Information: the AFS mission.

Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves or we know where we can find information upon it. "

Samuel Johnson

We've all heard about it. We've all talked about it. We're all experiencing it. They say the information age is upon us. The crush of information coming at us these days is overwhelming. In fact, it is drowning us because so many of us are pack rats when it comes to information useless and otherwise.

There seems to be an innate fear in all (most?) of us that will not allow us to toss away something we think we may need someday. A few years ago, a firm that studies office productivity estimated that 80% of everything we file is never retrieved until we discard it. While there has been much talk about the "paperless workplace" as computers make it increasingly easy to store, update and retrieve information, let's face it, we're still in the paper business.

Personally and professionally, how much of it do we really need or want?

That's for you to decide, but we here at AFS are paid to be information junkies and paper pack rats. Our only product is information. Our only service is the delivery of information. We are that second kind of knowledge that Samuel Johnson refers to at the beginning of this column. if you are all possessive of that first kind of knowledge, you don't need organizations like the American Foundrymen's Society.

Whether it's in a classroom or a laboratory, through research or over the telephone, in computer software, through the pages of modem casting or other publications, at the annual Casting Congress and CASTEXPO, the sole mission of your Society is the development, gathering and transfer of information.

Until the beginning of 1991, throughout its 95-year history, the AFS forte has been technology: developing it, applying it, communicating it. The merger with the American Cast Metals Association in January of this year has altered slightly the traditional AFS role and added some new nontechnical' services for members including management, marketing, human relations and government affairs.

With the change comes a restatement of the AFS mission and goals. The Society's new objectives do not vary significantly from its previously stated purposes, but they've been expanded to include the new services. With this special issue of modem casting, which features an in-depth report on the "New" AFS, is a good opportunity to restate the mission and goals of the organization and to bring all of our members up to date on the direction of the Society and direction we are taking to achieve our objectives.

The AFS, as the leading metalcasting association of North America, shall provide leadership in government relations and provide its membership with education and information on technology, marketing, management, human resources and research.

The AFS goals are to assist member companies and individuals to:

* effectively and efficiently manage all production operations;

* profitably market their products and services; equitably manage all of their employees;

* effectively promote the interests of the industry before the legislative and executive branches of the federal government and in the various federal regulatory agencies; engage in any and all lawful activities that will enhance the efficiency and economic progress of the metalcasting industry and acquaint the public with its scope and character. "

Any way you cut it, it all gets back to information. So what the new "nontechnical" services mean to AFS members is simply an extension of what AFS has been doing all along and a lot more.

We hope that you will take a few minutes to read through our special report on the New" AFS to better understand where your Society is today and where it's going. While we can't give you knowledge, we can provide the only thing available to develop it-information.