Title: Editorial: A Response to "One Member, One Vote"
Author:
Section/SPIG: Maternal and Child Health
Issue Date:
I would like to offer a "counterpoint" to Jonathan Kotch's position regarding Affilates. I have been a member of the MCH Section since 1984, a Section Councillor and for the last two years the Representative for the Georgia Public Health Association (third largest in the country) on the Governing Council. I have worked at the city, state and local health district level and taught in "academe", therefore I claim a rather broad perspective. I was elected by a four-to-one majority to represent my Affiliate. I have very strong feelings regarding the meaningful representation of the State Affiliates in the leadership structure of the Association. In the final count, any policies and resolutions that APHA passes are for naught, if they are not supported and implemented in the field by the "locals!" Without broad participation, we can only achieve limited success to affect large populations or the nation/world.
By vigorously opposing the Affiliates, we would be sending the wrong message to potential members. We need to take the "broad picture" approach: there are many thousands of public health workers "out there"
who need to be represented by our organization. If we offer them the warmest welcome and support, hopefully the non-members can be eventually convinced to join officially APHA, especially when they see the services
and support that we offer. That is why I also applaud the vast improvements in Membership Services brought about by Dr. Benjamin.
The Affiliates by no means act as a unified block, as witnessed in the last session of the Governing Council. I therefore do not share Jonathan's concern, that they would unilaterally "take over" the governance of our Association. They act more like the Senate, affording each state a basic representation. We could debate further, how we would restructure the committees. I would see this as an important initial
role for TFAIR, with discussion and vote by either the membership at large and/or the Governing Council. We also need to assure that we don't assign too much parliamentary power (?) to tiny splinter groups and
SPIGS that would diffuse the overall thrust of the Association! My personal frustration comes from the often "lumbering," Byzantive organizational structure that condems us to a reactive mode in face of
rapidly changing domestic political scenorios or world events instead of assuming a proactive, professional posture to deal with them.
Zsolt Koppanyi MD, MPH, FAAP
District Health Director
Georgia Division of Public Health