I currently write the editorial for the PASS Connector which is published every two weeks as part of my role on the Board of Directors. I'm cross posting those editorials here as well as to the main PASS blog.

What does a professional organization do? What should members expect from their professional association? Those are good questions, though not easy to answer. Twenty years ago one of the big reasons to join associations was for the benefits large organizations could negotiate – now there are very few that are large enough to beat the discounts available via various web sites and searches. For those of that use SQL Server we don’t have the same licensing requirements that doctors and attorneys do, so that model doesn’t quite fit us either.

I’ve thought about it a lot and while I don’t have all the answers, here is what I have come up with so far:

· PASS should focus on career development, networking, and some aspects of professional development

· PASS should speak out about matters of interest to our members – best practices, features for the next version, bugs that need to be fixed, and more

· PASS should be the place where we send those considering a career as a SQL Server professional to understand the options and the career path

· PASS should be more than just DBA’s, we have to include those that work on the BI side of things, and we should encourage developers to participate in some way too

· PASS should help employers and managers understand the particular needs, demands, and stresses of our profession, how it affects them and how it affects us

· PASS should continue to host the annual Summit as the premier learning and training opportunity for those of in the SQL Server business

· PASS should be a equal player in the larger world of SQL communities and events – we’ll seek to be the best we can be at our mission and we’ll let them be the best they can be at theirs, and we’ll embrace any site/event that provides learning opportunities to our members

· PASS should be keeping our members informed about news and events of interest – you may find it in other places, but we’ll make sure it’s visible here

· PASS should encourage those that want to take the next step and provide opportunities for volunteers to participate, and to speak at our local chapters, regional events, and the Summit – and provide training and guidance to help them succeed

We would like to hear from you! Do you like that list, have an idea for something that can be added or removed? At the end of the day we want being a member of PASS to be more than just good karma; we want you to be a member because we’re providing value to you. I’ll hope you post to our blog your ideas, but as always you can reach me directly at andy.warren@sqlpass.org.

Andy