DR. WADE NEWMAN ADDRESSES THE AMALGAMATION CELEBRATION
Outgoing 2015-2016 president Dr. Wade Newman spoke to
the attendees of the Amalgamation Celebration that capped
off Pennsylvania’s Dental Meeting on May 21.
Good evening and thank you. I know that my name is attached to this
event, but we are really here to celebrate our association. For it is OUR
Pennsylvania Dental Association to which we proudly belong!
I hope everyone had a fabulous time this weekend. An event like this
doesn’t happen without a ton of work, and I need to thank those that put
in the extra effort. Dr. John Reitz – John, this was your idea from start to
finish. When we met in Berwick at the New Dentist Reception and you
were telling me all your ideas about how the PDM should operate and what it should be about,
I just stood there shaking my head yes, then asked if you wanted to be in charge of the PDM. To my
delight you said yes and made this event better than I could have imagined. I tip my hat to you and
your wife Carol. John then reached out to our current president-elect, Dr. Bruce Terry. Bruce guided
the Saturday Endodontic CE and it was fantastic, thanks to Bruce and his wife Susan.
The registration tables didn’t man themselves. We had problem solvers on hand, people to give
directions and those were members of our PDA staff – great job everyone! One particular staff
person needs to be singled out. She took my phone calls, listened to my concerns of failure and just
kept us on pace for success; Rebecca Von Nieda, I applaud you. And I personally want to thank each
of you for attending tonight’s celebration. I see my Seventh District comrades and friends from across
the state. I appreciate you being here, for tonight is meant to be an evening of fun and fellowship.
I was asked, “why the name? Amalgamation Celebration?”
I was thinking about the PDA’s founding fathers, what was being said as they were organizing into
an association? So I started to do some research…and I couldn’t find anything. So I made it up. But if
Dr. A.B. Robbins was here speaking to his colleagues as I am tonight, I think he would say something
like this: Ladies and gentleman, it is time that we coalesce together in an association. For it is up to
us and us alone to advance the scientific integrity of our profession. Each of us may practice our craft
in a different way, but just like our latest restorative material, when we mix together we are stronger
than our individual parts. Make NO MISTAKE – if we fail to amalgamate into one association, we will
fall prey to the uneducated to shape the future of our profession.
So we gather here tonight for this celebration. So let’s celebrate 148 years of our Amalgamation
together to protect and promote our profession, for that is THE reason to be a member of the
Pennsylvania Dental Association! Enjoy your evening everybody!
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