Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2022 - 9

PCSO News and Events
Editorial
No More PCSO? Say It Isn't So
Dr. Patrick K. Turley
PCSO Bulletin Editor in Chief
In the past decade, there has been serious discussion
about reorganizing the American Association
of Orthodontics (AAO) with the focus on merging
existing constituent societies. Last year, the AAO
House of Delegates (HOD) passed a resolution (27-21
RC) " that the Speaker of the American Association of
Orthodontists' (AAO) House of Delegates establish an
AAO Constituent Merger/Reorganization Task Force
that will assist in identifying the best path forward
for constituent mergers or reorganization to create
equality and balance among constituent societies... "
The Task Force (TF) was to report on their progress
and findings by February 15, 2022. A virtual town hall
meeting with current and past leaders of the AAO was
held on December 10, 2021, to provide an update on
the progress of the TF and to provide an opportunity
to discuss the progress in smaller breakout groups.1
For historical context, the AAO was officially formed
in 1901 as the American Society of Orthodontists,
materializing out of the Angle School of Orthodontia.
The new name American Association of Orthodontists
accompanied a new constitution and bylaws
stemming from the Reorganization Committee's
report of January 1935. There would be seven
geographical divisions of the Association, excluding
Canada, which declined independent sectional
status as suggested by some.2
It was not until 1952
that reorganization was fully accomplished with a
structure consisting of eight societies that included
the Canadian provinces.
Of the eight societies, the Pacific Coast Society of
Orthodontists (PCSO) was the first to form in 1913,
initially called the Pacific Coast Society of Graduates of
the Angle School of Orthodontia. In 1917, the name
was changed to the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists
with members no longer required to have
attended the Angle School. By 1922, there would be
three sections: Southern California, Northern California,
and Washington-Oregon. The sections would
hold meetings throughout the year and one jointly. In
the early 1930s, a new constitution provided a more
modern organizational structure: Northern, including
the province of British Columbia and the states
of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho; Central, Nevada
and northern California; and Southern, Arizona and
Southern California. PCSO became one of the seven
societies of the AAO in 1936. Hawaii and Alaska joined
PCSO in 1952 followed by Alberta and Saskatchewan
in 1961. For many years, PCSO has been the largest of
the eight societies and, because of the strength of its
elected representatives, one of the most influential in
the AAO House of Delegates (HOD). However, is this
all about to change?
As part of its work, the AAO TF compared the structure
and bylaws of the eight AAO constituents as
well as comparing AAO structure to a dozen other
groups such as the American Association of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeons and the American Academy of
Pediatric Dentists.
Some of the interview themes included the following3
□ Declining viability and frequency of constituent
meetings and their relationships with vendors;
□ Constituents who are culturally different and have
different ways of electing leaders and conducting
business;
□ Members in states/provinces with few members
tend to identify with their constituent societies,
whereas members in states with many members
identify more with their component (state/provincial)
societies;
□ The importance of state/provincial components
for localized advocacy efforts;
□ A desire for more diversity of AAO leaders;
□ The barrier of the current 10-year commitment
for national AAO leadership positions for many
potential leaders;
□ Original merger talks between PCSO and the
Rocky Mountain Society of Orthodontists (RMSO)
did not result in a merger; however, joint meetings
are conducted;
□ The Southern Association of Orthodontists (SAO)
and the Southwestern Society of Orthodontists
(SWSO) are in the process of merging, creating a
concern related to the balance of delegates per
constituent in the AAO HOD.
Let's look at three of the issues driving the activity
toward constituent mergers: (1) equality in the HOD,
:
Spring 2022 PCSO Bulletin
9
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2022
