As predicted, the spring meeting in San Diego was a big success. Attendance increased by 61 percent from the May 1996 meeting in Los Angeles. All the panels and most of the discussion groups benefited from having packed audiences. Familiar faces intermingled with those of new people.

This all happened because we at The American took an active stance. Many of us personally invited our colleagues and students to attend the meetings. We wrote letters and included a brochure that was both contemporary and appealing. It certainly helped that we had a terrific program. The results indicated that psychoanalysis is still very much alive. Many students, academics, and mental health professionals are interested in what we have to offer, but they needed first to be approached and made to feel welcome. We hope that many of the new attendees will eventually want to train at our institutes.

We at the ad hoc Committee on Outreach for the Scientific and Educational Programs are continuing these grassroots efforts for the fall meeting in New York. We hope that some of you will help us. We have developed a new brochure, “Live From New York … It's The American Psychoanalytic Association.” It highlights the best of our fall program. If you are teaching, supervising, or working at a particular clinic, university, or hospital (or have friends there), we hope that you could send a letter inviting your colleagues to the meeting. The personal touch does seem to make a difference. We will be glad to supply you with brochures and even a sample letter. We will assist you in any way we can. Outreach energizes and strengthens us from within.

Sharon Zalusky and Alan Sugarman are chair and co-chair, respectively, of the Ad Hoc Committee on Outreach for the Scientific and Educational Programs.