 On behalf of the American College dentist, welcome to our new fellows. I am Robert Lamb president of the college and is my privilege to give you a brief overview of this prestigious organization, one with a distinguished past and equally exciting future. Fellowship in the college is an honor and more importantly is an opportunity to serve the profession and society. Fellowship is more than an award recognition, it is a call to leverage generations of experience, dedication, passion and motivation to advance our common mission, to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism and leadership in dentistry. So, what is a college? You were not chosen by accident, you were invited to join the college because you have demonstrated excellence, you have made significant contributions to profession and society and your good work has already embodied the mission. This is a special organization made so by the commitment and dedication of the fellows. The basic principles that gave rise to the college have endured for more than 100 years, that is to elevate the standards of dentistry, to encourage graduate study and to grant fellowship to those who have done meritorious work. These ideals represented rather bold measures for the times. They also provided the basis for the college's pivotal role in transforming dentistry from a trade into a profession through the creation and promotion of the highest standards in practice, education, research and industry. The college continues to hold the profession to its highest ideals through meaningful programs and projects at both the local and national level. We champion initiatives in leadership, education, research, professional development, ethical conduct and more. We seek the best for society by seeking the best for dentistry. How is the college organized? The college is rooted in one primary element, you, the fellows. The fellowship is divided into local geographic sections which elect local leaders. The sections are grouped into eight regencies led by an elected region. The regents serve on the Board of Regents and represent the sections and fellows at the national level. The organization is also served by appointed at-large regents who provide perspectives on organized dentistry, federal services, dental industry and academia. National officers are nominated by the fellows then elevated and elected by past presidents of the college. Also represented in our membership are our affiliate groups. The American Society for Dental Ethics appoints a member who is also a fellow to serve on the Board every four years. The Student Professionalism and Ethics Association also appoints liaison who is a fellow. A unique aspect of the Board is that every two years its members select a resident or young dentist with fewer than five years of practice experience to serve as region intern. As a former region intern, national leader in SPIA and currently a co-executive director of SPIA, I know that the ACD SPIA partnership has been instrumental in growing our organization and shaping the future of dentistry through mentorship and leadership support. Partnering with the college has given dental students with an interest in ethics and professionalism a clear path to leadership in dentistry. We have an interesting history. The college has been continuously immersed in the most critical and complicated professional issues beginning in the early 20th century when the Carnegie Foundation commissioned William Geis to report on dental education in North America. That stimulated our founders to reshape dental education. From the beginning the college has emphasized efforts in education and has successfully worked as a direct catalyst for careful study and change in this area. The college was the only organization of the time stressing what we would today call continuing education. That legacy continues through our partnerships with ASD, ADIA, AAPD through which we offer meaningful continuing education and scholarships for advanced studies in leadership and ethics. The college was instrumental in the formation of the American Association of Dental Editors, now the American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists or AADEJ. The ACD and the AADEJ have entered into an affiliation agreement and are once again working closely with one another. This important affiliation will provide additional continuing education to our fellows and communications. Most dental students in the United States and Canada are given the ACD ethics handbook for dentists, a guide to ethics, professionalism and ethical decision making. Dental educators also now have access to a growing compilation of dental ethics modules and video facilitation guides for our ethical dilemmas video series, recorded through a partnership with Indiana University School of Dentistry. So, how do you fit in? You probably already know many fellows of the college. One common thread that really stands out, all fellows are leaders who are committed to excellence, ethics and professionalism. This high level of commitment allows the college to serve uniquely as both an authority and an influencer. We empower and engage colleagues, students and the entire community of oral health care professionals to serve our common mission to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism and leadership. For nearly a century, our fellows have courageously advocated for and shaped and led the profession. You might be wondering about how you were selected for fellowship. Fostering a committed fellowship requires the utmost care when selecting fellows. The ACD nomination process is rigorous. Your accomplishments were first recognized by two fellows in good standing who prepared a nomination packet on your behalf. Your nomination was submitted to the college's executive office, and then it was reviewed by a committee of five distinguished fellows who considered your nomination without knowing the identity of your nominator or seconder. What this means is that you did not get into the college because of any special connection between established ACD leaders. The confidential, blind, peer-reviewed process is described in our bylaws and continues to be of the utmost importance to our college. What does the convocation mean? When you are officially inducted as a fellow of the American College of Dentists, you experience a ceremony steeped in tradition. Among the symbols included in the convocation are the college torch and the mace. The torch symbolizes vision and guiding light of the founders. The mace, a symbol of authority, includes the engraved names of 20 of the earliest and most eminent contributors to the dental profession. During the convocation ceremony, names are called but no rank, title or position are announced for any participant. Thus, the educator, the scientist, the general practitioner, the specialist, whether from a small town or a large city, will receive fellowship in the same manner. Your fellowship certificate is engraved only with your name, and although we may contribute in different ways, our fellowship is equal. An important part of the fellowship received by the inductees at the convocation is a golden enamel pin that is a replica of the college seal. We hope you will wear this pin with pride for years to come as it represents your commitment to a strong and vital organization. Also available is a lilac and rose rosette lapel pin that is appropriate to wear at college functions. Lilac and American Rose are the official colors of the college. So what are your responsibilities as a fellow? Fellowship has many rights and responsibilities associated with significant achievements. Honoring dentists for their meritorious accomplishments is only a part of what college fellowship is about. Fellowship carries with it responsibilities that affirm when you accept the invitation to join. It is expected that you'll be active in the college and participate in college events, especially with your local section serving your community. We also have an expectation that you'll nominate qualified colleagues for fellowship. There's no better way to start your involvement with the college than through the nomination process. Fellowship in the college is a significant career milestone that was shared with you by two other dentists, and it's now your turn to lift up worthy peers. Expectations go two ways, and I hope you have an expectation that the college will continue to build on its proud history and record of accomplishment. I hope you'll also have an expectation that the college as an organization will continue to develop activities and projects that further our mission and are worthy of your time and attention. We want you to be as proud of the college as we are of you. Another important aspect of our organization is the foundation. With our commitment to ongoing projects that sustain our mission comes requirements for financial and volunteer resources. The college has an organizational partner, the American College of Dentist Foundation, which is devoted to both fundraising and fundraising for the college. The foundation was established in 1972 to enable the college to raise funds through tax deductible gifts, which in turn could be used to support projects and initiatives of the college. All college projects are supported by the foundation through activities that will sustain our mission far into the future. Thank you for your commitment to advancing excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in dentistry. And for your time today, a few things I hope you will take into your first year as a fellow are the mission of the ACD is to advance excellence, ethics, professionalism, and leadership in dentistry. The college has more than a word fellowships. The college makes a difference in dentistry, actively working to improve our profession. The college is not a political organization. The college is known as the conscience of dentistry. Excellence, quality leadership, the highest ethical standards, and exceptional professionalism are characteristics shared by our fellows. And lastly, you are exceptional people joining an extraordinary organization. I challenge you to continue your service and contributions. The strength and vitality of the college, its proud history, and its promising future provide a guiding light for the profession. And you are now one of those carrying the flame. The most predictable future is the one that you create, and the most promising future is the one we create together. Congratulations to each of you. We are honored to have you on our ranks.