Omicron Kappa Upsilon
Bulletin
| Supreme Chapter Volume XXXVII October 2002 |
President's
Address (2001-2002)
by Dr. James Delahanty
I recently had the opportunity to attend an induction ceremony for the International College of Dentists. I was impressed with the pomp and circumstance that surrounds their program. The first item that attracted my attention as I walked into their meeting room was the grandeur of their banner above the dais. Even if you were to mistakenly wander into their meeting, there would be little doubt as to the organization in session.
I am sure by now you have all noticed our new banner. The design of the banner was not nearly as difficult as the choice of colors. The problem was that no matter what the choice of colors I was afraid of the accusation of favoritism. So although the colors are remarkably similar to the Wolverines of the University of Michigan, I assure you this is mere coincidence. When I checked the meaning of colors in the encyclopedia I found that “blue”, in religious symbolism, signifies “truth”. In heraldry, “blue” signifies “sincerity”. Therefore, “blue” seemed a befitting background color. In heraldry, the color “gold” signifies “honor”, a most appropriate color for the letters and symbol of our honor society.
One of the goals I put forth last year was my desire to electronically link the Supreme Chapter with our 56 component chapters. I am pleased to report our progress.
If you have navigated our website recently, you will have no doubt noticed the page entitled “FORMS”. It is now possible for each component chapter’s secretary-treasurer to go to our website, click onto “FORMS” and download the “Membership Certificates and Insignia” form, the “Remittance” form, and a current “Price List.” Each secretary is also able to download the “Kramer Award Nomination” form. These forms are all in an interactive PDF format, which allows the user to complete the form in his/her browser window prior to printing it out. Over the next few years, Jan and I plan to phase-in electronic mailings to each component chapter, providing our treasury with considerable savings in postage.
Each year, a notice is sent to each component chapter reminding them of their obligation to provide the Secretary-Treasurer of the Supreme Chapter with an annual report. To make this requirement as simple as possible for each component chapter secretary-treasurer, an “Annual Component Chapter Report” form has been placed on our website. Completion and submission of this electronic form satisfies Article X, Section 11 of our bylaws which states that “each component chapter shall submit an annual report to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Supreme Chapter as least 30 days before the annual meeting of the Supreme Chapter.” I am pleased to report that over three quarters of our component chapter’s secretary-treasurers made use of the form this year.
My young daughter has often noted the amount of time I spend working on things for my component chapter at New Jersey. One rainy afternoon as we were stuffing envelopes together, for one of the many fund raising projects our chapter is involved in, my daughter asked if I was getting paid a lot of money for this job, as she was being paid, by me, ten cents an envelope. I just looked up and smiled as I recalled the pleasure of welcoming the many fine young men and women from New Jersey Dental School into our society over the past twenty years, and the smiles and handshakes from the many recipients of our chapter’s scholarships. This has been payment enough. And after all these many years, I still have not tired of these "payments". So I told her that I was indeed being paid a lot.
I am extremely proud to have been part of the twelve percent of my class elected to membership in OKU twenty-seven years ago. Today, I am equally proud to have had the privilege of serving as its president. Thank you for that opportunity. It has been priceless.
