"Opticianry Summit" Any news or first-hand accounts?

[optical24/7]

Jacqui, I know where you're coming from. But you have to look at whom can influence change. Many un-licensed states don't even have state organizations. Your own state as example. There's not one, so whom to represent you? Change has to start somewhere. States already licensed have a head start by simply requiring more training to obtain licensure in their state. There's truth in the saying that a high tide raises all boats.

We should at least have a wait and see on this... It's a shame though that an Optician's PAC is not discussed..

[sharpstick777]

I'm talking about ALL branches of this profession. Another concern is the areas that attendees were from, it seemed very heavily East Coast (half of the US population lives west of the Mississippi). I think until it becomes a bit more inclusive of all none of the ideas will work.

P.S. I don't know who was invited and who didn't show, I can only go by the information given in the report.

Diane Charles is a good friend here in Seattle, she was invited but decided not to attend.

[sharpstick777]

Wes, I appreciate the dilema you are in, and the facts you present. However, there is a tremendous amount of mistrust in this industry, more than any industry I have ever been in (fortunately I have 14 years of business management outside of optical). My background is in Management, Organizational Behavior and Process Engineering.

Much of that mistrust is due to the secrecy of past initiatives and not the value of those initiatives themselves. Good initiatives fail in this industry simply because the processes involved were not transparent and open.

I understand that you guys are not ready, that is fine. But with every passing week the information you don't provide will be filled in by the rumor mills that churn, and you could have the most brilliant plan and find it poorly received. Not for the quality of the idea, but for the quality of the process.

I hope you can balance your need to be fully prepared with the mistrust that is inherant to human nature.

This will be an ongoing process. The initiatives need to be fleshed out. Plans for implementation need to be created. Public awareness and public and organizational support will need to occur. It's taken years of neglect to get this profession into the state it's in, and it will take years to get it straightened out. Nothing will happen overnight. There are a lot of good people working to make opticianry a real profession, and what we really need is patience and support.

[Arsenal]

I'm still not sure what these branches are.
Anyway, from what I can pick up reading websites and such, a good many people are putting a lot of their personal time and effort (and money?) into fixing this mess of a profession. I wonder at the skepticism and hostility here, as opposed to support.
Sharpstick talks about mistrust. Is there any wonder? So many of us do nothing and yet we're the first to cry foul when others we refuse to support don't "save the world" for us. I think these guys are right not to release an unfinished product for the rabble to tear apart.

[Uilleann]

I'm still not sure what these branches are.
Anyway, from what I can pick up reading websites and such, a good many people are putting a lot of their personal time and effort (and money?) into fixing this mess of a profession. I wonder at the skepticism and hostility here, as opposed to support.
Sharpstick talks about mistrust. Is there any wonder? So many of us do nothing and yet we're the first to cry foul when others we refuse to support don't "save the world" for us. I think these guys are right not to release an unfinished product for the rabble to tear apart.

I believe "the rabble" as the majority of opticianry is so eloquently referred to here, have high justification to be extremely skeptical and wary of any new group forming under the pretense of "bettering" the profession. Countless dispensers have supported this organization or that for decades with their time, their money, their personal service, and were promised any number of "results". But what have we actually been given? Absolutely no effort to coalesce and unify all of opticianry nationwide, zero transparency, corporate bloat, complete lack of fiscal responsibility, unrealistic restrictions on participation....the list is long and growing every year.

"The rabble" have been given good and ample reason not to blindly support yet another good ol boys club that, at the outset, looks publicly to function just like the rest. Despite what one personally feels to be the truth, this is the general overwhelming sentiment I've heard repeated time and again over the past twenty years or so.

[Arsenal]

I believe "the rabble" as the majority of opticianry is so eloquently referred to here, have high justification to be extremely skeptical and wary of any new group forming under the pretense of "bettering" the profession. Countless dispensers have supported this organization or that for decades with their time, their money, their personal service, and were promised any number of "results". But what have we actually been given? Absolutely no effort to coalesce and unify all of opticianry nationwide, zero transparency, corporate bloat, complete lack of fiscal responsibility, unrealistic restrictions on participation....the list is long and growing every year.

"The rabble" have been given good and ample reason not to blindly support yet another good ol boys club that, at the outset, looks publicly to function just like the rest. Despite what one personally feels to be the truth, this is the general overwhelming sentiment I've heard repeated time and again over the past twenty years or so.

You must be Chief Rabble Rouser around here. If you won't support or trust anyone else to do the job, will you do it? Are you just crying foul while doing nothing?

[gmc]

You must be Chief Rabble Rouser around here. If you won't support or trust anyone else to do the job, will you do it? Are you just crying foul while doing nothing?

Good questions for many here. They are like crabs in the proverbial bucket.

[Arsenal]

Good questions for many here. They are like crabs in the proverbial bucket.

Crabs in a bucket? Constantly dragging each other down? Nice analogy.

[idispense]

And was there talk of branding ?

[Wes]

And was there talk of branding ?

Yes. It's one or the primary initiatives.

http://www.thevisioncouncil.org/opti...elimReport.pdf

[idispense]

Yes. It's one or the primary initiatives.

http://www.thevisioncouncil.org/opti...elimReport.pdf

yer foreigners , but count me in, there might be hope for ya'll if we can brand "Optician" or similiar.

Pick a name for Opticians to be called across the world. Trademark it ! Set the education standards high to use that trademarked name, never waver or let those standards down. Advertise that name to the public so they will demand to see that brand of Optician. Now people wanting to attain and use that trademarked name for Opticians will have to be educated to those standards.

