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From the Leadership Council

The rest of the EC and I have spent much of the past two months discussing a number of diverse professionalism and membership issues and projects, and I thought I would take this opportunity to speak of these from atop the head of Ozymandias.

Three of the other four U.S.-based actuarial organizations have a captive membership base. If an SOA or CAS member didn’t pay his dues, he would lose his hard-earned professional designation, and an Academy member would lose his ability to sign annual insurance statements. ACOPA members choose to be ACOPA members. We choose to attend conferences. We choose to participate in Government Affairs, professionalism, and education.

We choose an organization named ACOPA. We also choose as individuals who are equals in our college. Not all of us choose to participate in all matters. For example, most can’t write good Enrolled Actuarial exam questions, but it is enough that some can and do. Not everyone can answer most questions on the listserv, but it is enough that some can and do. This participation makes us a community by choice.

When we do participate, it’s important that we participate well. We owe it to our fellow members. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to our profession.

For example, when we choose to attend a conference and then choose to attend a session, it is a fact that we are attending that session not just to earn the continuing education credits for the Joint Board. There are so many cheaper and easier ways to get credit. We are there to learn, and we are there to teach. 

Speaking of conferences, the Membership Committee will soon be asking for members of ACOPA who are attending the Enrolled Actuaries meeting to be “ACOPA Ambassadors” and help “carry the flag.” Details will be provided later. The more ACOPA members, the merrier. 

And speaking again of conferences, if I don’t see you at the L.A. Advanced Pension Conference this month, keep warm and dry and safe.  

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