The possibility of a radical restructuring of the national meetings of the Association was discussed at some length by both the Executive Committee and Executive Council at the May meeting, with the question of holding only one meeting a year, instead of two, at the center of the discussion.
For over 40 years (except for a hiatus from 1938-45) the Association has met every spring and fall. The idea that this tradition might be changed, and one meeting eliminated, grew out of sentiments expressed to the Executive Committee by colleagues who believe that the two meetings a year may not be sufficiently fruitful to warrant the burdens they create.
With the expansion of regional activities in the Societies, members have many local forums in which to present their ideas, it was said during the discussion, and accordingly do not need the two annual meetings on a national level, as they may have in the past. For many members, also, participation in two meetings out of town every year involves the sacrifice of a great deal of time away from practice and other responsibilities, with the result that one of the two sessions tends to be poorly attended.
In countering these opinions, a number of discussants felt that the national meetings have special values beyond what may be accomplished scientifically, and that it would be undesirable to drop one of the two.
Another consideration brought into the discussion had to do with the relationship of the A.Psa.A. to the A.P.A., and the value of maintaining the annual joint session of the two Associations, which would be endangered if the May meeting were the one eliminated. In response to this it was suggested that if the major scientific meeting were held in December, the May meeting might be confined to a single panel on the Sunday preceding the joint session.
The objection was made that the heavy work load of the administrative bodies of the Association (Board, Council and major committees) could not be completed in one annual meeting, but to this it was pointed out that the administrative groups could meet separately at other times of the year.
The President, in concluding the discussion, emphasized that this was an entirely preliminary consideration of the question, and that a great deal of study would be needed before any proposals could be made. It was suggested that members might express their opinions on the issue through the “Letters” column of the Newsletter.