For the past 10 years, the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) Annual General Meeting (AGM) has been held in conjunction with the American College of Chest Physicians’ (ACCP) CHEST Conference in American cities, and every five years in Canada. This seemed perfectly normal to me and the CTS Executive Committee until the Canadian Respiratory Conference (CRC) forged its way to become the premiere national scientific meeting for the Canadian respiratory community. Surreptitiously, a nagging question presented itself: why is the CTS AGM usually being held in the United States when it could be held here in Canada in conjunction with the CRC?
The question may seem to be a ‘no-brainer’, but when you take into consideration the CTS’ varied history, the answer is not that simple. The CTS is a national specialty society that took root in the Canadian Lung Association, formerly the Canadian Tuberculosis Association (CTA). Our first AGMs and scientific meetings were held in conjunction with CTA annual meetings. Later on, to better meet member needs, we chose to align our meetings with those of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC), with the RCPSC and the Canadian Society of Clinical Investigation, and the Canadian Medical Association. In 2000, we held our meeting with the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Toronto (Ontario) and, as of 2001, we chose to hold our meeting in conjunction with the ACCP CHEST Conference.
There was much debate every time we contemplated a change in the location of our AGM and scientific meetings. Would the new partnership meet our members’ needs? Would it offer a strong scientific meeting that appealed to members? Did our members intend to attend the meeting/conference in the chosen location and in large numbers? How would moving the meeting affect our relationship with our partners?
The question came before us once again, but this time, the answer was clearer. The CTS is a national specialty society that could so evidently benefit from holding its AGM on Canadian soil. The CRC itself, which the Board has chosen as the new home for the AGM effective April 2012, will be held successively in all parts of Canada, and will be developed in collaboration with local provincial societies. Holding our AGM in conjunction with the CRC will help us foster collaboration with provincial thoracic societies and professionals from across Canada, and provide us with a venue to celebrate the vastness and richness of the Canadian respiratory community. Most of all, it will facilitate the participation of our members in the AGM, regardless of whether they travel to American conferences. Sooner or later, the CTS AGM may well be held in a town near you!
Although the AGM will move to Canada, the CTS will continue to hold an annual scientific program and the annual Christie Memorial Reception in conjunction with the CHEST Conference. We will continue to nurture our relationship with the ACCP, who has provided us with numerous benefits including a discount on conference registration and free meeting space. Although there will be no AGM at CHEST, we will still hold a members’ forum to provide members with an opportunity to meet members of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors, and to share information at CHEST.
On a practical level, moving the CTS AGM to the CRC means that the terms of service of the current CTS Executive Committee will be extended until April 2012. Jean Bourbeau will continue to serve as secretary, Mark FitzGerald as treasurer, Robin McFadden as president-elect, Denis O’Donnell as past-president and I as president.
Repatriating the AGM? It made a lot of sense to me, the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors and to most CTS members who responded to an online survey on that subject.
I hope to see many of you in Honolulu, Hawaii (USA) for CHEST 2011, and at the 2012 CRC in Vancouver, British Columbia!
Respectfully submitted,
George A Fox MD MSc FRCPC FCCP
President, Canadian Thoracic Society