Annual Report 2001
17 December 2001
Dear Members and
Friends,
Chers Membres et Amis,
Liebe Mitglieder und Freunde,
This year has been very exceptional. The
Collegium reached the age of 75 years, but the first time since
the War our Society did not meet at all. This really reflects
how unwonted conditions we now have in the world. This was the
year of the IFOS World Congress, but after the 11th September it
was evident that the Congress in Cairo had to be postponed, and
so also our planned festivities to be cancelled. I am sure that
we all feel sorry for all the sufferings and anguish followed by
the tragic events. And we also feel great sympathy for our
member and friend Nasser Kotby, the President of the World
Congress, who had made so tremendous efforts to prepare us
unforgettable events during the Congress. And I am sure that we,
of all our hearts, hope that peace and stability can be restored
and that we can go to Cairo next autumn to meet our friends from
all over the world.
There has also been another notable
anniversary: our Honorary Member, Mr. John (Jack) Angell-James,
the President of the Bristol meeting in 1974, reached the age of
100 years on the 23rd of August. The Collegium warmly
congratulated its oldest member that special day, thanking him
for all he has done for the Collegium and otorhinolaryngology.
Jack Angell-James, still alert and keeping up with the times,
thanked the Society by saying: “I miss particularly the
friendship of my colleagues. Please, convey them my greetings
and best wishes.”
Since our last meeting in Washington, I have
been informed about the departure of Ervin Cerny (Czech), Jean
Chryssikos (Greece), Gerd de Wit (the Netherlands), Alf Meyer
z. Gottesberge (Germany), Adolf Miehlke (Austria) and Arthur
Weder (Switzerland). They were all our Honorary Members. We
express our deep condolences to their families in their great
bereavement.
Next autumn we will have the official 75th
Anniversary festivities during our meeting in Noordwijk, the
Netherlands, the country of origin of the Collegium. Paul van
den Broek, the President of the Congress, has already sent
preliminary information to you about the meeting. The Dutch
group, under his guidance, has prepared us an interesting
program. The dates are 25-29 August. In addition to the
scientific program, following the usual lines, there will be
special commemorations due to the 75th Anniversary. Paul will
send you further information about Noordwijk next January.
During the World Congress in Cairo, from 28
September to 03 October 2002, we will have at least a lunch
meeting on one of the Congress days, as usual. In due time I
will inform the members about the details.
The following year, 24–28 August 2003, the
meeting will be held in Helsinki, Finland. And the options and
suggestions for future meetings (not yet decided) are: Jerusalem
2004, Rome 2006 and Stockholm 2007. The host city of the 2005
World Congress is still undecided.
National groups have proposed, and are
encouraged to propose, new members to the Collegium. You may
remember that, in addition to 10 (USA 20) clinical members, each
country has a quota of 3 (USA 6) non-clinical members. In order
to avoid disappointments, I must remind you that, according to
our rules, the upper age limit for a member is 50 years at the
time the candidate is proposed by the national group. The
Collegium has followed this rule, without exceptions.
Dear members, my duty is to remind you to pay
your annual dues, USD 50. You can do this by using the enclosed
form. Also the Collegium items available are listed in the form.
I would also like to remind you that we now
have our own website on the Internet. The address is
http://www.corlas.org.
From 15 August to 15 December this year there have been
altogether 280 visits to our homepages. I try to keep them
updated, and use them e.g. to inform about the coming Collegium
– related events, such as Noordwijk and Cairo. I am also
planning to add there a “forum” for your feedback on the
CORLAS- related issues.
For practical information see also the
enclosed information leaflet. I would like to ask you to check
your personal data, and especially to check / give your e-mail
address. It will help our communication. E-mail addresses have
now been added also to the enclosed list of members.
In this world, full of conflicts and
discordance, we need understanding and lasting friendships. One
of the main ideas of our society, the friendship between all its
members, the spirit of the Amicitiae Sacrum, is needed even more
than ever. Let us build up that spirit, let us tie us together
with that spirit, regardless of our backgrounds. Let us thus
make the world safer for us and for our descendants.
So, dear members and friends, let us look
confidently toward the year 2002. I look forward to seeing you
in Noordwijk, and very many of us also in Cairo. The friendship
between all the members of the Collegium will be stronger than
ever.
I, and my wife Anni, wish you and the whole
Collegium family all the best for the coming year.
Pekka Karma |
