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ASMP’s Merit Membership Program
As part of the National Board’s efforts to expand the Society’s membership, identify future leaders and strengthen ASMP’s influence within the industry, in 2007 the board created a new Merit Member category. Targeting photographers who are identified within the industry as highly talented, at the top of their peer groups, and holding promise as future leaders and influencers, the program is now in the pilot stages and will be continually evaluated by the board as we move forward.
The Highlights:
Targeted recruitment effort to embrace future leaders and influencers.
One year dues-free, non-voting membership, with renewal at appropriate level.
Minimal organizational expense for valuable industry outreach.
Pilot program, with ongoing evaluation of success & priorities.
Those photographers identified for Merit Membership are provided one-year memberships in the Society, with rights and benefits equivalent to the Associate member level. The Merit membership is not extendable; at the conclusion of the Merit membership period, the member is encouraged to renew at the appropriate level.
Minimal Costs • Maximum Investment
While the hard costs of these memberships to the Society are minimal — limited to mailing costs and staff time to process the new members’ application forms — we believe this program is a true investment that promises to increase the ultimate worth of the Society. By making this small stake in attracting these new members, we’re investing in the future of the Society, the future of the industry and, most importantly, the futures of our 6200 current members.
Our ultimate goal is to strengthen the Society: The stronger the Society, the more good we can achieve in the industry, the better for our members and the industry as a whole.
Potential Merit Members are currently selected by the National Board. In assessing prospective Merit offerings, the board plans initially to target pre-qualified, focused groups of emerging photographers identified with the assistance of our industry partners.
Initial offerings at the Eddie Adams Workshop & PDN/30
Our first offering of the new Merit Memberships was to the 100 students at the 20th Eddie Adams Workshop held in Jeffersonville, NY, in October 2007. Founded by Pulitzer Prize winner and ASMP Life Member Eddie Adams, the tuition-free workshop selects top young photographers from a highly competitive juried competition and provides an intensive four-day program during which the participants are tutored by notable professional photographers and photo editors from the nation’s top publications. A quick review of the Workshop’s alumni from the past 20 years yields a substantial list of some of the top photojournalists and editorial photographers working today. This year’s crop of students holds similar promise: a sampling of their work can be seen at the Workshop’s website.
As of February 2008, approximately 70 of the Workshop attendees have been enrolled as new Merit Members, and enrollment continues. National Board member Shawn G. Henry, the Merit Member Liaison, will be offering his mentorship and outreach to the new members throughout the year. The Winter 2008 Bulletin features a portfolio of Merit Member images.
More recently, the ASMP awarded a second group of Merit Memberships to the 30 photographers selected for this year’s PDN’s 30 issue. We congratulate these talented photographers and welcome them to the Society as well.
By influencing and educating these young photographers early in their careers, we’ll turn many into career-long ambassadors; we’ll help these rising stars learn about best practices and ASMP standards, ensuring that they develop into colleagues rather than competition; and we’ll be raising the profile of the Society among the young photographers who constitute our future.
Ongoing Evaluation & Review
We’ll be evaluating the program as we move forward, but the feedback we’ve received to date from new Merit members, past Workshop attendees, and educators is overwhelmingly positive. Our goal with this program is to expose future industry leaders to the benefits and advantages of ASMP membership and sound business practices so early in their careers, and establish ASMP as a leader in attracting and educating the emerging photographers who represent the industry’s future. With that goal in mind, we will be monitoring the results of these initial offerings and will modify the program as needed.
Because so much of the success for this program rests in the new members’ participation and embrace at the chapter level, we welcome input from our chapter leaders in working to ensure the project’s success and, more importantly, the retention of these members at the close of their Merit status. If you have any questions about the Merit memberships, please feel free to contact National Board member Shawn G. Henry.