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State Societies and the War Effort
THE J O U R N A L of the
AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION Mid-Monthly Issue Vol. 29
SEPTEMBER 15, 1942
No. 14
President’s Message STATE SOCIETIES A N D THE W AR EFFORT
E C A U S E of the stress of the war effort, it becam e necessary this year for the Am erican D ental Association to cancel the m eet ings o f its scientific sections and the general sessions and to lim it its activities to basic functions, represented by the duties of the House of Delegates and the Board of Trustees and the reports of standing and special committees. T he wisdom of the decision to post pone the scientific program was so apparent to those assembled in St. Louis that the H ouse o f Delegates voted to lim it the 1942 m eet ing to business sessions o f the H ouse and attendant official activities. A resolution to postpone the 1943 A nnual M eeting was passed by the H ouse o f Delegates at St. Louis. A fter declaring the reasons for such action, the resolution called attention to the dangers of any neglect o f our scientific interests and urged constituent societies to assume the responsibility o f continuing the emphasis that they have formerly placed on scientific programs. It recom mended that inas m uch as the prom otion o f scientific knowledge is an im portant func tion of dental societies, every effort be m ade by state and local soci eties to continue their scientific meetings, as far as possible. For the first tim e in its history, the Am erican D ental Association has been obliged to abandon this vitally im portant function tem po rarily to the energies of the com ponent societies. It has not assumed
B
1737
1738
T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r ic a n D e n t a l A s s o c ia t io n
this attitude wilfully, but as the only recourse in the circumstances to insure the continuation o f scientific achievements. T h e constituent societies of the Am erican D ental Association have done a m agnificent job through the years. T hey have enthusiastically carried on and in a manner that has m ade possible the remarkable success o f the parent body. T h e achievements o f the Am erican D en tal Association, o f which all o f us are justly proud, reflect to a meas urable degree the fine work o f the state societies and their officers. R ecently, the states have recognized the value o f a closer cooperation. As a consequence, they have assumed full responsibility for the State Officers’ Conference begun by the Am erican D ental Association a num ber of years ago as a service to the states. T h e outstanding suc cess o f last winter’s conference, under the leadership o f the states, was a vigorous testim onial to their ability and desire to advance the use fulness o f this activity. T he remarkable attendance (three times the num ber expected) at the State Officers’ Breakfast in St. Louis during the recent H ouse o f Delegates m eeting supports the hope of the Am erican D ental Association that the state societies, through the enthusiasm o f their officers, will im plem ent the work of the American D ental Association during this terrible conflict by prom oting to a higher degree of usefulness the scientific features of their programs. States w ill face certain unusual problems in their efforts to carry on. Conversion o f peacetim e activities to a war footing, with the resulting dislocations, has altered the situation materially and former practices m ust now be adjusted to the revised order. H owever, these dislocations must be regarded as unavoidable in the circumstances and must be surmounted by the ingenuity which our profession every where and at all times has demonstrated. M ay I remind the state officers that now is the tim e to plan their next regular m eeting. A t this tim e, w hen customary procedures are hindered by the over-all national effort to win the war, m uch o f dentistry’s future depends on local effort. There is no doubt in m y m ind regarding the response o f our loyal state memberships to this challenge.
AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION Mid-Monthly Issue Vol. 29
SEPTEMBER 15, 1942
No. 14
President’s Message STATE SOCIETIES A N D THE W AR EFFORT
E C A U S E of the stress of the war effort, it becam e necessary this year for the Am erican D ental Association to cancel the m eet ings o f its scientific sections and the general sessions and to lim it its activities to basic functions, represented by the duties of the House of Delegates and the Board of Trustees and the reports of standing and special committees. T he wisdom of the decision to post pone the scientific program was so apparent to those assembled in St. Louis that the H ouse o f Delegates voted to lim it the 1942 m eet ing to business sessions o f the H ouse and attendant official activities. A resolution to postpone the 1943 A nnual M eeting was passed by the H ouse o f Delegates at St. Louis. A fter declaring the reasons for such action, the resolution called attention to the dangers of any neglect o f our scientific interests and urged constituent societies to assume the responsibility o f continuing the emphasis that they have formerly placed on scientific programs. It recom mended that inas m uch as the prom otion o f scientific knowledge is an im portant func tion of dental societies, every effort be m ade by state and local soci eties to continue their scientific meetings, as far as possible. For the first tim e in its history, the Am erican D ental Association has been obliged to abandon this vitally im portant function tem po rarily to the energies of the com ponent societies. It has not assumed
B
1737
1738
T h e J o u r n a l o f t h e A m e r ic a n D e n t a l A s s o c ia t io n
this attitude wilfully, but as the only recourse in the circumstances to insure the continuation o f scientific achievements. T h e constituent societies of the Am erican D ental Association have done a m agnificent job through the years. T hey have enthusiastically carried on and in a manner that has m ade possible the remarkable success o f the parent body. T h e achievements o f the Am erican D en tal Association, o f which all o f us are justly proud, reflect to a meas urable degree the fine work o f the state societies and their officers. R ecently, the states have recognized the value o f a closer cooperation. As a consequence, they have assumed full responsibility for the State Officers’ Conference begun by the Am erican D ental Association a num ber of years ago as a service to the states. T h e outstanding suc cess o f last winter’s conference, under the leadership o f the states, was a vigorous testim onial to their ability and desire to advance the use fulness o f this activity. T he remarkable attendance (three times the num ber expected) at the State Officers’ Breakfast in St. Louis during the recent H ouse o f Delegates m eeting supports the hope of the Am erican D ental Association that the state societies, through the enthusiasm o f their officers, will im plem ent the work of the American D ental Association during this terrible conflict by prom oting to a higher degree of usefulness the scientific features of their programs. States w ill face certain unusual problems in their efforts to carry on. Conversion o f peacetim e activities to a war footing, with the resulting dislocations, has altered the situation materially and former practices m ust now be adjusted to the revised order. H owever, these dislocations must be regarded as unavoidable in the circumstances and must be surmounted by the ingenuity which our profession every where and at all times has demonstrated. M ay I remind the state officers that now is the tim e to plan their next regular m eeting. A t this tim e, w hen customary procedures are hindered by the over-all national effort to win the war, m uch o f dentistry’s future depends on local effort. There is no doubt in m y m ind regarding the response o f our loyal state memberships to this challenge.