NASH MEMBER UPDATE - February 2006

The North American Society of Homeopaths is dedicated to promote, represent and serve as the voice of all professional homeopaths in North America. NASH aims to develop and uphold the highest level of excellence in homeopathic practice while enhancing the role of the homeopathic profession as an integral part of health care delivery.

Board of Directors

President: Manfred Mueller, CA,
Email: homeopathicassociates@earthlink.net

Vice president: Kate Birch, MN,
Email:  Katebhom@yahoo.com

Treasurer: Julie Mann, CA,
Email:  ma13nn@aol.com

Registrar: Laura Sholtz, ME,
Email:  laurasremedies@hotmail.com

Secretary: Carleen Johnson, ME,
Email:  cjohnson@uninets.net

Canadian Representative: Basil Ziv, Ont.,
Email:  basilziv@rogers.com

Administrator: Liz Bonfig, FL,
Email:  nashinfo@aol.com

This is an exciting time for homeopaths. Around the country and the world, interest in homeopathy is gaining momentum. NASH is proud to have an active and committed board to meet the challenges facing professional homeopaths in the changing political environment. Opportunities to introduce the general public, law makers and scientific researchers to homeopathy are becoming more frequent. This will be an important year as we strive to make our presence known by continuing to remain in the forefront of political activity and media exposure. We rely upon our membership to keep us abreast of local happenings and potential opportunities to become involved. We encourage our members to participate in the promotion of homeopathy through local and national venues. Our world is as big as the connections we make. State associations, national organizations, schools and study groups all play important roles in the development and promotion of homeopathy. We thank you for your continued support. NASH would not exist without you.

We look forward to a productive year accomplishing the following goals:

• Membership drive for all levels of membership and various new levels yet to be developed. We wish to expand the definition of Friends of NASH to include organizations, study groups, businesses, schools, etc.
• Increase revenue.
• Review and rewrite the bylaws to make them more succinct and relevant to the work we are doing.
• Publish American Homeopath 12.
• Promote more health freedom laws and educate our members and the public about health freedom. Monitor the registration process in Canada.
• Participate in the NCH sponsored joint conference in April 2006. Proceed with plans for 2007 joint conference.
• Conduct annual meeting at joint conference.
• Coordinate student liaisons from schools across the continent to participate in annual teleconference for the continued growth of homeopathy.
• Secure malpractice insurance for NASH members.
• Develop ways to interface with the health care system.
• Expand member involvement in NASH. Develop and implement new ideas and projects.

Membership Drive
One of NASH’s priorities is to increase membership. Increasing membership will provide greater revenue for the development and implementation of new strategies toward our mission. Last year we welcomed 50 new members, almost a 20% increase from 2004. We hope to increase our membership by at least 10% this year. Through your continued efforts of talking with friends and colleagues and by promoting NASH as the organization that will work toward protecting and promoting the place of professional homeopaths in our healthcare system, we will grow as an organization.

Thank you for your efforts to revitalize membership. As a part of our bylaw revision process, we hope to make available the opportunity for schools, businesses and study groups to join NASH to further our mission for the promotion of professional homeopaths.

New RSHoms
NASH congratulates and welcomes Pat Deacon of Penticton, British Columbia and Marina Braun of Dobbs Ferry, New York. We celebrate the commitment you have shown toward the homeopathic profession.

Bylaw Revision Process
We have begun our initial review, under the consult of Diane Miller, J.D., to revise our bylaws. Language inconsistencies and outdated information have made the bylaws difficult to understand and implement. Examples of areas that need to be addressed are membership definitions, membership terminations, members’ rights, board member requirements and use of the RSHom designation.

Once we have a draft of current directives and appropriate language, we will seek the consult of a corporate lawyer licensed in the state of Minnesota where NASH is incorporated, to finalize the draft. Once this is completed the draft will be presented to the registered membership for discussion. If anyone in our membership knows of a corporate lawyer who would be able to help, please let us know. Revising the bylaws is a rather substantial project. Please consider volunteering some time to help project coordinator Kate Birch.

The American Homeopath Journal, Volume 12
NASH remains committed to publishing this highly respected journal. We thank Melanie Grimes for once again agreeing to serve as editor. A call for articles is forthcoming. The anticipated deadline for article submission is May 15th. We expect to publish Volume 12 by late summer.

2006 Joint Conference - April 7-11, 2006
San Jose Marriott, San Jose, California
NASH is grateful to the NCH for their invitation to be a part of this joint conference and for all the work they have done toward the creation of this history-making event.

In the past NASH has held its own conferences, as have the other participating organizations; however, with so many continuing education opportunities available throughout the year, attendance has decreased. The invitation from NCH brings homeopaths from various organizations under one roof to share ideas and build community and is truly an historic gesture toward building community in the homeopathic profession, a must if we are to make any headway in promoting homeopathy in the mainstream. NASH members should have received a brochure from NCH. If you did not receive a brochure, let Liz know or visit www.homeopathic.org and download the conference brochure.

