North Texas Dentistry Volume 5 Issue 4 | Page 16

TDA news A Culture of Giving M by Dr. William H. Gerlach Texas Dental Association Board of Directors, Northeast Division Vice President any years ago, I was listening to a speaker who discussed the two types of individuals in the world – givers and takers. Many people, through no fault of their own, are forced to grind out a meager existence simply to survive. As dentists, we are not in that camp. We have been blessed with the opportunity to give, and in some cases, to give abundantly. So what is a giver? Webster’s Dictionary defines the word simply, “someone who gives something to another person.” Let’s add a caveat to that definition, “...without expectation of anything in return.” 16 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com The Texas Dental Association serves over 9,000 Texas dentists, all of whom are givers in many different ways, and all of whom promote giving as a result of their dues dollars. To them, we say ‘thank you’. In the last issue of North Texas Dentistry, you witnessed through pictures the incredible giving power of a Texas Mission of Mercy event, at which hundreds of people received free dental