Professional Organizations Worldwide?

[Steve Machol]

David and Clive,

Welcome! I really appreciate that you both agreed to Moderate this Forum. While many people from all over the world visit OptiBoard, the messages have tended to remain geared towards U.S and Canadian optical folk. Hopefully this forum will provide a place where Opticians from all over the world can learn from each other.

Could one or both of you take a look at the question Judy Canty asked in the National and State Organizations Forum? She had asked about the existence and status of professional organizations in other parts of the world. Thanks!

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Steve
OptiBoard Administrator

[This message has been edited by Steve Machol (edited 06-05-2000).]

[David Wilson]

Steve,
I've had a look at Judy's message. I can give some information on some parts of the world (perhaps Clive can fill in some gaps). In Australia we have a few associations. The national body (like the US and Canada, we are a federation; we have 6 states and 2 territories)is the Australasian Dispensing Opticians Association ADOA. Within that body we have various sate bodies. There is ADOA Western Australia, ADOA South Australia, ADOA Victoria, ADOA Queensland and ADOA New South Wales. The ADOA New South Wales branch itself is made up of three organisations (confusing isn't it?), the Australian Association of Dispensing Opticians, The Association of Spectacle Makers and the Guild of Dispensing Opticians (an employer body). The three NSW groups is an historical thing but they are working closer together than ever before via ADOA. Our friends in New Zealand have the Association of Dispensing Opticians of New Zealand (ADONZ).
The British have the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO) of whom Clive could tell you more. Incidentally Clive, I have had the pleasure of meeting Mo Jalie and regularly use his books and articles.
Judy, let me know if you would like some information on optometrical groups down under. I'm not an opto but 'some of my best friends are optometrists'!
As I mentioned in my welcome post, I am involved with the International Opticians Association. Its original member organisations were the OAA in the United States (Art Clancy was our President when we held the meeting in St Louis in 96), the Opticians Association of Canada, the ABDO in the UK (David Vince was our President at the meeting in Harrogate in 98), the Guild of Dispensing Opticians in Australia and ADONZ in New Zealand. In addition we have recently brought on board South African opticians and Irish opticians. We would love to here from other countries.
I hope this is of some interest, Judy (and Steve).
Regards
David

[Judy Canty]

David,
Thank you for really some really great information. Yes, I do believe that information on Optometric organizations would be of interest and I am very interested in more information about the International Opticians Association.

[Steve Machol]

David,

Do any of these organizations have web sites? If so, could you post the URLs so I can add them to my Optical Links page? Thanks!

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Steve
OptiBoard Administrator

[Clive Noble]

Some interesting details there David, I know this is going to make me sound like a moron! but I've actually opted out of the various associations and optical bodies that exist in our country. I won't go into the reasons here! Also having been out of Britain for over 20 years now, I'm not too au-fait with the optical scene there either.

I have seen someone from the North of England posting messages on the Optiboard, maybe he could fill us in on optics in the UK today.

[David Wilson]

Judy,
I've emailled you some details on the International Opticians Association and our next conference in Sydney. If anyone else is interested feel free to contact me by email.
As for optometry associations in Australia, the main association is the Optometrists Association of Australia (OAA), which has state branches in each state. Its head office is in Melbourne. I have included its URL below. There are some smaller groups, including some commercial groups (buying groups, that sort of thing). Most of the members of these groups are also members of the OAA.

Steve,
Not all of the associations have URLs (Some are still looking for volunteer webmasters). I do include some news on the associations in my newsletter, Wavelength, (a new issue is due out shortly). I have included the URLs that I do know.

Wavelength http://www.tafensw.edu.au/oten/wavelength/

Association of Dispensing Opticians of New Zealand http://www.opticians.org.nz

Opticians Association of Canada http://www.opticians.ca/

The Association of British Dispensing Opticians
(ABDO does not seem to have its own site, at least I haven't found it. But they do have a page on the OPEN University's site.) http://www-icdl.open.ac.uk/icdl/expo...inst/index.htm

Optometrists Association of Australia http://www.optometrists.asn.au/

Association of Optometrists (UK) http://www.assocoptom.co.uk/

Regards
David