We look forward to hearing presentations by NASH members, Allison Maslan, Richard Pitt, Steven Subotnick, Deborah Vidal, Iris Bell and all the way from England, Francis Treuherz.

We hope to see you Saturday evening as we have planned a fun-filled evening of contra dancing and fellowship. Graciously sponsored by Washington Homeopathic Products, this exciting, interactive event will feature a live band, refreshments and door prizes.

NASH Annual Meeting - Saturday, April 8
Please plan to attend our annual meeting at the joint conference. It has been several years since our last annual meeting. There have been changes in the membership, changes in the board and changes in the political world we live in since we last met as a group. We look forward to introducing the board to the membership and to meeting our members. We will discuss issues and programs for the promotion of professional homeopaths. In addition, we plan to have a draft of the amended bylaws for discussion.

NASH Booth at Joint Conference
We will have a table to display our brochures, sell journals and meet attendees at the conference. We are looking for volunteers to work the booth before and after sessions begin, during the breaks and at the reception on Friday night. If you are planning to attend the conference, please consider volunteering some of your time to work at the booth. Contact Liz at nashinfo@aol.com for your preferred time slot.

Canadian Update
In Ontario there are moves underway to regulate the practice of homeopathy. Proposals have been put forth by the Ontario Homeopathic Association (OHA) to widen the scope of practice of homeopathy so as to include homeopathy within the RHPA (Registered Health Practitioners Act) which also includes medical doctors. Under this Act, homeopaths would be able to conduct certain medical procedures including making medical diagnosis, penetrating the skin, etc. In addition, the proposal makes recommendations regarding the educational requirements in respect of the medical sciences that exceed those currently required by the CHC. The Ontario homeopathic community felt this scope of practice was not reflective of the practice of homeopathy. Our Canadian rep, Basil Ziv, has led a coalition of homeopathic organizations to object to this original proposal.

Subsequently, it now appears that HPRAC will indeed recommend to the Minister of Health in Ontario that homeopathy be regulated under the RHPA Act and that the homeopaths join the naturopaths under a common college. The details of this arrangement would be left to a joint committee. HPRAC must submit its proposal to the Minister by the end of March 2006.

Message from the Administrator
We are delighted to thank associate member Ruth Pearson Smith for sharing her website expertise with NASH. Enhancements are already underway. Please feel free to email comments and suggestions about the NASH website. A special thank you to Sue Volpi Gelber, RSHom (NA) for her offer to help as well.

Please remember that your 2006 member renewal is due March 1st. Thank you to those members that have already sent in their payment. We appreciate your continued support. Payment options remain available.

A financial update from the treasurer will be provided in the coming weeks.

In Memoriam
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of NASH member Melanie Lee Melvin. Melanie had been a registered member of NASH since 1997 and was always very supportive of its efforts. She played an instrumental part in the last election resulting in the current board of directors. NASH Administrator, Liz Bonfig will miss Melanie’s delightful emails.

Health Freedom
NASH thanks Diane M. Miller, JD of the National Health Freedom Action for the following update:

States with active 2006 health freedom bills are Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah and Virginia. Activity continues in Hawaii and Florida. Texas and Nevada are preparing for the 2007 session. States where health freedom laws have already been passed are Minnesota, Rhode Island, California, Idaho, Oklahoma and Louisiana. For more information about health freedom, please visit www.nationalhealthfreedom.org.

The Health Care System
Each year we are looking for new ways to interface and integrate with the current medical system. One of the opportunities we have had as a board is to write a response to the CDC long term health protection resource guide requesting they include homeopathy. Our last update included a draft of that letter. We have been informed that over 70,000 messages about homeopathy were received by the CDC in conjunction with ours.

Thank you to those members’ comments of support and appreciation with regard to our last letter. If there are any opportunities you know of to continue this level of work please let us know.

Minnesota Takes the Lead Again
A letter from Sally Tamplin, Executive director of the Minnesota Homeopathic association.

Dear MHA (Minnesota Homeopathic Association) members and friends,

This is to inform you all that today, Tuesday January 24th at 12.30pm, Jacob Mirman and I went to The State Capitol. We were invited to meet with Carolyn Jones, Senior Health Policy Adviser to the Governor.

We also made contact with Michael Osterholm's Office, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (thanks to an introduction by Dr. Karen Lawson.) As a result, Dr. Elizabeth McClure and Joan Rambeck, research assistant, were also present.

We spent just over one hour at The Capitol. We discussed a power point presentation that talked about the practice and principles of homeopathy and introduced a lot of historical data relating to the performance of homeopathy in the epidemics of the past and then more specifically to the 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic.

We invited the groups involved to foster a relationship with MHA so that we can effectively bring the knowledge of homeopathy into the public domain and dispel fear. We asked that all first responders should be trained in basic homeopathy for influenza and that professional homeopaths would be granted access to hospitals to work alongside physicians in times of emergency.

It took an enormous amount of time and energy to pull this meeting off; we have done our very best to put homeopathy into the public forum and now we have to wait and see if "the powers that be" take this further. We did not announce the date of this meeting at the recent MHA Grand Rounds because a meeting had previously been set up in December, which was cancelled by The Governor's Office at the last minute, actually on the day. After this there were no replies to my frequent phone calls. However, things took a turn for the better when a new Senior Health Policy Adviser was appointed.

Vega says that one should pay attention to what happens immediately before and after a case. When Jacob and I sat in the ante room, which was very grand, I picked up a book from the coffee table about the history of the State of Minnesota. The exact page that it opened up on was all about the epidemic diseases of the past and how the 1918 influenza pandemic killed 10,100 Minnesotans. I took this book into the meeting and opened our conversation with data from this page - timely indeed!!! Today Oprah will air her TV show concerning avian flu and the state of preparations. I have also written to Oprah on behalf of MHA.

The power point presentation we presented can be downloaded from the MHA web site: http://minnesotahomeopathicassociation.org/ View our website on homeopathy and influenza for more links and articles on the subject. (http://www.homeopathyforinfluenza.com)

Yours in homeopathy,
Sally Tamplin, Executive Director MHA

World Homeopathy Awareness Week - April 24 – 30, 2006
What can you do to promote homeopathy? Check out the WHAC website at www.whomeopathy.org for some ideas on what others around the world are doing, and what you can do in your own community. If you are attending the Joint Homeopathic Conference in San Jose, you are invited to the WHAW member meeting on Sunday, April 9 at 12:30 pm.

International News
The Australian Homoeopathic Association is conducting its biennial Homoeopathic Medicine Conference in Perth in 2006. Details as follows:
FREMANTLE, PERTH 28 - 29 October, 2006
"Homoeopathy in the Real World"
Australian Homoeopathic Medicine Conference
Contact: Keynote Conferences
Phone: +61 08 9382 3799
E-mail: enquiries@keynotewa.com
Internet: www.homeopathywa.org.au/conference.htm

Dear friends

Best wishes for the New Year - so hot and sunny here in New Zealand!

I would like to remind you to check out the quotations from doctors treating patients during the 1918-1919 influenza epidemic which are posted on the website of the New Zealand Council of Homeopaths http://www.homeopathy.co.nz/. I had the pleasure of using the wonderful library of the late Julian Winston and noted down quotes and statistics from the Journal of American Institute of Homeopathy which are provided for you on the website - look under "1918 Success Stories" - makes for some fascinating reading.

I have these available on Word for anyone wanting a copy.

Kind regards
Angela Hair
NZCH executive

Sundance Opportunity
Health practitioners and kitchen helpers are invited to join the Indigenous Peoples Project for the Little Big Medicine Sundance holistic health clinic and organic kitchen on the Navajo Reservation in northeast Arizona July 2-9, 2006. Over the past seven years, this free clinic has served an average 1,500 Dineh (Navajo) individuals, including Traditional Elders and their families, over an eight-day period each summer at a historical, sacred Sundance ceremonial. Our kitchen serves thousands of free, healthy, organic meals to sun dancers, supporters, health practitioners and the local Navajo community. Volunteers are welcomed and appreciated for their contribution to a growing interest in holistic health self-responsibility and empowerment among people of the Navajo Nation. Homeopathic, Naturopathic, Chiropractic, Chinese Medicine, Massage practitioners and others are among those who offer their loving hearts and hands in service to educate and care for these wonderful indigenous people.

For more information on contributing to this event contact:
Karen Rae Ferreira, CCH, RSHom (NA)
534 Washington Street, Ashland, Oregon 97520
541-488-9560, gaiasophia@rvi.net

A Message from Homeopaths Without Borders
Hi Gang!

I have just returned from El Salvador where is was a participant in the first, "Congreso de Homeopatia" The congress was the result of work done by Dr Karl Robinson MD, who like my self has been involved in the projects of homeopaths without borders. HWB Help sponsor this congress and a reception for the participants

There was a group discussion regarding HWB in ongoing projects in Central America. As you may know, a large percentage of the population has no access to healthcare what so ever. It makes our complaints about waiting time seem trivial.

At this point we plan to continue to do educational programs that have been initiated by Dr Robinson as well as starting some research projects into the homoeopathic treatment of Dengue and Malaria which are endemic.

There is a great deal of work to be done and that is why I am writing to you today we need you support .... Financially... time... leg work.. any thing ........For those how may be interested... please contact me.... Likely I'll be returning in late February.....

In addition, in the week prior my departure. I received letters of patent from the federal government. So that HWB is know an official non-profit corporation here in Canada.

Our next step is to attain Charitable Status from CCRA. I'm also looking for parties interested in working for/with this Group.

With Kind Regards
Dr JD Millar ND DHANP CCH HD
Executive Director HWB-NA
President HWB Can.
naturo@jdmillar.com
PS Please be aware that while all of this sounds very exotic. It is not!!!!!
It's just plain hard work. But very rewarding and we need your help.

Liz Bonfig