Materials Performance is the world's most widely circulated magazine dedicated to corrosion prevention and control. MP provides information about the latest corrosion control technologies and practical applications for every industry and environment.
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12 OCTOBER 2017 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE NACE INTERNATIONAL: VOL. 56, NO. 10 VIEWPOINT The Value of NACE International— From a 60-Year Perspective It is hard to believe that in 2018 NACE will be celebrating its 75 th anniversary with a membership of more than 36,000 worldwide. As a young engineer at the time, I joined NACE when it was only 14 years old with a membership of ~2,500 primarily in the United States and Canada. Cathodic protection was introduced to me for one-half hour during one university class and I never thought I would have any use for it at the time. However, when I found myself employed in the f ield, I began desperately looking for sources of information on the subject and my employer suggested NACE. Why would one join this organization at that time when it did not offer education courses, books, standards, or certif ications? The reason was that it had two jewels; a journal called CORROSION, later to be divided into CORROSION and MP, and technical meetings. CORROSION offered technical papers on related problems or solutions and described new advances in materials or services as they became available. Even though I did not have any immediate interest in a subject, I would still read the journal cover to cover. A ll journals were saved and eventually bound. This became a reference source for years to come. Even now I f ind myself rereading some of these papers. The next big source of information was by attending the technical meetings. Strangely, it became apparent the presentation was only a small part of the learning opportunity. An extensive question period was allowed in those days and much more information came out during this part of the session. The meetings were often followed by a social period that included further discussions between attendees on either the meeting topic or other nonrelated topics. Sharing of experiences was to the benef it of all and was certainly a benef it to our employers. A side benef it was gaining the trust of other people in the f ield. Thus, when you encountered a problem and remembered someone who previously had a similar prob- lem, they would more freely discuss the matter with you than if you were a stranger. As NACE grew, so did its services now too numerous to list. The association has kept up with technolog y and the times using the various communication systems to supply this information. I suspect there are very few people that know the full amount of infor- mation now available through NACE and recommend that they budget some time for the NACE web site—w w w.nace.org. It was a combination of the desire for technical knowledge plus the many friend- ships that led me to a desire to help NACE succeed, f irst on a local level and later, through board committees and the board. A lthough one never stops learning, another area of satisfaction was the education of younger members who were striving to a cer- tain certif ication level. There is a popular saying that "those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Time has taken many mentors from us but NACE still has 75 years of corro- sion history in its memory banks. I encourage all members to get involved as you will both improve your knowledge and make strong friendships along the way. W. Brian Holtsbaum, P.Eng. W. Brian Holtsbaum, NACE International Past President 1995-1996 We have high standards, shouldn't you? NACE standards are responsive to changing technology, effi cient, and give your company or career a competitive edge. • Purchase products that perform • Streamline processes and avoid errors • Trim costs and boost your bottom line • Comply with company and government regulations Learn how your company can benefi t from NACE standards today. For information, visit nace.org/standards