Orientation nouvelle Association des Marchands Détaillants New Trend Retail Merchants' Association

Sommaire

Après plusieurs années d'existence et d'expérience, l'Association des Marchands Détaillants ressent un eminent besoin de reviser ses statuts, de vérifier sa structure et de refaire ses cadres pour répondre efficacement aux exigences nouvelles de ses responsabilités sociales. Cette prise de conscience de la part de l'Association, l'auteur la décrit et de plus, il donne au lecteur une idée de son orientation nouvelle.

Summary

WHAT IT WAS

Founded in 1896, the Retail Merchants' Association, proposed itself as defender of the interests of the retail trade in the Province of Quebec. Up to now, it has grouped, under various names, thirty-two different categories of retailers; its jurisdiction has extended to sixty-seven urban centres. In brief, it has been a multi-professional association.

A multi-professional association renders services which must necessarily be diversified, of a usually individual character, without satisfying all its members. To develop, by changing itself, became a decision of extreme gravity. This decision was taken after careful consideration of the consequences involved.

WHAT IT WANTS TO BE

On October 15, 1953, the administrators of the Association endorsed the proposition of becoming an authentic employers' federation, of studying the ideal structure for making the system more effective and took on themselves the responsibility of making such a change to fulfil finally, in the social world, the responsibilities which are normally those of the employer.

The Retail Merchants' Association must and can make such a gesture. It may try but cannot predict the effectiveness of its position taken.

WHAT IS BEING DONE

An employers' federation requires a hierarchy consisting of wide-awake and active participants. The Retail Merchants' Association therefore decided to train the personnel that it intended to recruit. To that effect, it has taken on the responsibility of organizing a seminar, of which the aim is simply to train technicians in professional organization. This seminar is to be held at the University of Montreal from April 4th. Already, without the slightest publicity, forty candidates have made application and some two hundred are expected.

This seminar will be, in our every-day life, of primary importance: the candidates who will take part must follow an intensive and concentrated course in all might be required of a professional organizer of any kind; these courses will be under the supervision of two universities, the final examinations being under the care of Laval University. The diploma granted will carry the University's seal.

What will be the consequences of such an initiative? Only the experts in professional organization may foresee them. It does remain, however, that this initiative of the Retail Merchants' Association deserves to be known: it indicates a deep sense of responsibility, a sense of altruism and a constructive view of the future.

WHAT IT WILL BE

The Retail Merchants' Association will become the first authentic employers' association. It will have an organization which will have provided for all eventualities, which will be perfectly constituted, which will live by the life of its members and of which the action will be directed by fellow-workers who will have had expert training. It would be rash to anticipate the eventual importance, but we must realize the urgency for action on the part of employers, on their determining responsibilities. At least, in French Canada, a group has decided, at a relatively high cost, to contribute in a definite way to the solution of that which appears to be its duty.