|
Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards 901 54th Ave., #101, Greeley, CO 80634 (970) 356-3500 FAX (970) 356-3599 Protecting the public and serving our member boards by promoting excellence in chiropractic regulation. |
|
Overview: This award is the Federation's highest individual honor. Named for FCLB Past President Dr. George Arvidson of Minnesota, it recognizes integrity, service, sacrifice, vision, and commitment in the arena of chiropractic licensure.
The George Arvidson Award for Meritorious Service to Chiropractic was created by the Federation in 1992 to honor the integrity and service of a man whose entire life stood proudly for chiropractic.
George believed in the political process, and he believed in the obligation of each doctor to sacrifice to better the profession.
He balanced gentleness and human compassion with tough actions against those whose practiced outside law or regulation.
He had a dream, a vision for the Federation, and no one could have been prouder than he was when we moved into a new era of professional service to licensure in the past ten years.
This is the Federation's highest individual honor.
The selection of the recipient is made thoughtfully and with joy as we continue to keep alive the dreams of George Arvidson, the gentle man with the great heart, the radiant smile, and the deep love for chiropractic.
Each year, a right choice clearly emerges to uphold the honor represented by this prestigious award. This year is no exception.
Our 1993 award began the tradition. Don Petersen continues to exemplify the commitment that George so clearly defined. The quality of his support for licensure is undiminished.
The 1994 winner, Dr. Rex Wright of Kansas, combined both current and past service. He enriched our history with what he gave, and our present with his bold vision for tomorrow.
In 1995, the man he loved like a son was selected for making the dream they shared together come true - Dr. Brent Owens of Florida.
In 1996 the award went to co-winners, Drs Paul M. Tullio and Frank G. Hideg, Jr., for their combined regulatory service and their untiring efforts to secure a sound future for the our organization.
1997 focused on Canada's humble and relentlessly dedicated visionary, Dr. Daniel Saint Germain. In 1998, Dr. Peter D. Ferguson was honored, not just for what he has given regulation but also for the call he has answered - and what he has yet to contribute.
And now, 1999 presents yet another opportunity to shine a light upon a man who has sacrificed much for chiropractic licensure and regulation.
This year's winner fell in love with chiropractic before it was a regulated profession. Even then, he could see the essential components required if the healing art he loved so much were to gain the recognition it so clearly deserved.
He saw that building a firm foundation would require three critical parts:
- a strong association of practitioners, with a common vision supporting a greater whole, even when it called for self-sacrifice for the common good;
- a quality educational system, which had the confidence and respect of the government and community at large;
- the right of professionals to have self-regulation.
He began then, and he does now, to live in tomorrow. He refuses to be diverted from a vision so crystal clear to him that it is a battle plan for a brilliant general.
He is moving his troops, surveying the terrain, planning and deploying his resources, and all for the great good of moving history forward into the book he has already written in his mind.
If he has a fault, it's his intolerance of deception and impatience with blatant self-serving actions by others. He is willing to give, and he expects - perhaps demands - to be met halfway, with loyalty and commitment.
Among the many sacrifices he has made for the chiropractic profession, there is one thing he has never - and will never - sacrifice: his integrity. His word is his bond, and his bond is to the patients who need the profession's healing touch.
He has been a leader of the profession since he joined it - rising to the top positions of leadership immediately upon graduation. His maturity and vision was evident to all who knew him even at that early stage. They willingly followed his lead.
He was instrumental in developing and achieving passage of the first regulatory act for chiropractic in his state, only the second such legislation in the nation.
Having done so, he was subsequently appointed as a member of the regulatory board in his home state, where he still serves with distinction and leads to this day.
Simultaneously, he was the driving force in developing a strong professional association with a vision of it's true role in the three part equation.
If there weren't enough piles and projects on his desk, he also commenced a life-long career as a teacher. He began to put the pieces in place for accreditation for the chiropractic program which had given him his foundation in the profession.
He has been honored with every major award his association of peers could present. It was now time for his nation to recognize his contributions.
For his exceptional civic service, in 1983 he was awarded his nation's highest honor, personally bestowed by Her Majesty the Queen.
Having conquered his own country, this general set out to conquer the world. He explored chiropractic education throughout the world, and came back to create the strongest and most effective accreditation system he could envision.
The stage was set for his move into the world-wide regulatory community.
When he brought his state and his nation to the table of the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards, our organization expanded from North American to international status. We were forever changed - we can no longer be inward looking - our call and our mission are now truly global.
"Chiropractic is getting bigger, and the world is getting smaller," he noted - with the simple elegance that marks his leadership style.
"Always keep going down the middle," he says - "keep focused on what's truly important and don't get sidetracked by minor distractions."
Some people see up to the door, some people can see through to the other side, and a very few can see four doors ahead.
For his vision, his integrity, his self-sacrifice, and his exceptional ability to inspire in others the courage to change and grow, the 1999 George Arvidson Award is presented to a true visionary and leader: