Messages from our Founding Members
As part of our 50th anniversary celebrations in 2013, CDHA recognized the 100
charter members from our humble beginnings
in 1963–1964 and paid special tribute to the eight founding members who still maintained their memberships.
On behalf
of all CDHA members, past and present, the board of directors thanks and congratulates each of
these women for their
many years of support, loyalty and commitment. We are honoured they have maintained their
relationship with CDHA, contributing
in a most invaluable manner to the growth and strength of the association and profession, past,
present and future. We
are grateful for their longevity and proud that they have been part of where we have been and
continue to be a part of
where we are going.
Anne
Bosy
Being a member of CDHA was and continues to be an educational and
interesting experience. My most active
involvement with the association began around 1976 as the president of ODHA and a director for
CDHA and
continued to around 1995. These were intense years for my colleagues and me as we developed the
case
for self-regulation for dental hygienists in Ontario. We met with government, dental groups, and
dental
hygienists so that we could establish a non-confrontational relationship with them and move
forward to
setting up our governing body. There was much anxiety as self-regulation for dental hygienists
was new
and sometimes unsettling for members within all groups. Together with Ailsa Wood, Carole Ono,
and Pat
Johnson, we researched and wrote many documents to build our case and forwarded these documents
to other
members whose role was to meet with the government. Imagine the exhilaration when we were
finally successful!
Some of my other activities were my long-term involvement with the Standards Committee for
Dental Materials
and as chairman of the Legislation Committee, where I learned much as an academic and as a
manager. In
retrospect, CDHA was instrumental in shaping the path of my professional life.
Margaret Berry
MacLean
Oh dear, to go back over so many years means recalling a lot! Our first convention was held in
Edmonton in association with
the Alberta Dental Association conference, and we never looked back. I recall presenting our
draft constitution
and developing a code of ethics and the pride of the first graduating dental hygiene class from
the University
of Alberta. We were a neophyte organization but with many dedicated people involved. Our
profession and
association have grown from the few to the many — to 17,000 in fact! Certainly much has changed
over
the years: equipment, the way we practice and many other things, but the constant has been the
forethought
of the progressive people who have kept driving change. I certainly congratulate CDHA on our
growth and
ability to move forward, and especially applaud the support and involvement of all our members.
I wish us continued growth and progression for many years to come. All the best.
Marg
Miller
CDHA membership provided me with many wonderful experiences but my most
treasured will always be the amazing
professional women I met, conversed with, dined with and learned from. Every meeting, conference
or informal
gathering was filled with women eager to advance their profession and the professional
organization.
I always felt such optimism and pride afterwards. I kept every newsletter, brochure, and journal
for
decades. In 1978 I became part of the CDHA executive as Education Chairperson and attended
meetings across
the country. I have always been grateful for the opportunity to learn more about my country in
this way.
I was also CDHA's voting representative on the Canadian Dental Association's Council on
Education. The
committee met in Ottawa every June, and being a part of it was very beneficial to CDHA. I am
very proud
of how far we have come in 50 years and especially proud of the eight founding members who still
maintain
their membership and interest in CDHA.
Marlene
Bulas
Being involved with CDHA for fifty years has been a very rewarding
experience. When I reflect on the numerous
significant changes that have occurred in the dental hygiene profession over these years, I am
filled
with gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the CDHA executive, directors, and members.
Enabling
our profession to stay current through continuing education, meetings, and professional support
has facilitated
our roles as vital members of the oral health care profession. CDHA has also reached out to
communities
through the media, thereby educating the public on oral health issues and improving public
perception
and respect for the dental hygienist. The diversity of our population, with a wide range of
cultures,
age groups, and socio-economic levels, has also been addressed by CDHA based on seeing people as
individuals
with their own specific needs. I am proud to be a long-time member of CDHA for its continuous
support,
caring, and progressive manner of meeting the challenges of our profession in this rapidly
changing world.
