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Committee and AAO House of Delegates Reports
Highlights of the 2001 AAO House of Delegates
PCSO was well represented at the May 2001 AAO House of Delegates in Toronto. As the largest constituent organization, we are allocated 12 delegate positions, or almost 20% of the 64 total delegates. PCSO president Bob Varner (Roseburg, CA) led the delegation. (See a complete list of delegates.)
A summary of the most important issues follows.
After at least five attempts, the PCSO delegation achieved a long sought change in the relationship between the AAO and its state and provincial organizations. Bylaws language was adopted that establishes formal recognition by the AAO of the component organizations.
Presently, the AAO provides some support to its components, including liability insurance for the Board of Directors. However, we believe this new action is the first step in more frequent, meaningful areas of partnership between the AAO and component societies.
Also, a change was approved that allows foreign trained, full-time orthodontic educators and researchers to be AAO members without meeting the required ADA membership. There are only a small number affected, but for them, it is most important to be invited into the AAO and PCSO family.
The PCSO delegation mostly supported a move to modify the current AAO requirement of ADA membership. Most PCSO delegates favored a PCSO resolution that would have mandated ADA membership at the time of AAO application, but not continued beyond that point. The issue received a majority of House votes, but fell six short of those needed for approval.
The most controversial matter involved a request to fund a "yet to be determined" public relations/advertising program, at a cost of $795,000, resulting in an AAO dues increase of $86. Much testimony was given, including the contention that younger members starting practices were in need of new PR programs to help increase new patient starts. In the end, the House approved the measure and we should expect to see new and innovative programs in the near future. Orthodontic Health Month (October) and other similar campaigns will continue.
However, the Orthodontic Dialogue, mailed to all general dentists in the US and Canada, was dropped as a way to avoid an even higher dues increase (savings of $180,000). Research presented to the house suggested that relatively few numbers of dentists read the publication and a surprisingly high number of AAO members were unaware of the program.
A number of organizational issues were addressed perhaps the most important of which designates the 2003 AAO Leadership Conference as a forum to examine the governance structure and process currently in place. PCSO Trustee Donald Joondeph (Bellevue, WA) chairs the 2003 gathering and proposed the idea. Many delegates believe it wise to study current methods and consider new and more progressive ways of governing and managing a large and diverse national association.
Two other items deserve mention. First, some members and leaders are concerned about the recent accelerated growth and complexity of the AAO annual session. The Board of Trustees has been directed to come to consensus on a method to provide effective oversight.
Second, companies seeking joint programs to promote their products and services (like Hertz) have approached the AAO. Some leaders have raised doubts of some of the agreements consummated and again, the Trustees will study the current process, looking to develop a better method of determining which companies should have access to the membership.
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