Over at FPRA Blog Week Bob O'Malley posted a great comment on Doreen's article: The Benefits of Volunteering. Bob said:

Every year, I tell graduating college seniors to take notice of which PR firms are represented at FPRA luncheons, events and committees, and which ones are not. I tell them that the ones that are not represented are not good places to work.

Take that quote and insert just about any industry/professional association. I also pay attention to things like this. When a new member joins a professional group and they are paying out of their own pocket (because their firm won't pay) I watch to see how long before they change employers.