I'd like to share my perspectives from the inside looking out of the sort of association that you are now considering.
The Australian Severe Weather Association (ASWA) was incorporated in May 1999 for the following publicly noted purposes (taken straight from the website):
"ASWA was created for several reasons. Firstly, it enables people interested in any type of severe weather (thunderstorms, tropical cyclones to droughts and blizzards) to meet other people with similar interests. This often occurs at the monthly or bi-monthly state meetings - many members enjoy the opportunity to meet others with similar interests, especially when it comes to exchanging stories, photos and video footage. Meetings vary in their content, but often contain feature presentations (sometimes by guest speakers), comments and descriptions of previous recent significant weather setups and events and the opportunity to share video footage and photos of weather events.
The second reason ASWA was created was a community benefit - that is to assist in severe weather reporting. Currently ASWA focuses on severe thunderstorms (a prevalent threat in Australia), but there is no limit set for the scope that ASWA can cover. ASWA encourages its members to report severe thunderstorms and conduct local damage surveys so that this information can be forwarded onto the Bureau of Meteorology for the issuing of vital warnings and important database information that can lead to further research of severe weather related phenomena in Australia. In the future, ASWA hopes to continue this and report more information - many thunderstorms go unreported, and many areas have very little thunderstorm preparation. ASWA aims to assist in improving the thunderstorm reporting network and give information on how people can prepare for the thunderstorm season. ASWA also aims to extend this to all aspects of severe weather in the future.
Since ASWA's founding, ASWA has conducted several successful activities - these include a Bureau of Meteorology and ASWA combined storm spotter seminar, and the increasingly popular ASWA AGM weekend, which is an annual weekend with a variety of events that attracts many people from interstate to attend!"
We have aims and objectives, and also a disclaimer required for the rather tough insurance requirements in this country (although they are now being relaxed somewhat).
We have found that being a member of the association has given people some credibility when it comes to being in 'odd places at odd times doing odd things' - people stop worrying that you might be going to rob them if you produce a membership card and tell them a little of what we do.
ASWA is also strong on the education side and we are working atm to put together comprehensive information for distribution to schools. Members give public talks and the association has provided a foundation for a group of people who have now developed close and long lasting friendships.
The downsides of an association are the same as those in any formal group:-
- a relatively small number of members run it and do the lion's share of the work
- there are formalities that are required to be followed as per the Constitution, which can take away from those very limited hours of the day that we all have
- money for memberships needs to be handled correctly and banked and then consensus gained from the Exective and committee as to how these funds are to be spent for the good of the group
- the stated desires of the groups are wide ranging dependant upon age, experience, knowledge of the atmosphere and meteorology or lack thereof making some decisions rather difficult when trying to satisfy most of the people most of the time
- as with all groups, if a member does something that brings disrepute upon the group as a whole, it can take a lot of hard work to put things to right
I wouldn't change the fact that we have ASWA having been involved formally in the incporporation of it and the running of it since its inception as joint Victorian State Rep for a number of years and now as National Secretary. It has ben a very useful engine for collecting together individuals with a common interest, after 5 years, the association is now perceived as being a reliable and relevant group by the Bureau of Meteorology, but we have had to prove ourselves.....
for more information re the Code of Ethics and the Aims and Objectives, please feel free to explore:
http://www.severeweather.asn.au/public/about.php
Hoefully this gives just a brief insight as to our experience.
Cheers,
Jane