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Georgia Surgical Society
Often inquiries are made as to the origins of the Georgia Surgical Society and what the Society represents. In an effort to capture some essence of this from rapidly fading memories, John P. Wilson responded to our request and with input from William G. Whitaker, William C. McGarity, and others, penned this brief history. We are indebted to him. LSMc-3/17/93 Note: The following is an edited version of that written history. The history of the
Georgia Surgical Society
is
not truly the history of an organization, but a It was a sense of unfulfillment that brought together a group of leading Georgia surgeons that resulted in the establishment of the Georgia Surgical Society. In the late fifties, the only state surgical organization was the Georgia Chapter of the American College of Surgeons. At that time, the Chapter served principally as an instrument of the national organization, for policies and officers were decided by the national office in Chicago with little input from the body of surgeons in the state. In many states, there were state surgical societies separate and apart from the state Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, and there was a strong feeling of a need for a more personalized and representative organization for the surgeons of Georgia. At this propitious time, there was a meeting of the minds of David Henry Poer, Duncan Shepard, Joseph Read, and William G. Whitaker of Atlanta, Hoke Wammock of LaGrange, Julian Quattlebaum of Savannah, and Luther Wolfe of Columbus, and this group served as the progenitors of the Georgia Surgical Society. It was also at this time that circumstances helped dictate a policy which became an integral part of the function of the Society, when some of these founders, while attending a Chapter meeting at a nearby hostelry, had dinner at The Cloister and a chance conversation with the manager, Irving Harned. He welcomed and encouraged the embryo organization to meet at that hotel, which circumstance became an integral part of the function of the organization. There are many who have contributed much, and time and space do not permit a recounting of all such persons and events, but before we remember a few names and times, it is essential to state clearly that the success of this organization lies in the nature, character, and social and professional integrity of the membership. However, no history of the Georgia Surgical Society would be complete without recognition of the major contribution of Bill Whitaker to the direction, energy, and purpose of the Society. The first official meeting of the Georgia Surgical Society was held on 14 September 1961, and the organization officially came into being when the motion of Hilt Hammett of LaGrange, "that the Georgia Surgical Society be formed and that the Constitution and Bylaws that had been proposed and discussed be adopted," was passed by unanimous vote. The first officers elected at that meeting were Henry Poer as President, Hoke Wammock as Vice-President, Duncan Shepard as Secretary, and Bill Whitaker as Treasurer. Councilors elected were Tom Goodwin of Augusta, Charles Richardson of Macon, and Loomis Pomeroy of Waycross. At the same meeting, it was decided that A.C.S. Chapter members were automatically eligible for membership and that founding membership would be closed as of December 1961. Of major interest in the history of the Society
are the Scientific Programs with Guest and Member Speakers
that read like a
Who's Who of American Surgery, and which tell the tale of the evolving nature of
surgery over It is indeed a desirable heritage, for through it all burns the bright beacon of knowledge and caring. The formal papers, the frank discussions, getting to know and understand the individuals who lead in our profession as well as our contributions to their knowledge, reflect the motto, Knowledge, Skill and Compassion.
As we enter the fortieth year since the inception of the Georgia Surgical Society, it seemed appropriate to update the History of the organization. After due consideration, the decision was made to update rather than revise the history, so that this edition contains minimal changes of the previous one and reflects primarily the professional, technological, and societal changes as they have affected the practice of surgery and, consequently, this Organization during the past decade. Because history is the creation of historians, it is to be assumed that this is no exception, although it is by perception and selectivity rather than factual aberration. Input has been from many members of the Society, but particular mention must be made to Bill Whitaker, the late Bill McGarity, and LaMar McGinnis, who have piloted the ship over the years. John P. Wilson The last decade of the second millennium has seen marked changes in the medical and health care systems, particularly in the field of surgery. Not only were there unprecedented technological advances but also changes in the entire process of if, when, how, and by whom many problems in medical care are managed, to the point of medical decision-making by nonmedical agents. While the program format and character of the Georgia Surgical Society has remained basically the same, these societal changes have of necessity affected the professional function of the members and indirectly the Society itself. This is reflected primarily in the inclusion of more organizational and societal discussions in the program. In the intervening ten years since the previous
history, the exceptional excellence of the programs has been main- The presentations represent a wide variety of topics but reflect several areas of increased interest and concern. There were nineteen presentations reflecting directly or indirectly concern about economic and political aspects of surgical practice. There were increasing numbers of papers referable to technological advances, particularly laparoscopic procedures, their pertinence, practicality, and problems. There were a number of papers relating to trauma, its management and the use of ultrasound. Rectal and colon cancer, parathyroid and thyroid diseases, gastric and pancreatic cancer, and bariatric surgery were discussed on multiple occasions. But the consistently most frequent subject remained breast cancer, with fifteen presentations. In summary, the programs continue to reflect the major concerns of the surgeons both here and nationally, particularly as regards major surgical entities, increasing political and administrative concerns, technological advances, and the continuing unsolved problems of surgery. As noted before, one of the primary reasons for
the formation of the Society was the sense that there were
a number of problems
for the practicing surgeon that were not being addressed by the American College
