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Delinquent Members
The Journal of the American. Dental Association 58 East Washington Street, Chicago, Illinois. P le a s e s e n d in fo r m a tio n
in p r o m p t l y n o t i c e o f c h a n g e o f a d d r e s s , g i v i n g b o t h o l d a n d n e w . Im p orta n t r e g a r d in g s u b s c r i p t io n p r ic e , e t c ., w i l l b e f o u n d in t h e a d v e r t i s in g p a g e s
Editorial DELINQUENT MEMBERS In every large organization in which membership is main tained through the payment o f annual dues, there is usually quite a leakage from delinquent members. This is not so much a matter o f financial inability on the part o f the delinquents as one o f forgetfulness, indifference or carelessness. Sometimes it is due purely to procrastination. Whatever the cause, it behooves the officers o f every or ganization to check up on this matter very carefully, and try to prevent such unwarranted loss o f members. As the matter stands now in some organizations, it is sheer wastefulness to per mit so many members to drop out from this cause. In the American Dental Association, the problem is strictly up to the officers o f the component societies— in their hands is placed the function o f collecting the dues. Manifestly, even if it were so provided in the Constitution, it would be impossible for the officers o f the parent body to reach the individual mem bers in the intimate way that the component officers can, and yet it must be recognized that every member lost to the component society is likewise lost to the parent organization. A little timely effort on the part o f our branch officers will minimize this serious loss, and will hold our organization closer together in all its integral entities. This is a very important matter, affecting as it does our aggregate membership and work ing for good or ill as regards our reputation as a representative organization. W hile numbers do not mean everything, there is after all in a large membership a psychology that carries weight, 1145
1146
The Journal of the American Dental Association
not only with the profession itself but also in the estimation o f the public. With a goodly portion o f all the ethical dentists in every locality belonging to one outstanding organization such as ours, there is no question as to the impelling force exerted in giving a creditable status to dentistry. The membership should grow steadily year after year as the new graduates are a.dded to our ranks; but this accession o f fresh recruits will be largely counterbalanced if the delinquent list is permitted to increase so as to materially deplete our ranks. Before the Louisville meeting, our component officers should check up carefully on their tardy members, and come in with a slate as nearly clean as possible, to the end that the record may show a larger and more representative membership than has ever before existed in the history o f the organization. C. N. J o h n s o n . T H E H A B IT O F A T T E N D IN G M E E T IN G S Presence at m eetings produces, I am sure, in different m embers o f the audience, as it has in me, various em otions. T h ese em otions must apparently f a l l into one o r m ore o f the fo l l o w i n g subdivisions: ad m iration f o r the subject o r the speaker; fe e lin g o f on e’s o w n in fe rio r ity in h a v in g done so little ; the desire to imitate that piece o f w o r k and that m e th o d ; the determ ination n ot to o v e r lo o k this o r that in th e .fu tu re , and regrets at h a v ing' fa ile d to observe this and that. W ishes, regrets, determ inations lik e these are bou n d to have o n ly the m ost beneficial effects on ou r fu tu re activities, because they are stim ulating to better p erform a n ce o f duty. W h en w e stay at hom e and w o r k in ou r o w n circle o n ly , g o o d w o r k m igh t be done and creditable, but ou r accom plishm ents, ou r thoughts, ou r ideals, are slow to reach the outside w o r ld . T h e g o o d w e m ay have done has had o n ly little influence, and, f o r the same reason, reco g n itio n by ou r f e l l o w w orkers is sure to com e o n ly very slow ly . A t meetings, when w e a llo w others to peep into ou r m inds, a qu icker estimate and ap preciation o f ou r valu e is gain ed , the influence f o r g o o d spreads qu icker an d w id er. O u r leaders, the men w h o have h on o re d and exalted ou r p rofession , a ll o f them w ere reg u lar in their attendance at m eet ings, spreading the k n o w le d g e they possessed and learn in g fr o m the hum blest and youngest' in the m eeting. A ttendance at m eetings has o fte n led to ties o f the m ost fr u it fu l and warm est fr ie n d ships a m o n g m edical men the w o r ld ov e r. H istory o f m edicine, and o f o u r branch espe cia lly , contains m any records o f the w o n d e r fu l effects o f exchange o f thoughts am on g fr ie n d ly spirits, just as these m edical m eetings. Attendance at m eetings must n o t be lim ited to those o f ou r im m ediate circles. The la r g e r the g ro u p o f individu als banded together, the greater is the p ro b a b ility o f valuable an d stim u latin g contributions at that m eeting.— M arcu s F ein g o ld , in J .A .M .A .
