Board of Directors Meeting, June 10, 1953 3
Dr. Steen--You have a Public Relations Committee and a chairman. Why is the approval of this Board necessary?
Dr. Manning--I think a thing like this requires 100% participation, and should be brought to the attention of this body.
Dr. Lesemann--I think universal cooperation is so important that you want to have a poll of all the members. If everyone feels as I do, they will want to go along with it.
Dr. Manning--I think we can stall for a week or two without any trouble. I would like to see everybody want it or not want it. Why not talk about it at the Picnic--merely saying what is in the wind and that there will be a poll in a week?
Dr. Steen--You know, of course, that there will not only be about 70 or 80 members at this Picnic, leaving about 120 who would not vote at all.
Dr. Lesemann--In that case, they would have no comeback.
Dr. Engle--I believe that it looks as if the majority now here are for it, and if you would just get a show of hands you would get some idea of how it will work out in the Society as a whole. Let us see how many are for it or against it right here.
Hand vote--For 12; Against 1.
Dr. Harry Thompson--I am against the classification of it--I think the thing we are pushing at County Hospital would be a better program than just speaking of diseases. I do not think this can be worked out so easily, and our most important public relations project at the present time is the County Hospital. Unless this is included, I think it would be misdirected.
Dr. Manning--I feel the issue is a little clouded. I think that our needs at County Hospital are also Public Relations, but another phase of it. I do not feel that we can say to the sponsor that we want to devote the entire program to the County Hospital.
Dr. Harry Thompson--I am talking of basing it around the clinics there.
Dr. Bernstein--Maybe it can eventually be done that way.
Dr. Harry Thompson--Just because Phoenix is setting up speakers to talk about certain diseases doesn't mean people would like that better than they would like to hear about what it going on in Pima County. Focus on your background, if necessary, on County Hospital. Say, "Our program envisions talks by doctors on a clinical basis, and we think the best background we can give is the Pima County Hospital, where the doctors are giving their services." I can't help but believe that if you have patients in hospitals in the picture, that people will listen more. I believe people would eat it up.
Dr. Beaton--The person to judge that would be a good TV man.
Dr. Lesemann--I do not think an operation should be televised.
Dr. Bernstein--I believe people like that kind of thing. If you can get the cooperation of the TV people to do it, it would be a good thing.
Dr. Beaton--The sponsor wants a weekly spot--won't take a 2 or 3 year week's program.
Dr. Manning--I think Harry's (Thompson) idea is o.k., if done subtly. Use the whole caboodle without having clash of personality. The idea I would like to have established tonight it whether we can go down and say to Ben Slack--"Yes, we will go ahead."
Dr. Steen--Are you going to take it up at the Picnic?
Dr. Kent--I think so.
Dr. Lesemann--I think it should be polled on paper.
Dr. Steen--We know that only about 80 would return it.
Dr. Costin--I have talked with about 20 people personally, and everybody gave me their opinion, and when the votes came in they were altogether different.
Dr. Harry Thompson--I think they should be told that the Directors have approved this, and asked if they have any objections, and if so, what.
Dr. Bernstein--It all depends on how it is done.
