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World Association of Societies of (Anatomic and Clinical) Pathology (WASP)

2. Major activities of the World Association

Since the WASP was reformed in 1969, there have been many activities newly established and even now going on actively. Some of the major activities are listed below.

Establishing commissions/committees/secretariats

First, the Commission on World Standards (in Clinical Pathology) was established in 1969, since the Bureau was very much conscious about the importance of standardization in clinical laboratory testing. WASP Commissions on various categories in anatomic and clinical pathology were established in 1972, but most of them did not function so effectively as expected for many years, mainly because of lack of funds and resources. Therefore, in 1981, President Alec Ritchie reorganized or discontinued many of the WASP commissions.

The Commission on World Standards (COWS) was established in 1969 as the first WASP commission by President Andujar. The COWS was chaired by Dr. Bradley E Copeland of USA for 12 years, then succeeded by Dr. Tyra T Hutchens and currently by Dr. Kenneth McClatchey. Its activities were supported significantly by the College of American Pathologists since it was established. Its major activities were world surveys in clinical chemistry performed by using the survey materials supplied by the College of American Pathologists. International symposia were held occasionally in different countries, sometime in conjunction with various international or national scientific gatherings in order to exchange knowledges on laboratory standardization. One of the most prominent activities related to the COWS is the publication of the Newsletter since 1970, started by Dr. Peter Hendry of Australia as the Secretary of the COWS. The COWS Newsletter later expanded to the WASP News Bulletin. It was certainly a valuable source of the informations on laboratory standardization available to the WASP constituent societies. (Figure 5)

Figure 5 Commission on World Standards (COWS)

Various WASP Committees were established since 1969, including the Committees on Nomination, Awards, Constitutuion and Bylaws, Finance, Publications, Certification in Pathology, History of the WASP and others. The WASP committees were reorgnized in 1982 by President Ritchie, and some new committees were established thereafter.

The WASP Secretariats were established since 1987 first by President Lommel. Each national constituent society would be responsible to organize and maintain a Secretariat on different important subjects in relation to the objects of the WASP stated in the Constitution and Bylaws. The first Secretariat established was the Commission on World Standards as a model. As I mentioned previously, the COWS was already supported by the CAP, but the formal agreement between the WASP and the CAP was signed to be responsible to organize and manage the COWS for the sake of the WASP. Dr. Tyra Hutchens as a Past President of the CAP played a significant role to proceed the establishment of the WASP secretariats; then, the Secretariat on Quality Assurance (SEQUA) by three German constituent societies, the Secretariat on Economic Affairs (SEA) by the Association of Clinical Pathologists in UK, the Secretariat on Pathology in the Developing Countries (SEDECO) by the Canadian Association of Pathologists, and the Secretariat on Forensic Pathology (SFP) by the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. The establishment of new secretariats have been further proceeded or in process, including the Administrative Secretariat by the Japan Society of Clinical Pathology, the Informatics Secretariat (IS) by the College of American Pathologists, the Secretariat on Pathology of Environmental and Occupational Diseases (SPEOD) by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, and the Secretariat on Medical Ethics in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (SMEPLM) by the New Zealand Committee of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.

A special comment should be made on the WASP Administrative Secretariat supported by the Japan Society of Clinical Pathology. The ISCP and the WASP did not have its permanent office until June 1992 when the permanent Administrative Office was opened in Tokyo during my presidential term of the WASP. Having been requested by the Japan Society, the Japan Clinical Pathology Foundation for International Exchange, currently directed by myself, is responsible for the management of the WASP Administrative Office. The Executive Director of the Administrative Office is nominated by the Japan Society of Clinical Pathology and approved by the WASP Bureau. The first Executive Director was Dr. Mikio Mori, succeeded by Dr. I Sakurabayashi since 1997.

Introducing the corporate sponsorship

The WASP has been suffering always from lack of funds to manage and implement its business matters since it was founded in 1947, because its major income depended on the dues from the constituent societies. Therefore the Officers and Bureau members of the WASP have to cover their travel expenses by themselves and even their secretarial expenditures. Subventions from commercial bodies were discussed in many times, but the concern of loosing the professional autonomy of the WASP always superseded a possible introduction of corporate sponsorship. However, misappropriation of the WASP funds by a WASP Treasurer was a very unfortunate happening in 1989, which prompted to introduce the corporate sponsorship into the WASP. The WASP House of Delegates approved the introduction of corporate sponsorship in 1991. By now approximately 45 corporate sponsors are supporting the WASP, the most of which are the Japanese companies and organizations.

