ASHI candidate membership

[Mike Lamb]

Whoa, I screwed up. I deleted my original post about being a 6 year ASHI candidate. It was not intentional.

Anyway, Jesse asked,

>6 years. Why are you still a candidate? It's honest curiosity, not an attack.

It’s more than 6 years. I joined ASHI in December, 1999. I had already been inspecting for about 3 years and knew everything there was to know about being a top flight inspector. I was ready to teach the boys of ASHI a thing or two about the HI biz.

I figured I would become a member immediately and add it to my resume. I took the NHIE (a membership requirement) without any studying and failed. They don’t provide a test score but I figured I scored about a 50%. I sent some sample reports to ASHI for approval and those were rejected as deficient as well.

So I started reading their forum and realized what an ignorant dumb-ass I really was. I was nowhere close to being a competent inspector.

I did and do intend to become a real member someday (Or whatever it is called now. It’s not a big deal) but have just never gotten around to it. Honestly, in eleven years, I’ve only been asked 4 or 5 times if I am an ASHI member so I’ve never felt rushed.

Right now my membership is in flux. I have been suspended (rightfully so) for not having enough continuing ed. credits (MRCs) and also the small item of late dues. My people are working on it. I shall return. I miss the ASHI forum.

[Richard Moore]

As the supposed moderator of this particular forum I would just like to insert a pause and applaud everyone who has posted so far. On any of those "other" sites this would have turned into a very ugly flame and bash fest by now. It is refreshing to see a group of inspectors, even with differing opinions and affiliations, able to discuss this like professionals.

Congratulations and thanks, gentlemen! You make my "job" here very easy.

[Chris Bernhardt]

Can an ASHI Associate advertise the fact that they are an ASHI Associate?

And if asked, is an ASHI associate a member of ASHI or are certified members really the only ones considered members? I am so confused!

I know that I can't display the ASHI logo.

Haven't recieved an membership packet yet but my name is already up on their website.

Chris, Oregon

[carle3]

Chris,

Yes, you can make reference that you are an associate ASHI member. The key here is the associate designation must be discolosed if you are going to advertise. This also pertains to verbal dialouges as to your membership.

[Scottpat]

You can also say that you are a member of ASHI or that you belong to ASHI. This was changed last year to allow a person to say this. One of the reasons for the membership name changes was to stop the confusion. Everyone that belongs to ASHI is a member of ASHI. If you want to advertise in a written format you need to say what level of membership you have attained. Associate Inspector or Certified ASHI Inspector.

[hausdok]

Hi Scott,

It's good to see that the leadership over there is finally taking a pry bar to their backsides to try and extract their heads over old guys versus new guys issues. However, wouldn't it have been just as effective if they had permitted folks to use a set of initials to show their level of membership? Say, something like Johnny B. Good, A.I. or Leroy Brown, C.A.I. ?

Your guys' level of membership would have been openly displayed in such a way that clients' confidence in the inspector's expertise wouldn't be harmed by his level of membership. There'd be nothing dishonest or deceptive about it and there'd be less confusion in the ranks about how and when to say, print or wear what.

Years ago, I was a member of the Environmental Assessment Association. I had to take some classes and pass a test to join and earned the C.E.I. (Certified Environmental Inspector) designation. I had it on my business card for at least 4 - 5 years. I thought it was sort of rinky-dink, but it was, as far as I could tell, a legitimate designation conferred by a legitimate entity, so why not? Would you believe that in that time, out of more than 1100 inspections, only 4 customers ever asked me what the initials stood for? Maybe nobody cared or maybe we, as a society, are mostly too polite to question someone's credentials.

I guess where I'm going here is that, if the long established inspectors at ASHI still can't let go of the "I know we're in the same association, but I'm more experienced than that guy" mentality, and still feel that they need a way to outwardly brand their new guys as being less experienced, why not do it in a way that does the least harm to those new guys and puts them on equal footing with the new guys at NAHI, NACHI and A.I.I., whom they have to compete with. After all, most of your "members" are not really competing, per se, with the novices, are they?

Just some random off-the-cuff thoughts in no particular order meant as constructive criticism, so don't take it the wrong way.

ONE TEAM - ONE FIGHT!!!

Mike

[ozofprev]

Mike, you're right. Most people realize that, but it does not matter.

Does the house need new siding, or another coat of paint? New plumbing, or Drano. New electric, or more gas appliances? In other words, real changes or name changes?

Did you know that MRC's are out and CE's are in?

[Scottpat]

Hi Mike,

The board approved and the Membership voted and approved the use of AI (Associate Inspector) and CAI (Certified ASHI Inspector) for the levels of membership. This happened a few months ago.

Gary is correct on the education hours. This is something that we have been pushing to get done for several years and we were finally able to get it through the board (This BoD is not like past boards). It is a simple change that had much resistance for whatever reasons. Nobody knew what an MRC was but everyone seems to understand what a CE hour is.

[Eric B]

I do agree with Mike's assessment of ASHI's levels of membership. I don't understand the benefit of any middling level. I also do not believe that saying that being around the longest has any meaning - there are some contractors in my area that can honestly make that claim - and I would never recommend them to my clients. And I disagree with ASHI's goal of trying to reach 7,000 members. Trying to go home with the most marbles is wasted effort.

I think that any organization should concentrate on being selective in choosing its members and work to maintain its quality service and reputation. Placing the almighty Dollar above all else on the alter usually achieves no meaningful outcome.

Now whether one belongs to one H.I. org or another is not as important belong to one of them.