in p r o m p t l y n o t i c e o f c h a n g e o f a d d r e s s , g i v i n g b o t h o l d a n d n e w . Im p orta n t r e g a r d in g s u b s c r i p t io n p r ic e , e t c ., w i l l b e f o u n d in t h e a d v e r t i s in g p a g e s
Editorial DELINQUENT MEMBERS In every large organization in which membership is main tained through the payment o f annual dues, there is usually quite a leakage from delinquent members. This is not so much a matter o f financial inability on the part o f the delinquents as one o f forgetfulness, indifference or carelessness. Sometimes it is due purely to procrastination. Whatever the cause, it behooves the officers o f every or ganization to check up on this matter very carefully, and try to prevent such unwarranted loss o f members. As the matter stands now in some organizations, it is sheer wastefulness to per mit so many members to drop out from this cause. In the American Dental Association, the problem is strictly up to the officers o f the component societies— in their hands is placed the function o f collecting the dues. Manifestly, even if it were so provided in the Constitution, it would be impossible for the officers o f the parent body to reach the individual mem bers in the intimate way that the component officers can, and yet it must be recognized that every member lost to the component society is likewise lost to the parent organization. A little timely effort on the part o f our branch officers will minimize this serious loss, and will hold our organization closer together in all its integral entities. This is a very important matter, affecting as it does our aggregate membership and work ing for good or ill as regards our reputation as a representative organization. W hile numbers do not mean everything, there is after all in a large membership a psychology that carries weight, 1145
1146
The Journal of the American Dental Association
not only with the profession itself but also in the estimation o f the public. With a goodly portion o f all the ethical dentists in every locality belonging to one outstanding organization such as ours, there is no question as to the impelling force exerted in giving a creditable status to dentistry. The membership should grow steadily year after year as the new graduates are a.dded to our ranks; but this accession o f fresh recruits will be largely counterbalanced if the delinquent list is permitted to increase so as to materially deplete our ranks. Before the Louisville meeting, our component officers should check up carefully on their tardy members, and come in with a slate as nearly clean as possible, to the end that the record may show a larger and more representative membership than has ever before existed in the history o f the organization. C. N. J o h n s o n . T H E H A B IT O F A T T E N D IN G M E E T IN G S Presence at m eetings produces, I am sure, in different m embers o f the audience, as it has in me, various em otions. T h ese em otions must apparently f a l l into one o r m ore o f the fo l l o w i n g subdivisions: ad m iration f o r the subject o r the speaker; fe e lin g o f on e’s o w n in fe rio r ity in h a v in g done so little ; the desire to imitate that piece o f w o r k and that m e th o d ; the determ ination n ot to o v e r lo o k this o r that in th e .fu tu re , and regrets at h a v ing' fa ile d to observe this and that. W ishes, regrets, determ inations lik e these are bou n d to have o n ly the m ost beneficial effects on ou r fu tu re activities, because they are stim ulating to better p erform a n ce o f duty. W h en w e stay at hom e and w o r k in ou r o w n circle o n ly , g o o d w o r k m igh t be done and creditable, but ou r accom plishm ents, ou r thoughts, ou r ideals, are slow to reach the outside w o r ld . T h e g o o d w e m ay have done has had o n ly little influence, and, f o r the same reason, reco g n itio n by ou r f e l l o w w orkers is sure to com e o n ly very slow ly . A t meetings, when w e a llo w others to peep into ou r m inds, a qu icker estimate and ap preciation o f ou r valu e is gain ed , the influence f o r g o o d spreads qu icker an d w id er. O u r leaders, the men w h o have h on o re d and exalted ou r p rofession , a ll o f them w ere reg u lar in their attendance at m eet ings, spreading the k n o w le d g e they possessed and learn in g fr o m the hum blest and youngest' in the m eeting. A ttendance at m eetings has o fte n led to ties o f the m ost fr u it fu l and warm est fr ie n d ships a m o n g m edical men the w o r ld ov e r. H istory o f m edicine, and o f o u r branch espe cia lly , contains m any records o f the w o n d e r fu l effects o f exchange o f thoughts am on g fr ie n d ly spirits, just as these m edical m eetings. Attendance at m eetings must n o t be lim ited to those o f ou r im m ediate circles. The la r g e r the g ro u p o f individu als banded together, the greater is the p ro b a b ility o f valuable an d stim u latin g contributions at that m eeting.— M arcu s F ein g o ld , in J .A .M .A .