1. January - February


Korean Luncheon After the FDI morning session, our entourage left to attend a luncheon with Dr. Lee Kee-Taek, President of the Korean Dental Association, and the Korean Delegation in the Granada Room of the Nikko Hotel. The purpose of the luncheon was to invite us to attend the 24th Asian Pacific L-R: Secretary/Treasurer Kozal, President Halik, and President-elect Campbell in Korean Luncheon receiving line Dental Congress in Seoul in 2002. This gave us another opportunity to develop new contacts and renew old ones. The Pierre Fauchard Academy officers were everywhere. President Halik and President-elect Campbell at the museum’s entrance		Museo Nacional de Antropologia Following the brief afternoon session, President Halik led us down the street from our hotel to attend the world’s foremost museum on Central American culture, the Mexican National Museum of Anthropology. Even before you pay (25 pesos) to get in, you must go through a metal detector. Police guards were stationed in every hall. But the museum was well worth the effort, as the exhibits start at the beginning with Primates and take you from hall to hall through time with Teotihuacan, the Olmecs, theToltecs, the Maya, and their outstanding Hall of the Aztecs, up through the present-day Mexican culture. While the idea to visit the museum was an independent one by the officers, our wives—Woody Halik, Judy Kozal, and Shirley Brophy—had also decided to go that morning. The ADA Reception Wednesday evening was a busy night for the PFA. We were hosting our Best Award Ceremony later that night, but President Halik felt we ought to be represented at the ADA Reception earlier in the evening. So President Halik led President-elect Dave Campbell and Editor Brophy over to the Marriott Hotel to attend. We got there right at the beginning and were able to greet the ADA Officers and secure their promise to attend our event that night. L-R: PFA President-elect Dave Campbell, PFA President Fred Halik, ADA President-elect Robert Anderton, ADA President Richard Mascola, and ADA Executive Director John Zapp


The Elmer Best Award Ceremony On Wednesday evening, 27 October, our PFA entourage was in place at the French House garden to greet the elite of the Mexican dental profession and visiting Fellows The French House Garden from all over the world. The L-shaped “garden” had the old French Embassy on the inside of the L and fashionable shops on the outside. The speaker’s podium was set up at the turn of the L. Mexico Chairman Ernesto Acuña Dr. Ernesto Acuña, the Mexico Section Chair, welcomed us all and introduced the dignitaries. President Fred Halik then addressed the overflow crowd. No representatives from either the French or the American Embassy were present despite their promises. Dr. Acuña read the citation for the Elmer Best Memorial Award and presented the plaque to Dr. Francisco Raul Miranda while President Halik placed the Elmer Best gold medal on Dr. Miranda and noted his outstanding achievements for Mexican dentistry. He was in private practice from 1911 to 1993 and has served as Historian for the Mexican Dental Association, President of the ICD Mexico Section, Life Member of the El Salvador Dental Association, PFA Fellow, and teacher (1943–1992) in high school and college. His life has traveled many pathways of service for his fellow man, one of which was dentistry. Dr. Miranda was visibly touched as he accepted the award and gave a few remarks. Dr. Acuña then introduced Diana Cecilia Ortega Amieva, General Director of Professional Regulations. President Halik then presented our PFA Honorary Fellowship Award plaque. Diana Ortega oversees 12 professions, including dentistry. Through NAFTA, her office is working with Canada and the United States to standardize dental education in North America and eliminate the differences between our countries in the level of standards of practice.		President Fred Halik then presented our PFA Certificate of Merit to Dr. Ernesto Acuña in recognition of the outstanding job he has done for the Mexico Section of PFA. President Halik and Chair Acuña present Best Award to Dr. Miranda (center) Chairman Ernesto Acuña and President Fred Halik then presented our Presidential Citation plaque to Miguel Limon Rojas, the Secretary of Education and Public Licensure. Secretary Rojas is responsible for the granting of dental licenses in Mexico. Secretary of Education Miguel Limon Rojas Secretary/Treasurer Richard Kozal read the names of the dozen or so new Fellows, Chair Ernesto Acuña presented them with their Certificate of Membership, and President Halik bestowed upon them our ribbon medal of Fellowship. Mexico Dental School Dean Rolando Peniche Marcin thanked the Academy and Foundation for their dental student scholarship awards this year. Dean Rolando Peniche Marcin With the ceremonies concluded, the party went on with everyone getting a chance to socialize. The ADA’s President Richard Muscola, President-elect Robert Anderton, past President David Rose, and Director John Zapp thanked our officers for the invitation and the opportunity to get together with the Mexican dignitaries. Many foreign dignitaries attended as well: Dr. Professor Eugeniusz Spiechowicz of Poland, Netherlands Section Treasurer Dr. Henk Schotte, Republic of Georgia Chair Vladimer Margvelashvilli, Canadian Dental Association Director Jardine Neilson, to name a few.


