I hope this is my last post for a while. But in the spirit of
dispelling suspicions and previous references to “hidden agendas” and
“railroading” I would like to make some comments. I had to find the
time even though I said I couldn’t.
As Charles Pritham noted in an earlier post today, in response to John
Billock’s inquiry, the KPMG Peat Marwick audit was not for financial
indiscretions or suspicion, rather it was for process, efficiency,
structure, organization, and overall operation. Integrity is there,
effectiveness and efficiency were not, although the three executive
directors (Executive Management Team) has done a great job of
restoring much of the lost effectiveness and efficiency.
There has never been an agenda to re-live the ACPORS situation. That
was a different time, different place, much different Executive
Director, mostly different elected leadership, different approach (it
was low profile until just before the 1993 Academy Meeting in Vegas).
Most do not realize, that ACPORS never even made it to a total vote,
it was defeated on the debate floor by a motion from the floor at the
Academy meeting.
****The most important point of this post follows:****
Because of the KPMG Peat Marwick audit the three boards and NCOPE felt
a FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY to at least consider/review consolidation
options. As stated several times in previous posts, the organized
leadership of the sister organizations had heard this advice at least
two times previously in this decade. There is no agenda, no intent to
railroad, no desire to suppress one group or another. Hell, I wear
all three hats, I pay my ABC Certificant fees, my Academy dues, and
Duke’s AOPA dues. Many on this list do the same. Most of the
leadership are do to.
The current elected/appointed leadership has intended to incorporate
acceptable discussion points from the Academy meeting and the “public
debate period” into the final set of by-laws that will be presented to
the memberships for the vote. (see my earlier post on the vote format)
All along, it has been the intention to present an option…a model
that is an alternative to our current three sister/NCOPE relationship.
Then the memberships decide. Fair vote, no railroad.
If consolidation gets voted down, so be it. Put it to rest for good.
I am taking the position/stance, that because of the KMPG Peat Marwick
audit, and their advice and others’ advice that we consider
consolidation, that it was leadership’s responsibility to study it and
attempt it. We owe the memberships that option. Therefore, we have
explored it and are preparing to present a model.
I feel it is important that we allow it to go the full flight
plan…discussion at the Academy meeting, “public debate period”, and
then a final vote late in the summer or early in the fall. I can live
with the present sister organizations if consolidation is voted down,
as long as we continue to streamline the NSO.
My final comment is related to some of John Billock’s reflections on
the Academy. I may be on the AOPA board right now, but I was reared
in the Academy and the Academy will always be dear to my heart. I do
not wish to lose the awards, the Fellowship, the esprit de cour. That
is why the name was carefully considered to retain AAOP. For fellows
(which I have an obvious interest), FAAOP could still be relevant. I
am sure all of those great traditions of the Academy can be continued
in the new Association. AOPA has over the last few years begun a
lifetime achievement award and some other awards related to government
relations. We could continue in the vein of professional achievement
awards, lifetime achievement awards, and government relations
achievement awards. Consolidation can be achieved as a NEW PARADIGM
that retains the best of the past/present traditions/practices of the
existing organizations and that sheds the garbage that we have been
saddled with from a national office that grew into a beauracracy.
Please feel free to address any criticisms or questions of my
viewpoints to either this listserver or to my personal email.
Respectfully,
**********************************************************************
C. Michael Schuch, C.P.O., F.I.S.P.O., F.A.A.O.P.
President-Elect, American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association
Assistant Clinical Professor & Director
Department of Prosthetics & Orthotics
Duke University Medical Center
DUMC 3885, M04 Davison Building
Durham, NC 27710
Voice: (919) 684-6890 Fax: (919) 681-8496
E-mail:
Personal Web Site:
Clinic Web site:
