ALDA CALENDAR OF EVENTS

         

           

2008

         

September 12-13     5^th District Caucus, TBA

September 18           White Coat Ceremony, Birmingham

September 27           Southern Leadership Conference, Atlanta

October 16-21           ADA Annual Session, San Antonio

         

         

         

CURRENT NEWS        Team “Twenty-Ten” Campaign Underway AL-D-PAC’s Team “Twenty-Ten” Campaign is underway. Almost 100 ALDA members have already joined. Team “Twenty-Ten” will mark the fourth Team campaign in AL-D-PAC history. Collectively, the campaigns have raised over a half million dollars. ALDA members who commit to Team “Twenty-Ten” will contribute $20.10 per month in addition to their annual AL-D-PAC dues of $50.00. Members who successfully complete this pledge will be $1,000 contributors for the 2010 elections. “Twenty-Ten” members will receive the following: ·         A very attractive silk-blend Ping golf shirt highlighting the Team “Twenty-Ten” logo ·         Exclusive eligibility for special door prize drawings for Alabama/Auburn football tickets ·         An invitation to attend a private dinner with Governor Bob Riley and other state dignitaries ·         Listings in three separate issues of the ALDA News ·         Recognition at each ALDA Annual Session Our next major campaign effort will take place at the School of Dentistry ’s Alumni Weekend February 8-11. AL-D-PAC members who joined Team “Twenty-Ten” by January 31 will receive their golf shirt in the mail prior to Alumni weekend. Please wear your golf shirt on Saturday, February 10 to help market our new campaign. For registration information, please call ALDA at (800) 489-2532 or (334) 265-1684, or email greger@aldaonline.org. Support ALDA’s Endorsed Products Listed below are two of ALDA’s endorsed products that provide excellent benefits to members. For a brochure listing of all of ALDA’s endorsed products, please contact the ALDA office at (800) 489-2532 or (334) 265-1684, or email waren@aldaonline.org.   Personal MasterCard or VISA credit cards MBNA America Bank® offers ALDA members MasterCard® and VISA® accounts at competitive rates with outstanding Customer Service. For more information, or to apply for an ALDA MasterCard or VISA Credit Card, call MBNA direct at (800) 457-3714.   Merrill Lynch Retirement Plans Merrill Lynch, in collaboration with The Hartford, provides a customized retirement plan for Alabama dentists. Merrill Lynch has locations in Birmingham , Montgomery , Gadsden , Tuscaloosa , Anniston , Huntsville , Florence , Dothan , Mobile and Fairhope. For more information, contact Dan Chambliss at (800) 921-2295/ (334) 409-5837 or Cindy Clark at (800) 921-2270 or (334) 409-5828.   Preserve and Protect Your Professional Interests – Serve as a Legislative Contact Dentist Join a statewide network of your colleagues who work at the local level to strengthen dentistry in Alabama ’s political process. As a Contact Dentist, you will protect your profession and patients by educating state legislators about dental issues. Why? Your Legislator Needs You. They depend on their constituents to educate them about issues. Without local constituents, legislators may not know legislative priorities.As a Contact Dentist, you can provide local information on your Legislators to AL-D-PAC and ALDA’s Council on Legislation. This information and feedback is vital to the success of our lobbying efforts. As a Contact Dentist, you will have the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with your Legislator. Some of the ways you can accomplish this include: ¨ ·         Attend “Dentist Day at the Capitol” and invite your Legislator to lunch that day ¨ ·         Invite your Legislator to speak at one of your District Dental Society meetings ¨ ·         Invite your Legislator to visit and tour your dental office ¨ ·         Set up a series of meetings between your Legislator and colleagues in your District ¨ ·         Support your Legislator through active participation in local activities ¨ ·         Volunteer “sweat equity”—work on election campaigns, hold and distribute signs, stuff envelopes, make phone calls, etc. ¨ ·         Participate, coordinate and host fundraisers ¨ ·         Be eager and available to act on a Legislative Alert. Time is critical when a dental issue will be debated and voted on immediately in committees or on the House or Senate agenda—you may be called on to urge your Legislator to vote “yes” or “no” on an issue   How Do I Become A Legislative Contact Dentist? Contact the ALDA office for more information on the Contact Dentist Program. Remember, becoming a Contact Dentist is a winning situation for you, your District, your Legislator, your patients and organized dentistry!