AALAS celebrates member's milestone.

The American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS), Memphis, celebrated a unique milestone in the association's history during its 55th national meeting at the Tampa Convention Center in October. Nathan Brewer, who organized the first meeting of the association (formerly the Animal Care Panel) in 1950, was honored with a 100th birthday party during the opening reception for the meeting of 4,500 veterinarians, technicians, technologists, researchers, suppliers, and scientists who work in the laboratory animal science field.

Brewer, founding president of the association, has not missed a national meeting in the association's 54-year history. In fact, he walks the entire exhibit hall and personally thanks each exhibitor--258 in 2004--for participating in the show.

A lifetime of involvement. After close to 50 years of AALAS membership, Brewer is still an active volunteer. He is involved in the awards selection process (one award is named for him) and the award presentation ceremony. When questioned on why he has remained an active volunteer for so many years, his tongue-in-cheek reply is, "If I had passed away earlier, I would not have been involved so long." More seriously he adds, "As a young veterinarian I wanted to do something to contribute to a better society and make my life more meaningful. I thought taking care of laboratory animals was useful and a pretty good reason for living. I was committed to doing what I could to advance responsible laboratory animal care and use to benefit people and animals (AALAS' current mission statement), and I was committed to this for life."

According to AALAS Executive Director Ann Tourigny Turner, CAE, the association has a membership retention rate of more than 90 percent and continues to grow each year. "AALAS has many past presidents and committee leaders who remain active and involved and who share Dr. Brewer's philosophy that dedication to a profession and the professional association is a lifelong commitment," she says.

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Paying attention to former leaders. How does the organization keep lifelong members engaged? "Valuing the office of president is inherent to an organizational culture that fosters member involvement and retention," says Turner. "Dr. Brewer set the tone, established the high standards, and made integrity a cornerstone for valuing the office of president more than 50 years ago."

She continues, "I don't know all the reasons AALAS is so fortunate in relation to keeping founders and former leadership involved, but I think it has to do with communication through listservers, letters, e-mail, and telephone calls. Recognition of past and present contributions is also important through such formal means as photos in the national meeting program, ribbons and pins, luncheons and receptions, and, most important, making sure that staff know the names and faces of past presidents. Of course, one way to keep your founders and former leadership involved is to simply ask them and remember to say thank you."