A meeting of the Executive Board of the American Academy of Pediatrics was held at the Palace Hotel, San Francisco, Calif., on Friday, Nov. 11, 1949. It was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by the President, Dr. Warren R. Sisson. There were present Drs. Sisson, Shaw, Barba, Beaven, Bost, London, Munns, McElhenney, Stringfield, Wishropp, Grulee, Martmer, Pease and Bakwin.
The first order of business was the consideration of applicants: the following were approved.
This gives me an opportunity to speak briefly of the Executive Board meetings. They offer the greatest opportunity for considered opinion and guidance of Academy affairs that exists in our organization. As your President, I have been greatly impressed by the good balance of the membership its great sense of responsibility to the Academy and its untiring efforts. I feel that the deliberations or minutes of the Executive Board should be distributed to the members as early as possible while interest still exists in current discussions. One cannot overemphasize the importance of putting the deliberations of the Board out in an attractive format to encourage greater publicity. In spite of my New England streak of economy, I would earnestly recommend quarterly meetings of the Board and placing more emphasis upon the policies of the Academy in planning our activities in the broad field of public health. I do not see how this can be done without frequent meetings and assignment of special subjects to special committees of the governing body. In this connection I recommend that the Executive Board be thoroughly conversant with the finances of the Academy and appoint the Budget Committee from its membership.
The second subject which I would like to bring to your attention is that of public relations. Early in my term of office, you voted to appoint a committee to investigate this subject. It has seemed to your President one of the important activities of the Academy.