ALPHA OMEGA INTERNATIONAL DENTAL FRATERNITY- Across the Pond + Back Again!

ALPHA OMEGA INTERNATIONAL FRATERNITY- Across the Pond + Back Again!

After spending the whole day in my office last Wednesday, I boarded my flight from JFK International Airport to go “across the pond” to spend some time with our London fraters. For weeks, I was unsure if Trans-Atlantic flights would be traveling, because of the volcanic ash covering much of the Continent. However, as a sign that “it was meant to be,” the skies cleared and European flights resumed a few days before my departure. Arriving early Thursday morning (yet still later than scheduled), the “one and only” PIP John Wolfe picked me up at London’s Heathrow, and drove me to my hotel to settle in. I have known John and Linda for many years, and was fortunate to have been the Chair of the Board of Trustees when John served as a Trustee (prior to serving as the first International President from Europe). After settling in, John and I “caught up” and visited some nearby Roman ruins. I enjoyed having lunch with Linda and John at an old watermill restaurant.
Thursday night, I was hosted for dinner at the home of Adrian Mullish, his wife Cheryl and their children. For a dessert, Adrian, who serves as the London Chapter Council Chairperson, hosted a meeting with the London Chapter Council and the London Charitable Trust (Note: the London Charitable Trust is the London Chapter’s philanthropic arm). London Charitable Trust’s Chair, Professor Dr. Andrew Eder, should be extremely proud of the many accomplishments of the London Charitable Trust, including supporting an Israeli clinic, funding a chair at the Tree Top Dental Clinic (for special needs children), donating an ambulance in Israel, support of both Israeli Dental schools, etc. We had a very good and productive meeting, and I was asked to discuss what other chapters do in terms of Professionalism, Fraternalism and Judaism. The emphasis of the London Chapter has generally been professionalism and Judaic values (particularly Tzedaka and Tikun Olam), and we had an interesting discussion on perhaps adding a little more social (fraternal/ family) activities.
The London chapter started in 1969, and in 1970, the US Ambassador to England, Mr. Annenberg had discomfort from a periodontal problem. He visited an Alpha Omegan periodontist, Dr. John Zamit, who alleviated Mr. Annenberg’s dental problem, and after a discussion, Dr. Zamit convinced Mr. Annenberg to provide “seed money” to create an annual lecture, where an American lecturer would be brought over to do a scientific seminar (remember, that was a very big deal in 1970!). The first two speakers were Morty Amsterdam and D. Walter Cohen. The initial seed money ran out after ten years, and the London chapter continued to hold the annual full day lecture, as the culmination of their full year scientific programs (the other programs take place in the evening).
A trade show is held in conjunction with the Annenberg meeting, and Trade Show Chair Veronica Morris works very hard organizing the details of the trade show. Aron Marcus, their treasurer, was watching the finances while his associate Sarah Cohen, just back from maternity leave ,enjoyed the program and our AO chat. The funds that are made as a result of the lecture fees and the exhibitor support help support the worthwhile endeavors of the London Charitable Trust.
Many felt getting to the Annenberg Lecture was of paramount importance. Dr Michael Zybutz, a periodontist and active AO was a sponsor displaying his New Perio Software, Panda. He said he had to be there to support AO. Luke Barnett, Director of Luke Dental Lab had to brave the volcanic ash and escape the North Pole in Norway by van and ferry just to get to the Annenberg day .Being with his AO friends was that important. I expressed my appreciation to all the sponsors for their support of AO events.
I had the pleasure of seeing a number of people I know, and getting to know many that we now considers friends. My friends Morris Fine (next year’s Chair) and Joe Rich (a Past Chair) have been to International Conventions. Ed Scher, Joe Laps and Mike Sulton are seriously considering attending this year’s Convention, as well as Joe Rich (from Manchester, a past President of the BDA) Since Michael Sultan just ran and finished the London Marathon, he said if we have a Marathon, he’ll definitely be there! Arnie Kosiner, who sat next to me at the lecture, kindly, explained all the “ins and outs” of AO London, and dentistry in the U.K. Matt Zizmor from the Boston chapter attended the Annenberg again this year, as he had attended European regency meeting in Baden Baden. Matt enjoys combining travel with professional enrichment, and fraternalism!
Linda and John hosted me for Shabbat dinner as only the Wolfe’s can. Their genuine warmth and kindness comes through in everything they do! In addition to me, the Wolfe’s also hosted Matthew Zizmor and Elizabeth, as well as Simon Stern, a nice AO dentist, who is a Resident at a local hospital in Oral Surgery. Simon is very enthusiastic, and seemed to get the bigger picture about Alpha Omega as a result of our conversations.
There were many other wonderful and kind London Fraters, who treated me warmly and made me feel welcome. The day before I left, I went to downtown London, and visited the National Gallery and the show Enron. Sunday, Adrian Mullish picked me up and brought me back to Heathrow for my flight back to New York.
Many exciting things were occurring on this side of the Pond at the same time. On Friday, in Seattle, Steve Anderson gave a great full day seminar, and on Saturday Mike Tenenbaum coordinated the Leadership Seminar, led by our Executive Director Marty Zimmerman. Feedback on both parts of the weekend have been superb, and if you were unable to make it to Seattle, a similar weekend of Steve Anderson giving a seminar Friday, followed by a Leadership Seminar on Saturday, will be held on the East Coast, in Boston, on October 15th- 17th. If you are interested in leadership, going to a Leadership Seminar is an important step for both alumni and students!
This week, I received an e-mail from PIP Bud Krasne, informing me of the South Florida chapter’s sponsorship of two awards to graduating students from their dental school. Buddy thinks it would be a great idea for other chapters to something like this in their local area, and I know, for example, that Boston alumni chapter has been doing this with the three dental schools in Boston area, and Detroit does this with their two dental schools. I am sure that several other chapters do this as well, and I think Buddy’s idea of publicizing this involvement is an excellent one! This would be a great local project! In addition, one of the new member benefit programs we are contemplating would help to begin the funding a Student Scholarship. Louisville has one for their students in need.
Everywhere I have been, I have been discussing many aspects of Alpha Omega, and encouraging fraters to attend the next AO International Convention in San Diego from December 25th to January 1st. If you are a regular Convention attendee, I look forward to seeing you again this year. If you have ever gone to Convention, please consider coming back this year, and if you have never attended an AO Convention, you don’t fully understand the scope of Alpha Omega, until you come to a Convention. Marshal Bob Simon and his committee have been working diligently to arrange a memorable, value-packed, event-driven, Fraternal, Professional and Tzedaka- related program. Plan to arrive Dec 24 so you can participate in our group GOHI project on Dec 25. Information is available at: aosunnydays2010.ao.org.
I’m off this week to the Connecticut Dental Association (CDA) meeting, where I hope to create some additional excitement and awareness in the area. If you will be there, come to Margaritaville on Thursday for some appetizers and a cocktail, between 4:30 PM and 6:30 PM.
If we all speak to one person who becomes involved again in AO, just imagine what Alpha Omega can accomplish!



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