Publishing the WASP directories, news bulletins and history books

The first WASP Directory was published in 1970 by President Andujar, and a total of 14 issues have been published so far at each term of the WASP Bureau with laborious works by President Hendry, President Lommel, Drs. Merten and Herdson as the WASP Editorial Committee member.

Another beautiful work by the WASP publication committee is the WASP News Bulletin. It originated as the newsletter of the COWS in June 1970 published by Dr. Peter Hendry as the Secretary of the COWS. In 1972 the editorship of the News Bulletins was replaced by Dr. CED Taylor (UK), and then from 1975 on by Dr. Utz Merten (Germany). It was renamed as News Bulletin of the COWS in 1975, then as the News Bulletin of the WASP and COWS in 1978, and further as the News Bulletin of the WASP in 1991 because more and more informations on the WASP activities have been included in the publications.

All issues of the Newsletters and the News Bulletins were compiled into two volumes by Dr. Utz Merten as the Editor. The first volume was published in 1978, and the second volume in 1997. It should be much appreciated Dr Merten's tremendous efforts to continue its publications for the past 22 years as the WASP Editor, for which a WASP Special Award was given to him in 1985.

The first issue of the WASP History Book was printed in Japan in 1983 with a financial support by the Japan Society of Clinical Pathology at the occasion of the 12th World Congress held in Tokyo. The initial part of the first issue was written by Dr. Wm H McMenemey (UK) who died without completing his valuable work. Dr. Peter Hendry (Australia) continued writing the WASP history up to the year of 1975 when he retired from the WASP presidency, and the second issue was published by Dr. Merten as the WASP Editor. Now Dr. Peter Herdson and myself have been nominated as the WASP historians and it is our duty to continue writing the WASP history.

Awarding the gold-headed canes and certtificates of honours

The WASP Awards Committee was established in 1970. The WASP Gold-Headed Cane has been occasionally given to distinguished pathologists who have rendered special services to the WASP. The Certificates of Honour have been given to those who have rendered notable service to the WASP, including the World Congress organizers and the retiring WASP officers.

The WASP Gold-Headed Cane was awarded first in 1972 to the late Sir Alexander Flemming of UK and also Dr. William H McMenemey of UK. Thereafter, the retired past presidents of the WASP received this honorable award. The WASP Gold-Headed Cane was originally designed by Dr. Andy Andujar, simulating the Gold-Headed Cane which is now deposited in the Library of the Royal College of Physicians. The first owner of the Cane was Dr. Radcliffe who carried it already in 1689, and the story of this Gold-Headed Cane written by Dr. W. Macmichael and Dr. William Munk was published in 1884 and later reprinted by Johnson Publications Limited (London). The WASP Gold-Headed Cane has a similar shape to the original Gold-Headed Cane, but with the gold plate with the holder's name engraved. The WASP Gold-headed Cane has been made in Japan by the WASP Administrative Office since 1992.

Establishing the World Pathology Foundation

As previously mentioned, the ISCP had a lack of funds available for its business activities. Therefore, the establishment of a fund-raising foundation with the suggestion of President Andujar was approved, and in 1972 the World Pathology Foundation was established and by its charter is bound to expend its funds to support the work of the World Association.

The original fund came from the WASP account and donations from different major constituent societies of the WASP. The funds of the Foundation have been derived mainly from donations and from the work of the WASP Auxiliary which raised a significant amount of funds through an auction at each World Congress.

The Foundation has been able to establish a visiting lectureship to enable a pathologist to visit a developing country to attend a pathology convention and to visit some of its hospitals and laboratories.

One of the most important activities of the WPF is the Gordon Signy Foreign Fellowship in Pathology which was established in 1972 in memory of the late Dr. Gordon Signy of London who was one of the most loyal supporters for the WASP. The Board of Regents is responsible to manage its activity for selecting the young pathologists who receive the fellowship for further training in a large pathology institute in another country. So far 24 young pathologists have received the fellowship from 17 countries including Brazil, Bulgaria, Fiji, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Iran, Jordan, Nigeria, Malaysia, Peru, People's Republic of China, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe. (Figure 6)

Figure 6 Gordon Signy Foreign Fellowship in Pathology