Great News for AO from the Windy (and warm) City

BUSY and VERY PRODUCTIVE VISIT TO CHICAGO
I should have known it was going to be a great, productive and full filled few days in Chicago. Departing New York’s LaGuardia Airport on the 6:55 AM flight into Chicago’s Midway Airport, my flight departed and arrived on schedule. Considering that the meteorologists were predicting a major storm in the New York metro area beginning sometime Thursday and expected to last more than 24 hours, I was lucky to have left before the storm and returned back to New York on Saturday afternoon after the storm, to 40 degree temperatures. The 48 hours in-between were packed full of activities and positive situations for Alpha Omega International Dental Fraternity.
My Chicago chapter hosts, led by IPIP Dan Uditsky, and International Editor Fred Margolis, were warm, friendly and involved. On Thursday evening, Milt Salzer organized a truly fraternal dinner, that attracted over 60 members and spouses. This is the Chicago chapter’s annual “Essen and Fressen” dinner gathering, where both local Chicago fraters as well as fraters traveling from all over to attend the magnificent Chicago Midwinter Dental Meeting, gather together to eat, discuss, and be fraternal. The Chicago dinner provides Alpha Omega with a great presence at the meeting. The Illinois chapter hosted an Alpha Omega hospitality late Friday afternoon at the McCormick Center. It was very gratifying to see so many Alpha Omegans, from Toronto, Montreal, England and the lower 48.
After dropping my bags off at the hotel on Thursday morning, I immediately jumped on the shuttle bus to the McCormick Center. Much of Thursday was spent in a variety of meetings to discuss and explore several possibilities to enhance Alpha Omega’s Member Benefits program. Fred Margolis and Mike Stern accompanied me for a number of these discussions, and I am very optimistic that some great new, improved or enhanced member benefits will be introduced shortly, as a result of some very good and frank discussions. Tune in for future announcements!
After meetings virtually all day Thursday at the McCormick Center, I returned to Harry Carey’s for dinner with fraters. I would like to mention just a few of the fraters in attendance that exemplify the quality and professionalism of our fraters. I had the opportunity to have a great conversation with Dr. Sam Wexler and his wife Charlene (I knew I’d like her because she had such a great first name!). Sam Wexler is a dental historian, who has set up historic dental operatories at such places as the Samuel B Harris Dental Museum (Baltimore), and in Israel at the Hadassah School of Dental Medicine founded by Alpha Omega International Dental Fraterniy. Sam described himself as a “collector of antique dental stuff.” He will be on hand for the opening of on of these exhibits in Israel in May.
Gerald Landes is the President of the Indianapolis chapter, who are a great group of fraters that meet every month for a fraternal and professional program. This year’s focus is implants. Gerald is also an excellent photographer who has attended numerous conventions, and demonstrated his tremendous loyalty and affinity for Alpha Omega, on both the local and international level. He is a funloving frater and I know you will like him when you meet him at the convention .
After hearing people repeatedly discussing obstacles facing Alpha Omega, and our need to attract younger, active members, I was very gratified to see what is going on in Chicago. The Chicago area fraters consists of lots of young dentists and families, with new practices and becoming associates. The Chicago chapter is very fortunate to have these young members ready to step up into leadership positions,helped and guided by Laurie Gordon-Shaw and Allen Moltz. Laurie is on the AO Foundation Board, and is very involved in running the annual Foundation auction fundraiser at our International Convention. This year’s will be held in conjunction with a Dessert Hospitality on Monday evening, Dec 27th in the evening, and the auction always has an interesting selection of items available to bid on (both a Silent Auction as well as a Live Auction). Allen is actively involved as a member of AO’s Board of Directors, and Chairperson of Non due revenue Committee which is working to enhance member benefits.
Rochelle Shaw will be benefiting from the two young dentists that I met, that are getting married and moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico to assist in “growing” that chapter.
Friday was another busy and productive day. The Global Corporate Marketing Task Force began with an “Omelets and AO” breakfast. Steve Kess, our corporate board member ,chairs this committee. The charge of this task force is to help determine the implementation for the Alpha Omega marketing plan. This committee is intended to begin a Corporate/Fraternity partnership, and to assist in raising funds for all global activities. Some very exciting ideas and concepts were discussed, and we hopefully soon, will be able to announce some major initiatives.
The Tree of Peace task force is working on producing brochures and supporting literature to assist the efforts of the AO Foundation of US, The Canadian AO Foundation, and the London Charitable Trust in this joint venture. It is hoped that this program will enhance AO’s image, create much-needed “buzz,” and assist in bringing some very important ideas to fruition. This committee had a brief meeting in Chicago after breakfast.
I had a very important meeting and conversation regarding the Tomorrow’s Smiles program. This program was created, founded and the initial funding was underwritten by PIP Ron Goldstein. Ron started this because he wanted to create something that would encourage under-served children to enhance their dental appearance, thus improving their self image. The program calls for school involvement in identifying candidates for the program, and the candidates agreeing to “give back” by encouraging younger children to use better oral hygiene. Alpha Omega is partnering in this program, by providing ‘volunteers” that will provide the dental care for these individuals. This is a great example of philanthropy not having to spending money, but volunteering in a dental version of “tikun olam.” I hope many of you decide to get involved in this volunteer effort, and I encourage you to contact: Jennifer Drake, Program Administrator, at: jdrake@ncohf.org, to get more information, and to get involved.
Mike Stern, accompanied by the publisher of the Alpha Omegan, walked the convention floor soliciting ads for our publication. As most of us realize, printing and mailing costs for our publication continues to increase, and we are evaluating all ways possible to maintain and enhance the publication’s prestige and appeal, while controlling our costs.
After greeting so many fraters at the hospitality at the McCormick Center late Friday afternoon, I had the pleasure of having dinner with several fraters, Board members, and the Dean of Kings College in London. We enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and lively conversation, discussing the future of dentistry, and the vital role that Alpha Omega should and could play in it.
I left Chicago on Saturday mid-day, and felt some important things had been accomplished, and even more had begun. Alpha Omega must continue to evolve and progress if we are to maintain our mission statement, and demonstrate our relevancy. I hope that by explaining some of efforts we are doing behind the scenes,you ,too, may want to get involved. You should be excitement in knowing all your Fraternity is doing for you .We are involved in creating a vitality for the next 103 years.