This past January I had the pleasure of attending ASA-Washington's Semiannual Retreat and Management Conference. The three days I spent at this event affirmed just how great the Automotive Service Association and its affiliates and chapters are.

The members and staff of ASA-Washington demonstrate the foundation of a successful association. They have fun.

It's that fundamental. I'm not an expert on language, but my guess is it's not a coincidence that the first three letters of fundamental spell fun.

That's not to say the members of ASA-Washington don't work hard. In fact, they work very hard. But, they succeed at making their work fun and enjoyable.

Several events that transpired those few days in Washington made a positive impression on me. These ASA members weren't just having a great time, they were having a great time while taking care of their affiliate's business. They were having a great time being together.

Another thing that impressed me is the number of people that showed up. I don't know exactly what percentage of ASA-Washington members were present, but it was a significant amount. From my vantage point of working primarily at the national level, where such a high percentage of participation is not commonplace, I was in awe.

I've been to an untold number of meetings that were, well, less than interesting. Yes, I've been to some less-than-interesting ASA meetings and boring meetings of other industry groups that I've been involved with. I've been to some fun and exciting meetings too, but I think the less-than-interesting ones probably outnumber the fun ones.

This past April, ASA's national convention was held in Maui, Hawaii. Similar to the ASA-Washington conference, there were a lot of people at the convention having a lot of fun.

Having fun is fundamental to the success, vitality and well being of virtually any endeavor, including the endeavor of a trade association. As shop owners and managers, our work for ASA is voluntary. It's a sacrifice we choose to make. If it isn't fun and worthwhile, why would we take on such responsibilities?

Being active in the association and attending meetings is work just like going to the shop at 6:30 every morning is work. But, part of what makes ASA worthwhile is that it's fun work. Physically and mentally stepping away from the shop for a couple of hours or a couple of days and spending that time with peers is a stimulating and enlightening change.

This fact was reinforced those three days in Washington and again at ASA's Annual Convention. Now, I'm looking forward to the fun we'll have at CARS (Nov. 1-3) and NACE (Nov. 29-Dec. 2).

If you own a mechanical shop, please plan to attend CARS. Similarly, if you operate a collision shop, plan to be at NACE. Part of belonging to a trade association is to have opportunities to associate with our peers.

That's pretty FUNdamental, isn't it?

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