With the ever-swelling stream of mail that comes to an analyst's office, it is fair to ask: Why another piece of printed matter?
The American Psychoanalytic Association has become a large and complex organization, with 26 affiliate societies, 19 training institutes, 3 training centers, and some 1,200 regular members. Candidates in training number 1,056, and the Association has more than tripled in size in the past fifteen years. There is an increasingly wide separation between the central organization and the membership, so that members know too little of what the Administration is doing and the Administration cannot keep in touch with members' ideas and attitudes on Association affairs. Association Presidents have in the past tried to remedy the lack of communication by writing newsletters of their own to the members, but this was a burdensome and not too effective solution. It was Dr. Burness Moore, Chairman of the Committee on Public Information, who initiated and pressed for the creation of a newsletter, and in December, 1966, the Executive Council formally voted it into existence. It will be sent free of charge to all members of the Association, to members of constituent societies, and to candidates.
It will be our aim to give our readers news of Association activities four times a year — with issues appearing before and after each national meeting. In addition we will have a section of Letters to the Editor which will print letters from our readers. This will provide, for the first time in our history, a forum for the expression of members' opinions on Association affairs.
The Newsletter will carry news of activities in the Societies that may be of national interest, and of analytic activities abroad. From time to time we plan to print feature articles on subjects of special interest to the analytic community.
Since the Newsletter will exist to serve the members of the Association, it goes without saying that its editors will always welcome comments and criticisms as to how well we are accomplishing the purpose for which this publication has been created.