FDI Opening Ceremony Thursday evening’s Opening Ceremony was held at the National Auditorium, a huge hall seating 18,500 located on their prestigious Avenue of the Reform. Our entire entourage attended to participate in the magnificent work Dr. Acuña had done in organizing such an event. Dr. Acuña even took a few minutes from the podium to personally welcome us. National Auditorium Earlier in the day we registered for the FDI meeting and got our badges and tickets. Then we toured the exhibits. For the afternoon, there was General Assembly B and more world dental business. Our spouses joined us for the Opening Session, which began with music by the Symphony Orchestra and the Choir of the Navy. FDI Executive Director Per Ake Zillen initiated roll call of the nations. Each country placed their flag on the stage until a blaze of color filled it. The guest of honor for this evening was Mexico’s Health Secretary Dr. Juan Ramon de la Fuente.		FDI President Katsuo Tsurumaki greeted everyone in the nearly full hall on behalf of the 87th FDI World Congress and the 25th Congress of the Mexican Dental Association. Our Mexico Chair Ernesto Acuña was singled out for making the joint meeting such a success. Dr. Tsurumaki presented Honors to two other PFA Fellows: past Sweden Section Chairman Dr. Runo Cronstrom, who served 16 years as President of the Swedish Dental Association, and Dean Art Dugoni of our Northern California Section, who has served as past ADA President and FDI Treasurer. Dr. Tsurumaki turned the gavel of President over to Dr. Jacques Monnot of France, noting that the 100th anniversary of FDI was bringing the Presidency back to the country that initiated FDI (by the first President Dr. Charles Godon, whom PFA honored last year in Paris with Hall of Fame status) on 15 August 1900. Dr. Jacques Monnot accepted the responsibility, thanking everyone for the success of FDI in the 20th century. The Mexican Dental Association President, Dr. Rolando Gonzalez then welcomed all the participants. The evening’s gathering concluded with a performance by the National Folkloric Ballet and a Welcoming Reception. Our PFA delegation departed Mexico City the next day with President Fred Halik just catching his breath to travel further south to Peru.


Peru’s 8th International Congress PFA International President Fred Halik and International Trustee Bernardo Levit joined our Peru Chairman Dr. Javier Flores-Araoz P. in Lima last 17 November to participate in the 8th International Congress of the Peruvian Stomatological Academy in celebrating their 75th Anniversary of the Peruvian Academy of Stomatology.		Chairman Flores-Araoz hosted a PFA Induction Ceremony the evening of 19 November at the Lima Sheraton Hotel. Many dignitaries were in attendance—Brazil’s Dr. Riaz, and Drs. Americo Olivera, David Loza Fernandez, Hugo Aguayo, Mario Bermejo, and Dental School Dean Fernando Donayre. Many new Fellows were inducted that evening. President Halik presented the Foundation scholarship award to dental student Roxanna Saldarriaga with Chairman Flores-Araoz, Trustee Levit, and Dean Donayre.
- PFA President Halik, Trustee Levit, and Chair Flores-Araoz in center of PFA Ceremony