Carol
Kline
Watching and participating in the raising of the CDHA "baby" from birth (volunteers generating
the idea of a national organization)
and then in developing the first constitution and bylaws and now, 50 years later, seeing a
mature "grown-up"
(a full-functioning organization of professionals, with members across Canada working together
for the
betterment of dental hygiene and dental hygienists) has been a thrill for me. My affiliation
with colleagues
across Canada through meetings, conferences, and just plain get-togethers has continued to
stimulate
and generate enthusiasm for me "to still be involved." What a treat to meet and work with
professional,
caring, and interested colleagues. A highlight for me in CDHA was my position as chair of the
Manpower
and Utilization Committee (and its many name changes), which led to my involvement in the
Working Group
on the Practice of Dental Hygiene and ultimately precipitated the formation of today's dental
hygienist
provincial regulatory bodies. Most recently I was involved with rewriting (again) the Code of
Ethics,
and I appreciated this further experience with interested and dedicated CHDA members.
Marnie
Forgay
CDHA has been fundamental to the establishment and development of the dental hygiene profession
in Canada. It has given me
many opportunities to be associated with that development and for my own personal growth.
Primarily,
these opportunities have related to dental hygiene education. I was a long-time member of CDHA's
Council
on Education, promoting standards and assisting new and existing programs. For many years I
represented
CDHA on the Commission on Dental Accreditation. With CDHA sponsorship I organized the first
Canadian
workshop on clinical dental hygiene teaching. I have worked with CDHA and other groups on
several important
professional issues, including legislation, national certification, competencies, and practice
standards.
With several other CDHA leaders I was a member (chair) of the Federal Government Working Group
on the
Practice of Dental Hygiene, whose landmark activities included the first-ever conference on
dental hygiene
research. I was associated with the establishment of CDHA education grants and its fostering of
dental
hygiene research. I am a CDHA past president and a life member. It has been a privilege to be
part of
CDHA for half a century and to be associated with its crucial role in the development of our
profession.
Patricia M.
Johnson
In reflecting on my involvement with CDHA over the past 50 years, while numerous aspects come to
mind, three are predominant.
First is my gratitude for the experiences and opportunities it afforded me, not just to work
with and
learn from colleagues across Canada and elsewhere, but also, as president and in other roles, to
speak
with members of our profession's "core"— those on the front lines who provide quality dental
hygiene
services for the Canadian public and in whose interests we advocate. Second is the challenge in
the early
years of establishing the credibility of and acceptance for our delegates, who represented the
goals
and needs of Canadian dental hygienists interprofessionally and at government and public forums.
This
was further exacerbated by the fact that one group was often the primary employer of the other
and we
frequently were the sole females at the table. A third and more positive recollection is the
shared excitement
when, over fifty years ago, our small group worked closely to establish a national association.
Imagine
my delight at seeing CDHA evolve and mature into a strong voice for the profession. Dental
hygienists,
though few in numbers, were dispersed across Canada and, given that the private dental office
was, and
remains, the most prevalent workplace, they work essentially in isolation from each other. CDHA
and its
provincial counterparts provide a respected, unifying professional identity. And CDHA continues
to advance
dental hygiene, today and into the future.
Carole
Ono
It is amazing that 50 years have gone by since a small group of dental hygienists across Canada
founded the CDHA. Since its
inception in 1963, CDHA has grown and developed into a highly regarded professional
organization. As
the cornerstone of the dental hygiene profession, CDHA has provided support and guidance to
enable me
to engage in activities both for personal growth and further development of our profession. In
the 60s
and 70s, I had the privilege of serving as membership/treasurer and director on the CDHA board.
Later
on I had opportunities to work with forward-thinking colleagues in milestone activities such as
the Working
Group on the Practice of Dental Hygiene in Canada, provincial legislative and steering
committees leading
to self-governance for dental hygiene in Ontario, and coordinating the development of the first
direct
entry dental hygiene program in a community college in Ontario. While much of my professional
involvement
was related to education and legislation in Ontario, these activities were very much supported
and influenced
by the national association. I am most appreciative of the many challenging and fulfilling
opportunities
I have enjoyed in meeting and working with progressive dental hygienists across Canada. These
experiences
have enriched both my life and career in dental hygiene.