At the CNS, there were written instructions for everything and everyone with a job:
- Presiding Officers
- Hosts for Honored Guest
- Host for Speakers
- Hosts for Receptions and Banquet
- Hosts for Audience
- Audiovisual Officer
- Exhibitors
- Registration
- Speakers
- Meeting Arrangements
- Message Center
- Signing
- Backup Honored Guest and Speakers
- Planned Spontaneity Responders
- Designated Discussants
- Auxiliary Officer
- Sightseeing and Special Events
- Post Meeting Travel Officer
Principle: educated people (neurosurgeons are super educated) are used to following rules and game plans if they know what game they are playing and the rules and plans (instructions) are in writing.
Early in the CNS game, the organizers did not know how to spell "Chamber of Commerce" and lacked the resources for hiring professional meeting managers, so everything was done by members and their spouses. This is the origin of the CNS tradition of hands on leadership. It later led to CNS graduates infiltrating and changing (improving) other generalist and specialist societies as change agents.