-up with regards to trends so that you can capitalize on them
• This guarantees that I will get something in the mailbox besides bills
  
• Said journals and newsletters allow you to identify key players, organizations, and publications within your field
• If I have my own copy of these journals, I can write in the margins.  Oddly enough, librarians frown on marginalia in borrowed journals - who knew?
  
• Professional organizations often sponsor conferences, events, seminars, and workshops; these are great places to network and learn cool new things
• Students often get a reduced membership rate and membership often affords reduced rates at the aforementioned conferences, events, seminars, and workshops, as well as publications and possibly even insurance
  
• Membership looks good on your vitae
• Volunteer opportunities abound within these sorts of organizations.  If you get involved, think how many folks you can meet and think of that warm fuzzy feeling that can only come with giving unselfishly of your time
• All the cool kids are doing it.  Okay, I made that one up.

So I joined three professional organizations - two national and one regional.  I got student rates on all of them and am anxiously awaiting the first treasure in my mailbox. One of them even emailed me an immediate password to access the "Members Only" area of the site, so, now, I have a backstage pass to history and that's kinda cool.

**Miss Clio