NEWS Message From our President

T'he Meaning of Membership January is the time of year for making resolutions. As I contemplate the conclusion of my term of office in less than four months time, I resolve to be a good member of the Association in the future. In making this resolution, I have considered carefully the meaning of membership in a professional society such as ours both from the perspective of an elected officer and from that of a member who, at this particular time of his or her career,

Is not an active participant in Association affairs at either the state or na- tional level.

Early in my term as your president, I had occasion to respond to a vitriolic letter from a member addressed to the president of the Association, the name and location of which he did not know, but whose policies, methods and motives he did claim to have knowledge of. Among the many issues he raised were such contentions that a small cabal of officers had significantly raised his dues, provided for members extravagant services that they did not want, created a burgeoning bureaucracy of civil servants in a central office, and forced an ill-conceived public awareness program on the membership without their knowledge or consent. This member was apparently not familiar with the Roster or the Communique, which he receives, had not attended the Annual Session of the Association in six or more years, and had never contacted one of the 'politicians' he castigated to seek information prior to writing his letter.

I did respond to him, admittedly in a blunt and undiplomatic as well as sar- castic manner, setting forth the facts on the Association and its policies and practices and on his shortcomings as an Active member. Clearly, as your president, I resented such an uninformed and irresponsible attack, not on me personally, but upon all of our members who have in the past and do now volunteer their time and efforts on committees as appointed representatives 0f the Association or as elected directors and officers.

My correspondent, in a subsequent reply, contended that at this period of his life he was prevented from being more active politically and further, that there was more to the membership than the hard workers to which I had refer- red in my letter. He argued that there are those who care but who choose to ~e inactive, and that they ought to be listened to in the decision-making pro- ,'esses of the Association. He suggested that despite the fact that more than 36 percent of our Active members attend the Annual Session of the Associa- lion, where they have an opportunity to participate in its affairs, they do not 'epresent the membership. He suggested that when the participants and workers do all the decision-making without input from the 'other' members, ~ou get a polarization, which weakens an organization. An interesting point )f view. I must also suppose that when polls are taken of all members and ess than all respond, which is always the case, that those who did not res- )ond ought to be consulted before a consensus is reached. Perhaps he might dso contend that when a democratic society selects its representatives by in electorate that constitutes less than half of those who are eligible to vote, md these representatives make decisions without input from those who lave forfeited by choice their voting rights, it polarizes a community, state or lation. To concede that those who choose to be uninformed and non- ~articipatory should enjoy equal credibility with those who are informed and Io participate in the decision-making process would, in my view, be a con- ;ession to organizational anarchy and paralysis not polarity.

I would be less than honest if I lead my readers to believe that this member alone in his sentiments or less than sincere in his beliefs. By far the most

dversarial comments I have received from members relate to the public wareness program and the assessment for its support. These can be

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Continuing Education Georgetown University School of Dentistry. 3900 Reservoir Road, Washington, D.C. 20007.

Advanced endodontics, March 6, Drs. Edward Besner and Gerald Sacks, Fee: $125.

University of Detroit School of Den. tistry. 2985 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, M I 48207. 313/446-1800.

Endosonic endodontics the ultra- sonic synergistic system of en- dodontics, January 31, Drs. Walter Cunningham and Howard Martin, Fee: $125.

Temple University School of Dentistry. 3223 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA lg 140. 215/221-2955.

Automated endodontics, February 18, Drs. Marvin Gross and Irving Sinai, Fee: $100.

Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Graduate Dentistry. 100 E. Newton Street, Boston, MA 02118. 617/247-6354.

Participation course in 3-D fil l ing of root canals with warm gutta-percha, January 22-23, Dr. Herbert Schilder, Fee: $330.

Albert Einstein Medical Center. York and Tabor Roads, Philadelphia, PA 19141.

Relax and enjoy endodontics with warm gutta-percha, January 23, Dr. Maynard C. Goldberg, Fee: $80.

Palm Springs Seminars, 2323 Oak Crest Drive South, Palm Springs, CA 92264. 206/569-2364.

Advanced principles of root canal treatment: Injectable thermoplasti- c ized gut ta -percha technique, January 10-11, Dr. James L. Gutmann, Fee: dentist $175, auxiliary $87.50.

Myofacial pain/disfunction: Diagno- sis and management, January 17-18, Drs. David G. Simona and Janet G. Travell, Fee: $275.

NEWS (continued) categorized into three areas. Some see in it no value to them personally or to their individual practices. Some are critical of a particular aspect of the prgram but not the program itself. And some are opposed to the principle of a profession engaged in any form of marketing whatsoever. I have tried to res- pond to these concerns both individually and collectively.