of
Surgeons. Because of the increasing commonality of problems and the
involvement by members in both
organizations, a closer tie with the Georgia
Chapter of the American College of Surgeons appeared to be
increasingly more
desirable. This had been under discussion for several years and had not been
perceived as
practical due to the different purposes of the meetings. However,
the changing roles of the two organizations,
increasing concern about
sociopolitical changes and the increasing shared problems, and the facilitation
of It was decided that a conjoint meeting of the two organizations, each preserving its identity and structure, would be optimal. As a consequence, beginning in November 2001 the meetings will be held sequentially, with each maintaining its unique character; the Georgia Surgical Society featuring a nationally recognized panel of speakers and local authorities, and the College Chapter meeting continuing the excellent Surgical Resident presentations with National officers addressing primarily social, political, and economic issues. In 1997 in recognition of his seminal involvement and development of the Society, the William G. Whitaker Jr. Annual Lecture was established with the initial presentation by William Wood, followed in 1998 by Robert Smith, in 2000 by LaMar McGinnis, and in 2001 by Tom Gadacz. A hurricane threat again in 1999 precipitated a last minute cancellation of the meeting, resulting in a second two-term president, Duane Blair. Due to this recurring hurricane season problem and conflicting dates of religious days, the time of the annual meeting was, for the first time, in 2001 changed from beginning on the third Thursday in September to the second Thursday in November. From the beginning, it had been the opinion of the Council that commercialization of the meeting by having exhibitors was not desirable. However, with the explosion of technical development and instrumentation, it became apparent that one of the needs of the practicing surgeon was a familiarity with current technical tools, so that in 1994 the first commercial exhibits were begun. Although this was proposed primarily to facilitate familiarity with technical advances, it was also financially beneficial. On the social side, there have been gradual but
significant changes, particularly in the sport events. Tennis,
which had been
the dominant sports activity, began to be replaced by golf, concurrent with the
significant
upgrading of the golf facilities. The skeet shoot was discontinued
as an official event because of declining
interest but revived, and the
Carrollton Surgical Group presented a handsome skeet trophy in memory of
Bill McGarity to be awarded annually. Tom Gadaz instituted a fly fishing clinic in
1998, and the Walk-Run
events have become very popular under the tutelage of
"T" Reeve. The proposed croquet event was short-lived The social evenings have gradually changed from dancing and socializing in the Club Rooms in the evening to nightly planned pre-dinner social gatherings for all members and guests and a later leisurely dinner in the dining room or Beach Club or Golf Club, with late night partying virtually non-existent. The morning bridge for the ladies has been replaced by kitchen tours, cottage and facilities tours, and entertaining lectures. And then there are always special memories. The Cloister, noting, at our 35th annual meeting, that our organization had the longest sustained regular meeting of any group at The Cloister, hosted a Friday night reception for us. The Society adopted a new official tie, an official logo and seal, a presidential certificate presented yearly to the President, and acquired courtesy of Bob Smith and LaMar McGinnis, a gavel made from a Sea Island oak, and Bill McGarity’s photo book of programs and speakers. A Georgia Surgical Society web site has been developed by Tom Dodson and can be accessed at www.gasurgsociety.org. Established the tradition of the presentation of a Tiffany sterling silver pocket knife with inscription to the Whitaker lecturer. First honorariums to out of State speakers in 2000. The delightful tradition of John David Mullins and Max White "picking and singing" at the Wednesday evening Welcome reception (formerly the President’s Reception) which had grown from a small gathering in Suite 400 Hamilton House to the "everybody-invited-casual-get-together" at the Gazebo. Dan Sullivan becoming the first surgical in-state honorary member (the first in-state honorary member was a non-surgeon, Spalding Schroder). Joe Bowden betting Tiger Woods against the field in his early appearance at the Masters – and winning (both). Jonathan Meakins’ "Art and Medicine: Medicine in Art" presentation to the spouses’ coffee so impressive that it had to be repeated at the Surgeons’ meeting the next day. Frank Wilson and a few others daring the hurricane while the rest of us parked for hours on Interstate 16. George Block and Alex Walt as entertainers as well as speakers. They will both be missed. The raucous, earsplitting conversation at the Awards party finally controlled by Reeves’ humor and Engler’s whistle. Now we will know who won what. The loss of several of our most active members, in particular Bob Gongaware and Bill McGarity, and Chubby Engler’s fitting tribute to Bill Moretz. LaMar McGinnis describes the current status of the Society thus, "We have observed the change in social patterns through the years in that virtually no one goes to the Club Room after dinner. Certainly, the alcohol habits have changed over the years with a marked diminution in intake and resultant socialization. The Society continues to grow, although slowly, and the meetings have always been highly commended in the evaluations and enjoyed by those present." It can be added that the Society has properly actively extended its membership, though never limited, regarding ethnicity and gender. As the delivery of medical care and surgical practice continue to evolve, it is important to evaluate the role of the Georgia Surgical Society. It becomes increasingly apparent that those things for which it was organized are those elements of surgical practice that are most endangered by the depersonalized medical care that has become progressively more dominant and undesirable. It is only through the efforts and philosophy of organizations such as the Georgia Surgical Society that the ultimate objective of medicine, the personalized concern and care for the true welfare of each and every individual patient can be obtained. To help each surgeon utilize the best of knowledge, skill, and compassion, to give every patient the best in surgical care, to treat not just the disease but the patient with the disease is the continuing role of the Georgia Surgical Society. J.P.W. - 01
Revised: 3/3/2008 |
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