Grounded, yet reaching for the stars: The growth of the CUA

Spring is finally upon us across Canada and our planning for the Annual Meeting has reached a fervent pitch. Soon, we will all convene in Banff for the outstanding academic meeting planned by Dr. Trevor Schuler and Dr. Jay Lee. To support our left brains, Dr. Howard Evans and Dr. Marty Duffy will entertain us and ensure we are well fed and have lots to quench our thirsts.

As an organization, the CUA is coming into its own. It has transformed itself from a self-driven association run from basements and dens of the secretary and treasurer with the support of the executive, to a true corporate entity run from an office professionally managed and with much more diversity in responsibility and reach.

The Corporate Office is running like a perfectly tuned Swiss watch. It is fulfilling our needs from the perspective of planning the Annual Meeting, supporting logistics, fundraising and the day-to-day operations of the organization. The Corporate Office ensures proper succession and successful meetings (both academic and financial) year-to-year. It has helped us diversify our funding sources from relying totally on excess revenues at the Annual Meeting. The Office of Education is fully developed and working on multiple projects and providing an excellent revenue stream. CUAJ has always been successful as an academic publication, but with help from the Corporate Office, CUAJ is finally operating in the black.

Also, interaction with other urologic associations has reached a new high. The second year of our exchange with the EUA will be completed this June. At the EAU Annual Meeting in March, there were extended conversations between the CUA and the EAU about how each organization can improve relations, exchange ideas and increase interaction. The AUA has approached the CUA, recognizing the growing presence of the CUA, and is exploring new potential interactions that will benefit both organizations. It will formally include CUA members on key AUA committees not just as “Canadian” members of the AUA but as CUA representatives on specific AUA committees. New interaction with the other “CUA,” the Chinese Urological Association, will bring the first official contingent from China to Banff for this year’s Annual Meeting. Huge effort and much work have been done by our members to facilitate these relationships, but none would succeed with out the support of our Corporate Office.

I am thrilled to have served this organization in multiple facets over the years. It has been my true pleasure to associate with the urologists across Canada; we have much to be proud of and much to celebrate. It is a true family. We must always remember the humble beginnings of our national organization. These roots will ground us and keep our ship pointed into the wind. I am confident as we move forward that the CUA will continue to grow, thrive and expand in ways we have not yet conceived.

I look forward to celebrating the academic and social accomplishments of the CUA at our Annual Meeting in Banff.