More confusing to me is the individual who sends his assessment check along with a notation of 'under protest.' I'm at a loss as to know what it is that he or she is protesting. All of the negative comments taken together have not amounted to more than fifty or so individuals who have refused to pay and resigned their membership and ten or twelve who did pay and made a note or sent a letter. Over 2,800 individuals have supported this program without comment. Most, but not all, of those few who did take the time to write were asking questions rather than making uninformed assertions. So, my question is how many Active members really do subscribe to a meaning of membership that would lead one to believe that an Active member has no obligation to be informed or participate in the affairs of his or her organiza- tion.

My belief is that when I chose to become an Active member of this or any other organization to which I belong, that I made a choice to do something more than just pay dues and assessments. I believe that I also assumed an obligation to, at the very least, become an informed member of that organiza- tion. Further, I assumed that I had an obligation to participate in a mean- ingful way in its scientific and political activities, to accept assignments by my elected leaders or to accept elected office myself given the opportunity and to hold my colleagues accountable at all times for their positions and ac- tions. To be in fact what the term Active member would seem to imply. I also assume that in regard to the broad range of membership services to which I am entitled, either on a continuing basis or in conjunction with an annual session, that I am partaking of a smorgasboard of offerings for a set price, some of which I may have neither a personal liking for nor need to have, rather than partaking in a cafeteria line in which I would be free to pick, choose and pay as I saw fit in term of either time or money. Having entered into such a social contract voluntarily, I also assume that I am bound by it un- til such time as I cannot in good conscience continue to support its entirety or I am unable as an individual to sustain my part of it. Therefore, at this point in my life and career, and for as long as I am able to do so, I resolve to con- tinue to be what I believe a good member ought to be and trust that there are others who will do likewise.

Michael A. Heuer, DDS, MS, President

Notes From Here and There The Third Samuel Seltzer Endodontic Symposium: Endodontic Flare-ups was held September 26-28, 1986 at the Hershey Hotel in Philadelphia. Therewere approximately 150 people in attendance, including many AAE members who participated in the conference including Drs. James Kettering, Samuel Seltzer, Gunnar Bergenholtz, Goran Sundqvist, Larz Spangberg, Leif Tronstad, Richard Walton, Kaare Langeland, Donald Morse, Harold Gerstein, Melvin Goldman, and Syngcuk Kim. Tapes of the conference proceeding are avail-

able through Temple University... Dr. Noah Chivian will give a presen- tation on May 7 and 8 at an interna- tional symposium on endodontics entitled "New Wave Endodontics" at Tel Aviv University's Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine in Israel. Further details on the conference can be obtained from Dr. Colin Gorfil, at the Maurice and Gabriela Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, Israel, (03) 420551 or from Dr. Hart J. Levin, 2006 Bathurst Street, Toronoto, Ontario, Canada M5P 2W6, 416/781-2751... More than 15,000 dental professionals will explore new frontiers in dentis- try during the 12th Yankee Dental

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Congress, January 15-18, at Boston'~l Sheraton and Copley Marriot Hotels The meeting will feature 100 scientifi~ sessions, 379 technical exhibits, and 25 social events including an attendees-only performance by the Boston Pops. For more information, contact the Massachusetts Dental Society, 83 Speen Street, Natick, Massachusetts 017604125, 617/651-7511 �9 In October 1986, Dr. John I. Ingle, a past president of the AAE and cur. rent president of Palm Springs Dental Seminars, traveled to Buenos Aires where he addressed the 18th Inter. national meeting of the Circulo Argentine de Odontologia. Dr. Ingle was greeted by a number of AAE members including Drs. Enrique Basrani, Lucia Blanco, Fernand0 Goldberg, Margarita Muruzabal, Jose Rapaport, and Oscar Maist0 �9 Dr. Melvin Goldman was recently honored by the Internat ional Association of Inventors for his creation, along with Dr. Joseph H. Kronman, of Caridex, a substance applied to teeth that gets rid of decay without harming the healthly part of the tooth. Drs. Goldman and Kronman, of Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, discovered the compound about sixteen years ago. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1984 and en- dorsed as safe and effective by the American Dental Association in 1985. Now on sale in the United States, Canada and France, and soon to be available in Japan, Caridex is marketed by National Patent Dental Products of New Brunswick, NJ. The International Association of Inventors honors in- ventors who have improved the life of the general public.

Dr. Melvin Goldman