The New Bulletin

An expanding central organization has a tendency to lose touch with its constituent elements. In the name of efficiency a relationship is sacrificed which may too often lead to the formulation of policy not in keeping with the attitudes of its component parts.

Most organizations are so constituted that the burden of work falls on a small group, which inevitably finds itself making decisions, and for one reason or another consults less and less with the general body. It is almost inevitable that charges and counter charges of clique formation, juntas, etc., are made. Of course the expansion of The American Psychoanalytic Association has made of some degree of centralization expedient; but, with foresight, some of its leaders sense the danger of isolation arising from such a process and are trying to combat it.

It has been the preoccupation of the Executive Council how best to reduce this kind of development to a minimum. Out of this grew the suggestion to reestablish the Bulletin. A great need was felt for a medium of communication among the various elements of the Association, a medium through which the individual members, Societies and Institutes, may keep in touch with each other to learn what is going on psychoanalytically in other parts of the country; a medium through which the elected leaders may convey their ideas to the body at large and at the same time keep informed of the wishes of the grass roots. Such a medium is the new Bulletin.

Decisions regarding the form of the Bulletin, its contents, etc., were left open. This publication will be shaped by the wishes of the members. This is something which will take a little time to learn. Although this is not in its inception a scientific journal, we shall try to keep the membership in touch with scientific work which might not be available through other media. With this in mind we plan to publish the scientific proceedings of the Association in abstract form. Interesting scientific proceedings