Congress men and women establish lifelong friendships in the CNS. These cherished relationships are especially strong among the officer corps. The CNS leadership recognized the risk of creating elite groups early in the life of the organization. Several measures were taken to combat elitism including the following:

• Avoiding spending too much time together at the Annual meeting
• Sharing contracts with distinguished guests with members at large
• Spreading the officers out among the members at luncheons, receptions and banquets
• Abandoning the head table pattern at meal functions
• Avoiding private parties together in the Headquarters Hotel during the Annual Meeting
• Assigning non-officer members to high profile tasks such as chairing important committees, conducting scientific sessions, serving on extramural liaison groups, etc.
• Thanking and recognizing members for work in the CNS
• Avoid closed meetings and secrecy
• Share information openly with members

It is important to embrace the principle of combating elitism constantly.