A Community to Be Proud of and to Grow With
To be a Massachusetts behavior analyst is a particular point of pride for many of us. Our state has been at the forefront of funding, research, graduate opportunities, and growth in the field. Unique applications of our science flourish in Massachusetts and we are rich with reputable ABA businesses that support our profession.
Our state professional organization (Babat) has brought us all together for more than 45 years now, and through Babat we have developed a community. Whether embracing each other at our annual conference, enjoying a talk and a beer at the annual Babat social, chatting about the webinar line-up for the year, joining together to recognize the achievements of our peers, colleagues, and mentors, or participating in the collective responsibility of creating connection with students in our field, we are not operating in isolation.
There must be something about us that drew us to this profession. Are we like-minded because of the similar journey we've taken or because taking this journey attracts a like-minded crowd in the first place. I have friends in different professions and I have a husband in a different profession. I clearly have bias, but my observations of many other professions suggest that there may not often be as much of a common underlying foundation in character such that we see in our field. We are not just a a field that is motivated to learn about the orderliness of behavior. That goal could be found throughout many financial professions or even in marketing. Rather, it is the unique combination of an appreciation of science, an intrigue of learning, AND a passion for using it all for the type of good that makes humanity better that defines us collectively.
When we join together either virtually, in-person, or through our actions, BABAT allows us to be a part of nearly a half century of like-minded professionals. To be part of BABAT is to be connected with your current colleagues, past colleagues, and peers you've never known, but share a special bond with. It is to be connected to Dr. Beth Sulzer-Azaroff and the many pillars of our community that have contributed to her vision of creating a connection between MA behavior analysts all those many years ago and since.
Margaret Wheatley once said, "there is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about." In Massachusetts, we have established the means for discovering from each other and learning who we should be. Babat pulls us together and our collective wish to grow guides us.
We still occasionally receive membership cancellations accompanied with a note explaining that they are cancelling because they are not able to attend the conference this year. While our conference is an integral part of our experience, membership in Babat has expanded far beyond our annual gathering. We are a part of something larger here and it is something to be quite proud of. Babat is a home for every behavior analyst in Massachusetts and maintaining your membership and participating in our community is as important as any other initiative in your profession. To be a behavior analyst in Massachusetts is to be a member of Babat; to look out for each other, grow together, advance our profession together, and support each other.
Through our commitment to each other, the Massachusetts behavior analysis profession is stronger, and our impact is greater. Your commitment to our community is what makes this all so special.