(The following are brief notes on actions taken at the meeting of the Board on Professional Standards on December 16, 1970, and the meeting of the Executive Council on December 17. Other actions taken at these meetings are reported more fully elsewhere in this issue.)
New Training Analysts: The Board approved the appointment of a number of new training and supervising analysts. Their names and the names of their Institutes are as follows:
Baltimore-District of Columbia Institute for Psychoanalysis — Dr. Robert D. Gillman, Supervising Analyst.
Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute — Drs. Rolf Arvidson and Frances J. Bonner, Training and Supervising Analysts.
Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis — Dr. Samuel Weiss, Training Analyst.
Cleveland Psychoanalytic Institute — Drs. Marjorie McDonald and Edward J. Schiff, Training and Supervising Analysts.
Columbia University Psychoanalytic Clinic for Training and Research — Drs. Paul Bradlow, Leonard Diamond, Roger MacKinnon, and George Papanek, Training and Supervising Analysts.
Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute — Dr. Max Warren, Training and Supervising Analyst.
New York Psychoanalytic Institute — Dr. Norman M. Margolis, Training Analyst.
Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Institute — Dr. William R. O'Brien, Full Training Analyst.
Denver Institute for Psychoanalysis — Drs. Herbert J. Schlesinger and Joan Fleming, Training Analysts.
Southern California Psychoanalytic Institute — Mrs. Marie Briehl and Drs. Philip L. Becker, Leonard J. Comess, and Kato van Leeuwen, Training and Supervising Analysts.
Washington Psychoanalytic Institute — Drs. Frances K. Millican and William Stark, Training and Supervising Analysts.
Candidate Membership: The Board had a vigorous discussion of proposals made by the National Candidates Council, among which was the suggestion that there be created a category of membership in the Association for candidates. It was noted that candidates have already been appointed to a number of Association committees, and it was generally agreed that candidates might also become involved in selected areas of Board committee activity. The discussion of the Candidates' recommendations led to a consensus formulated in a motion in the Board that it recommend to Council the appointment of a joint committee to study the establishment of a category of membership for candidates.
Committee on Child Analysis: Dr. Calvin Settlage announced that the programs in child and adolescent analysis at various Institutes have begun to bear visible fruit in the graduation of a number of candidates from training programs in child analysis. Four Institutes — Boston, “Downstate,” New York, and Washington — have graduated candidates from their child and adolescent programs. Dr. Settlage also announced that 11 of 15 Institutes with established programs in child analysis have submitted applications for approval, and that 8 of these have already been approved. In addition, he recommended that the Child Analysis Training Program of the Seattle Institute be approved by the Board. The Fellows gave their unanimous approval.
Voting Procedures of the Board: Dr. Russell Anderson is the Chairman of a committee of the Executive Council charged with studying revision of the voting procedures of the Board on Professional Standards. The Board's rules provide that two thirds of the members of the Board constitute a quorum, and that a voting majority consists of two thirds of those present. Dr. Anderson advised that his committee plans to recommend to Council a revision of the By-Laws which would permit a majority of the Fellows of the Board to constitute a quorum, and which would make it possible for any action of the Board to be taken by a majority of those voting. Exceptions to this would be established in keeping with the practices outlined in Robert's “Rules of Order.” The Fellows of the Board were unanimous in hoping that this recommendation would lead to the necessary revisions.
COPE: Dr. Kenneth Calder, Chairman of the Committee on Psychoanalytic Education (COPE), reported discussions as to the proper place of COPE in the field of psychoanalytic education. He mentioned something of the on-going activities of various subcommittees and study groups. COPE will make a presentation at a plenary session on April 30, 1971, during the Annual Meeting in Washington. Drs. Arlow, Calder, Fleming, Pollock, Wallerstein and Windholz will discuss COPE goals, and, in a broader sense, the educational goals of the APsaA.
Candidate Membership: The Secretary of the Board reported that the Board recommended the appointment of a joint committee of Board and Council to study the establishment of a category of membership for psychoanalytic candidates. Council voted unanimously to approve the appointment of the joint committee.
Confidentiality: The Secretary reported that the Association's legal counsel, Mr. Richard Davidson (a partner in the firm of Paul, Weiss, et al.) had been invited to meet with the Executive Committee at its
December 14th meeting. A number of legal problems were discussed. In the course of the meeting Mr. Davidson informed the Executive Committee that the Judicial Conference on Revision of the Rules of Evidence had upheld the preservation of privileged communication in the psychotherapist-patient relationship; but that the Judicial Conference had at the same time agreed with recommendations of Bar committees that the privilege be abolished in doctor-patient relationships. It was the opinion of the Executive Committee that on this issue the Association's position should lie with the rest of medicine, and that members might well wish to express their opinions individually.
Business Meeting Shifted: It was announced that the Executive Committee wishes to shift the time of the Business Meeting of members from Sunday to Saturday at each of the national conventions in order to make it possible for a larger number of members to participate in the business affairs of the Association (see page 6).
Committee on Policies and Problems of Membership: The Secretary reported that the distribution of the preliminary report of this committee, which is only a small part of a comprehensive survey of the problems under study by the Committee, has stimulated vigorous discussion in the Association. Since the Committee is dealing with many issues that fall in the domain of the Board on Professional Standards — in particular, issues surrounding qualifications for membership in the Association — it has been agreed that two colleagues appointed by the Chairman of the Board will serve as consultants to this Committee. (An account of the proposals of this Committee will be found on page 1).
Problems of Montreal Meeting: Dr. Samuel Feder, Chairman of the Arrangements Committee, reported on problems that had arisen in preparing the 1973 Annual Meeting, scheduled to be held in Montreal. It has been found that hotel accommodations there would be on the one hand unsatisfactory, and on the other, would cost the Association twelve hundred to fifteen hundred dollars more than usual. In order to avoid these difficulties it has been suggested that the meeting be held in New York instead of Montreal, with charter flights to Montreal arranged for members who would like to attend the Joint Meeting of the APsaA and the APA, which, as always, will take place immediately after the conclusion of the APsaA meeting. After considerable discussion the Executive Council decided that the preservation of our relationship with the APA was sufficiently important to warrant the additional cost and inconvenience involved in keeping the meeting in Montreal.
A.A.A.S. Panel: It was announced that a panel is being prepared for the December, 1971, A.A.A.S. meeting in Philadelphia on the topic “Psychoanalytic Aspects of Aggression.” At the 1970 A.A.A.S. meeting, held in Chicago, the Association sponsored a panel entitled “The Inter-Education.” It was introduced by President Albert Solnit, and was arranged and chaired by Dr. Gaston E. Blom, with Drs. Manuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Long, Maria Piers, and Sebastian Santostefano as participants.
Voting Procedures of the Board: Dr. Russell Anderson reported on the proposals of his Committee, which has been studying revision of the voting procedures of the Board (see above). Council voted to accept the recommendation of the Committee so that a by-law can now be framed which will bring the voting procedures of the Board into accord with Robert's “Rules of Order,” which are also followed by the Council.
Public Information Activities: The Committee on Public Information reported that it has held a workshop with the chairmen of public information committees of the local Societies for a discussion of their roles and methods. A wide range of topics was discussed. The Committee also reported that press conferences at the last few meetings have been quite successful.
Reduction in Number of Meetings: The Committee on Financial Resources and Commitments, chaired by Dr. Samuel Ritvo, had proposed at the May meeting that the Association consider eliminating one set of business meetings each year. The reactions to this proposal have, on the whole, been unfavorable. Most members and societies who expressed opinions seem to feel strongly that two meetings a year are still necessary to carry on the Association's business effectively.