Dr. Bernstein--They say that the Phoenix Meetings are well attended.
Dr. Thompson--There is more dissention in Phoenix than in any Society I have ever seen.
Dr. Bernstein--Is this true?
Dr. Beaton--To the point that people cut each other's throats almost on the public highway.
Dr. Thompson--We listened to 'bitching' about a personal problem for thirty minutes at the last Council meeting. I would be the first one to say, let us make the meetings go. I am disturbed about this, too.
Dr. Bernstein--No one can deny what I have learned. I believe we will find that on Tuesday night, with Dr. Regan there, we will have a good turnout.
Dr. Thompson--The year I handled the program we never had less than 100 members at meetings; it does not matter who is coming, I will go to hear the greatest nose and throater in the world. What you mention may be another reason they are not coming out. I do hate to be one of 40 attending each meeting. Then, your men who do not know the business of the Society, because they do not attend the meetings of the Society. I think we would be better off to stop having a speaker's program rather than to go on this way.
Dr. Bernstein--To my mind, the Program Committee has been mixed up. Dr. Steen is taking over the year 1954 from now until the next change of officers. Leo Kent is taking over in 1955. The way it was arranged, Dr. Steen was supposed to be chairman from the beginning of next season, and we had two men in charge of the same speaker's program. Dr. Manning arranged for Dr. Regan to come to town, but Dr. Steen is the Program Chairman. It makes an unusual situation.
Dr. Thompson--Actually, our 1953 Program Chairman, Dr. Hill, fell down, and if Dr. Manning had not been on the job we would not have had any program. Things would work out fine if we could obtain five good speakers a year.
Dr. Bernstein--Also, we might fill in with newspapers, public health, etc.
Dr. Hileman--Do you think it advisable on this poll to add a question "Do you think our business meetings should be longer or shorter?"
Dr. Beaton--I think that would be an interesting question.
Dr. Bernstein--I do not see that, really. Perhaps they do not want to come at all. Some have said "I would rather stay at home and catch up on my reading." The point is that they have not been coming to meetings, and that is a shame. Somewhere along the line we have fallen down.
Dr. Beaton--These are grown men. They should not have to be induced to come to the meetings if they are interested in their Society, and if they are the right kind of people they will come. Your will always find the same 50 or 60 men attending. Some do not care.
Dr. Rudolph--I would suggest that we let our President run it the way he wants. He seems to have a mandate from his constituency.
Dr. Thompson--Give him a vote of confidence.
Dr. Bernstein--At the January meeting I spoke with Dr. Gibson prior to the meeting about the TV program being in is infancy, etc., and I think he understood my meaning in interrupting him. This was perhaps not very polite, but my feeling was that the program was our business; we are organized to interest and help ourselves. His talk was of some importance, to be sure, but of the forty there I do not believe more that ten got something from it. Now, why should we subjugate the interests of the whole Society to so poor a message? I was criticized for this, I think unjustly. To my way of thinking our TV show was more important than the message from the Red Cross. If we are doing the wrong thing, I hope someone will tell us. We need the members, even down to the last one.
Dr. Hayden--I wonder if it would be worth while for the notice to include an abstract of the Minutes each month?
Dr. Thompson--Mr. Chairman, why do you not go ahead? We agree and feel more or less the same way you do, perhaps for not quite the same reasons. We are all working for the same thing.
Dr. Bernstein--As a matter of fact, I can go into my barber shop and ask the barber how he likes the TV show, and he replies "fine". If I ask one of our own members, he replies that he has not even seen it!