To be educatd to those standards your states and Colleges or Universities will have to fall in line to meet those standards.

[Jacqui]

You must be Chief Rabble Rouser around here. If you won't support or trust anyone else to do the job, will you do it? Are you just crying foul while doing nothing?

I don't know if Uilleann or myself is the 'Chief Rabbble Rouser' here, but I too am very skeptical for the same reasons. In my 43 years in this business I've seen too many things like this to believe in them all. There really needs to be more transparency to this entire process.

[gmc]

I don't know if Uilleann or myself is the 'Chief Rabbble Rouser' here, but I too am very skeptical for the same reasons. In my 43 years in this business I've seen too many things like this to believe in them all. There really needs to be more transparency to this entire process.

Jacqui, you have too much positive to offer to carry that title.

I'm a little skeptical too, but hopeful that positive results come from this.

One thing I can say for sure, if we only *****, moan and ridicule, certainly nothing positive will come from it or any other initiative.

[Barry Santini]

Although I was skeptical and feeling a bit parochial about this summit at first, I've decided to put my trust in the *process*, which so far, appears to be the item most well grounded. And I think the process is the most important aspect, since it's stated mission is not to stall or otherwise stagnate or become undynamic.

John, Wes and Laurie: I place my faith and trust in you, and support you.
B

[THE MEB]

Since in our state, and their are several like ours, the OD'S own the Paraoptometrics, I don't see how doing this it is going to change the power players that own Opticians right now. The primary players I see that were asked and then attended were not OD'S, but the pther power players, the Essilor and Hoyas, and the Walmarts and US Visions, the ones that many of us Opticians don't trust to talk for us, but for many, including myself, blame them for getting us to where we find ourselves today. I smell a rat.

[Barry Santini]

Client trust, and therefore sales, continued patronage and referrals are the optician's skill sets ultimate goals. With this mind, it really doesn't matter whose in charge: optician, OD or MD.

I think that it really boils down to rhe above for ophthalmic dispensing.

B

[Arsenal]

Since in our state, and their are several like ours, the OD'S own the Paraoptometrics, I don't see how doing this it is going to change the power players that own Opticians right now. The primary players I see that were asked and then attended were not OD'S, but the pther power players, the Essilor and Hoyas, and the Walmarts and US Visions, the ones that many of us Opticians don't trust to talk for us, but for many, including myself, blame them for getting us to where we find ourselves today. I smell a rat.

I smell a victim. Complaining about what everyone did to you instead of being honest about what you did or didn't do may make you feel good about yourself, but it really won't get you anything but false pity. You're just another guy crying foul while doing nothing. I'm not doing jack either but at least I'm cheering from the sidelines instead of acting like Eeyore. "It'll probably rain."

[THE MEB]

Interesting that you think you have me, or anyone feeling the same as I do, figured out. I assure you you don't, and you have a heck of an ego thinking you do. I gave what I considered to be an honest assessment of what I felt, with 37 years of optical management as well as lab and dispensing skill, and keeping up with the optical environment. Mine is just my assessment, and I kindly would ask you to quit judging me. I like to consider myself a realist, not a crybaby, and I think my history would support that.

[Arsenal]

Interesting that you think you have me, or anyone feeling the same as I do, figured out. I assure you you don't, and you have a heck of an ego thinking you do. I gave what I considered to be an honest assessment of what I felt, with 37 years of optical management as well as lab and dispensing skill, and keeping up with the optical environment. Mine is just my assessment, and I kindly would ask you to quit judging me. I like to consider myself a realist, not a crybaby, and I think my history would support that.

It's interesting that you anonymously call into question the motives of this entire group of people working to represent our interests when you say "I smell a rat", yet you object so strenuously when I did it to you. Hypocrisy?

[Johns]

Note: I have received 2 PM's from people asking if I am "Arsenal". I assure you, it is not me. We were asked not to discuss details of the summit in public, and I have stuck to my part of the bargain. Plus, in the past, I have tried to refrain from these long-winded discussions that go in circles.

I can see other's points about the delay in the release of information, as it does not bode well.
I also see how large an undertaking this is , and know how long it will take to organize it to do it right.

If I were to comment w/out the information, I stand the chance of making an Ar$$e(nal) out of myself.

Sorry folks, Arsenal is on his/her own...it's not me.

[MikeAurelius]

I smell a troll.

[Arsenal]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll...net)#section_3
My posts were neither extraneous nor off topic, and were responses to emotional inflammatory posts by others. Who's the troll?

[THE MEB]

Wow, I will take the high road here. I was merely stating how I felt. I didn't realize that I had to post my name here to land credence to my thoughts. Isn't it strange that Arsenal gets on my case for not revealing my name, even though I don't see where that matters in the least, when he or she has the temerity to personally rebuke my comments by suggesting that I am doing this to feel as if falsely yet, I am a victim loathing in self pity. Really!! It's merely laughable, and I hope others see through the ruse. I am very content where I was and where I am in the optical community, never been fired or laid off, and more importantly our patients see a great value in how our business has worked for them through the years. I have nothing but good memories, so this victim and self pity crap is just that.

[Johns]

I smell a troll.

I think the reason I was tagged with being Arsenol is that he/she made the location "USSA", just as I did, 2 years ago.

[MikeAurelius]

I think the reason I was tagged with being Arsenol is that he/she made the location "USSA", just as I did, 2 years ago.

Very original...not.

LOL!! I think Arsensal needs to look at the definition of "Concern Troll" in the link he provided...