TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS

"Meetings are difficult." "Meetings are problematic." "Meetings are inspirational." "Meetings are idea generating." "Really good meetings are like conversations." "Apple® employees meet all day long." "I liked one place I worked because I never had to attend any meetings." "Meetings recharge my batteries." Perhaps you've all thought, said, or heard every one of those things at one time or another as you head to a staff meeting in your practice or a faculty meeting or a committee or board meeting in your community or at your university. I would go so far as to say that the Business Meetings at the American Academy of Optometry Annual Meetings are rarely a high point. They are typically attended by the Academy "faithful" who only truly engage in the Business Meeting when there's a contested election or when the attendees think the Board of Directors has done something wrong.

If you were in Boston last month, the Business Meeting was something altogether different. First, it was attended by about 250 students. I can hear you saying "Whaaaat? Students at the Business Meeting?" It turned out that Business Meeting attendance was on the menu of the new Student Fellowship Program, conceived by Jeff Walline and his Student-Faculty Liaison Committee. The students filed in dutifully, and Academy staff kept moving the "Fellows Only in Front of Here" sign closer to the front of the room to accommodate their increasing numbers. The Fellows sat close together, marveling at the energy level in the room. At one point, an entire row of Fellows had to be moved forward to let students have their seats. That row was anchored by Fellow Al Rosenbloom, who was pretty comfortable where he was sitting, and moving him didn't sound like a great idea. A student from the University of Waterloo ended up sitting next to Dr. Rosenbloom, and last I saw before heading to the podium for my President's remarks, they were chatting like long-lost high school friends, with cameras flashing like it was the red carpet.

The Fellows mirrored the students' energy level by opening the meeting with a standing ovation directed at the students, for representing our Academy and our profession's future. I like to think that Executive Director and Fellow Lois Schoenbrun and I rose to the occasion, and that our usual positive comments were almost bubbly. Even the Secretary-Treasurer's report was fascinating!

Later that evening, I attended a student social mixer held (and sponsored, to the tune of many thousands of dollars raised) off-site by the New England College of Optometry students, clearly demonstrating that they attend THE school in Massachusetts. One enthusiastic young woman came up to me and told me how much she'd liked the Business Meeting. "You did?" I asked. "You're not just saying that?" "No," she responded. "It was obvious how much you all love the Academy and optometry. I love optometry!" Another told me it reminded her of her sorority's business meetings during undergrad where everyone loved the organization they were serving and the causes they discussed at their business meetings.

Next time you attend a meeting and when you attend the next Academy Annual Meeting in Phoenix in 2012, including the now-legendary Business Meeting, consider what you yourself bring to the meeting table. Lethargy, inattention, your smart phone, and distraction? Or energy, enthusiasm, attention, and a sense that you're thrilled to be there? Either way, you choose, and you influence the future.

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