2011

Dr. Charles Siroky

Take a moment and read ICD President Charles Siroky’s commentary during his presidential term.

IT SEEMS TO ME… a note from International President Charles Siroky

Phoenix, Arizona, USA 11.1.11

The International Council – A note to ICD Councilors and Fellows

What happens at ICD’s Annual Session? This issue of my President’s’ Notes is two-fold in design. It is to help the many ICD Fellows who have never attended such a meeting understand our governance system. It is also a refresher for the Councilors and also serves to advise them of the key issues that will be discussed at this year’s International Council Meeting to be held in New Delhi, India on November 11-12, 2011.

By ICD Constitution definition “The International Council shall be the governing body of the College. The International Council shall have the authority to make any and all decisions regarding the conduct of the College.” It is quite clear that the International Council (IC) is our supreme authority. The Executive Committee (EC), by ICD Bylaws definition, “consists of the President, Presidentelect, Vice President, Immediate Past President, Treasurer, Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General and Editor.” All members of the Committee have a vote except the latter three. “The EC shall have the power to conduct any affairs of the College which require action during the interim between IC meetings. All actions of the EC shall be reported to the next meeting of the IC for discussion and final action.” These definitions are mentioned to clarify both the authority and duties of each body.

The Council is composed of the elected and appointed Officers (8 total) and 32 Councilors representing their Sections and also representing all Fellows worldwide. The IC Meeting follows a set Order of Business and follows rules contained in the most current edition of “Sturgis Standard Code” of parliamentary procedures. The Annual meeting of the Council is divided into two Sessions. Without going through the entire Order of Business, let me mention them by sections or groupings. Opening remarks, agenda and previous meetings minutes approval head the list. Next follow the Reports of the 8 Officers highlighting their various activities for the year. The Treasurer also presents an analysis of the current year’s disbursements and the proposed budget for the coming year.

The Secretary General also presents the location of various document is the IC Agenda Book and advises the Councilors of various actions of the EC since the International Council last met – both informational items and Motions requiring IC discussion and approval.

The Reports of the 8 Standing Committees (Awards, Communications, Constitution and Bylaws, Finance, Growth and Development, History, Informational Technology and Projects are then delivered. Some of these reports are informational in nature, while others (and potentially all) have motions or suggestions for action attached and the Council then discusses these items and then decides their fate. This year we will also have 3 special (or ad-hoc) committees reporting – College Structure, Survey and Line Officer Visitations. Once their reports have been received and acted on by the Council, these special committees cease to exist. Special Committees exist for a single purpose and once their job is completed, their term is finished.

This is followed by the Reports of the 14 Sections and 4 Sectors in Section XX, our International Section. Most commonly these are informational in nature and advise the Council of their Activities during the year. We finish the first session with Old Business (things pending from the previous meeting), Miscellaneous Business and Announcements, and finally Introduction of New Business. By Introducing Business the First Session, we then can act on it in the Second Session, rather than delaying many items until the following year. The Second Session resumes after a short break. We then consider all items introduced under new business and act on them accordingly. The Election and Appointment of new Officers follows and the Induction of these newly elected and appointed individuals and an exchange of the Presidential Gavel completes the meeting. Factoring in time set aside for committee meetings and a 2 hour Strategic Thinking Session, the entire process takes two full days. The Strategic Thinking Session is a “brainstorming session” that is held in an informal round table manner. The subject area for this year is “The Value of Membership (Fellowship).

We will welcome some new faces to the IC this year. USA-Section I sends two new Councilors – Christine Benoit and Bettie McKaig and Canada-Section II sends one new Councilor – Donna Brode. Europe-Section V is sending their Registrar Agirios Pissiotis as an alternate to Phillip Dowell, who has an excused conflict. New Secretary General Jack Hinterman will be present as will new Editor Dov Sydney. Last year Dr. Hinterman was the CAL Editor and Dr. Sydney was present as the Editor’s Task Force Chairman.

Looking at the items already on the Agenda, I will hazard a guess that the following items will generate a fair amount of discussion:

  • Editors’ Task Force report and discussion on the new ICD Logo proposal. Dr. Sydney will report and also mention his new role as Webmaster and the changes he envisions.
  • Line Officer Visitation ad hoc Committee report (Dr. Aronson) and Officer Visitation Checklist Survey (Dr. Lunn).
  • EC recommendation to hold a formal Strategic Planning Meeting during the 2012 San Francisco Annual Meeting.
  • Consideration of a Registrar/Regent Training Seminar every 2/3 years.
  • Consideration for a policy statement on identification of Dental Implants for forensic purposes.
  • Consideration of a Section I proposal to adopt their International Collaborative Initiative as a Signature Project.  
  • ICD Database status and results of Beta Testing to date. This will be part of the Information Technology Committee Report.  
  • Structures ad hoc Committee Report. Several Councilors have submitted subjects for discussion which link directly to this Report.

I have purposely bolded the last three bullets and I believe these will be the “hot topics” and generate the most discussion.

I choose to end my November President’s Report on The International Council here without saying all the things I would normally do at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting. Rather I choose to say my Farewell and my Thank You to many individuals as well as my Year End Report in my last President’s Notes which will be sent on December 1, 2011 to all in our worldwide Fellowship.

THIS AND THAT… A very appropriate quote taken, in part, from our College Objectives just prior to our Annual Session. This is the first objective. “The objectives of the College are: To provide a universal forum for the cultivation of cordial relations within the profession.”

 Charles L. Siroky, International President

Downloads: Presidential Notes November 2011 (PDF format 96 KB )