Masonry Magazine October 2000 Page. 56
THE Who We Are, What We Do,
MASONRY and How We Hope to Help
SOCIETY the Masonry Industry By PhillipJ. Samblanet
As we are all aware, there are dozens of different masonry groups and organizations, each serving a different segment of our industry. We are all familiar with the big boys, and the acronyms roll off our tongues like water - MCAA, BIA, NCMA, PCA, NLA, MIA, IMI, ESCSI-and most of us could list many, many more. There are even more state and local groups that are also working to build our industry. But many of us have never heard of The Masonry Society (TMS), or if we have, we may only have a vague idea of what TMS does. Hopefully this article will give you a better idea of who we are, what we do, and what we hope to do to serve the masonry industry.
ABOUT TMS
TMS, or The Masonry Society, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of knowledge on masonry. Our membership is likely more diverse than other masonry groups in that we have members from all segments of the masonry industry - designers (architects and engineers), masons and mason contractors, material manufacturers and suppliers, researchers, professors and other educators, inspectors, testing agency personnel, building officials, and anyone else having an interest in masonry. Our purpose is to gather information on masonry, and then disseminate it through publications, codes and standards, slide sets, newsletters, refereed journals, educational programs, workshops, seminars and through our webpage. Our list of activities and services grows daily as we try to increase the level of knowledge on masonry throughout the masonry community. And in the last few years, we have become more focused and are striving to become a better resource for everyone.
WHY IS TMS NEEDED?
With so many other masonry organizations out there, one might wonder what TMS can offer that is not already being provided. A good question that can be answered in two broad ways.
1. TMS's mission is to advance the knowledge of masonry, and because we have a broad membership base, which is not controlled by any industry segment, the information we provide is unbiased, impartial and highly regarded. This is critically important in the development of codes and standards, and in our many educational programs and publications.
2. TMS provides a forum for all segments of the masonry community (from manufacturers to designers to contractors to building officials) to come together and work on common projects that increase the knowledge of masonry, thereby making everyone more comfortable in the use of masonry. In this way, TMS provides the opportunity to network between the many and varied disciplines within the masonry industry.
TMS therefore serves a critical educational role for the masonry community, and acts as a forum for discussion, consideration, and often resolution. These broad ways that TMS contributes to the masonry industry are furthered through a number of specific projects and programs, a few of which include:
■Codes and Standards Development. By providing a forum for all members of the masonry community to get together and participate, TMS's balanced committees can develop codes and standards that benefit everyone and can then be referenced by the general building codes. For instance, TMS is one of the three member organizations of the Masonry