p h y s io th e ra p y , S e p te m b e r 1982, vol 38, n o 3 69 f o r ele ction as T h i r d Vice-President a t the recent meeting o f the W.C .P .T . You w o u l d n ’t be able to find the time, w o ul d you? Nor, most p r o b a b ly , all the i n f o r m a t i o n r e qui re d, n o r the expense involved. I nc ide nta lly , di d yo u k n o w t h at , in terms of Notice No. R2028 o f G o v e r n m e n t G a z e t t e No . 5323 o f 29 O c to b er 1976, the S o u t h A fr ic a n Society o f P h y s io t h e r a p y is the only as soc iat io n re cog ni zed by the G o v e r n m e n t as being r e p res en tat iv e o f the pr o fes si o n o f ph ys io th er a py ? It is a sad fact t h a t so m e p h y si o th er a p is ts seem p r e p ar e d to pay e x o r b it a n t a n n u a l fees to their go lf o r y a c h t club s bu t resist the m u ch m o r e m o d e ra te fee to th eir professional or g a ni s at io n. C a n yo u af fo rd not to be a m e m b e r o f the So u t h African Society o f Ph ys io th e ra p y? Reference S. A fr. M e d J ., 60, 759 (editorial). W H E E L C H A I R S E L F - D E F E N C E W he e lc h a ir t ec hni que s o f self-defence b as ed o n several fo rm s o f m art ial arts hav e been de ve lo p ed by two ve teran police officers — J i m Bu llard, self-defence i n st ru ct or , a n d Steve Red dish, a pa raplegic himself. F u r t h e r details av ailab le from: Steve Red dish , P a r a -M e d i a P r o d u c t io n s , 2080 S h a r o n Lane, M e m p hi s , Tenne ssee 38127, U.S.A. W OR KIN G IN T H E U N I T E D S TA TE S H e al t h Pr ofessio nals I n t e r n a ti o n a l is a firm willing to assist p h ys io th er a p is ts wishing to o b t a i n e m p l o y m e n t in the U.S.A. F o r f u r t h e r p ar ticu la rs, c o n t a c t T h e A p p o i n t m e n t s Sec ret ary , S.A.S.P., P.O. Box 11151, J o h a n n e s b u r g , 2000. THE HISTORY OF THE LECTURERS’ GROUP OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY OF PHYSIOTHERAPY (A fr. D0SENTEGR0EP) T he L e c tu r e r s ’ G r o u p o r i g in a t e d as a result o f a meeting between lectu rin g st a ff o f the Universities o f C a p e T o w n an d the W it w a t er sr a n d , th e P r e to r ia College a n d the Schools o f P h ys io t h e ra p y o f the Kin g E d w a r d VIII Ho sp ita l a nd the O ra ng e Fr ee State. Miss M a rg a r e t R o p e r , H e a d o f the D e p a r t m e n t o f Ph y s io t h e r a p y , Un iv er si ty o f C a p e T o w n , was largely resp ons ible for the meeting. T h e m eet ing was ch aired by Miss J e a n Blair, C h a i r m a n of the So u t h African Society o f Ph y s io t h e r a p y a n d was held at the Medical School o f the University o f N a t a l on 6 July 1964. As a result of this meeting the fol low ing re so lu tio n to the 5th Cou nc il Meeting ,'was carried: T h a t ph y si o th er a pi st s en g ag ed in the t r ai n in g of p hy si o th er a pi st s fo rm a su b - g r o u p within the So ut h Afr ica n Society o f Ph ys io th er ap y. The T e a c h e r s ’ G r o u p , as it was then called, met agai n at the time o f the 5th Counc il M e e tin g in W el ko m in 1965, bu t it was not until the t h ir d meeting, held in S e p t e m b e r 1966 in Pretoria, p ri or to the 6th Cou nc il Meeting, th a t the first Office Bearers were elected a n d a S u b - C o m m it t e e a p p o in t e d to d ra w u p a C on st i tu t i o n . T h e first Office-Bearers were: Mr Ja ck S t o c k to n ( C h a ir m a n ) , Miss A n n e H e n d r y ( H o n o r a r y Secretary) a n d Miss J o h l y n e Cr e w e- B r o w n ( H o n o r a r y Treasurer). Miss de Bruin succee ded M r S t o c k to n in O c t o b er 1969 a n d was C h a i r m a n for a d e ca de befo re being succeeded by Mrs J o h l y n e B e e n h a k k e r (nee Cr e w e- B ro w n ) in 1979. Miss I r w i n - C a r ru t h e r s to o k ov er as H o n o r a r y Secretary when Miss H e n d r y resigned in 1970. The first C o n s t i t u t i o n a p p e a r e d in 1968 a n d the G r o u p was r e n am ed the A s so c ia tio n o f Te a ch e rs o f Ph ys iot he rap y. Fol lo wi n g an a m e n d m e n t to the So ci ety ’s by-laws in 1971, the n a m e was c h an ge d to the L e c tu r e rs ’ G r o u p . The m em be rs elected t o re tain this d e si gn ati on when the by-laws were a m e n d e d agai n t o allow the use o f the n a m e association. T he C o n s t i t u t i o n was extensively revised in 1979 in o r d e r to br in g it in to line with t h a t o f the p a r e n t Society. It is interesting to not e t h a t at the very first mee ting in 1964 it was ag re e d to r e c o m m e n d th at the Society sh o u l d write to the So u t h Afri can Medical a n d D e n t a l Coun cil , offering to act as the e x am i n in g b o d y f o r quali fy in g e x a m i n a t io n s in phy sio th era py . This r e c o m m e n d a ti o n , which, if accepted, might have m ad e m em b e rs h i p o f the So u t h African Society o f P h y s i o t h e r a p y c o m p u l s o r y f o r all p r a c t i s i n g ph y si o th era pi sts , c a m e to na ugh t. F r o m the ou tse t the G r o u p c on ce r n ed itself with a c o n ti n u o u s review a n d u p - d a ti n g o f syllabi, thu s the syllabus for the N a t io n a l D i p l o m a in P h y s io t h e r a p y was revised several times in the en su in g 16years. M i n i m u m s t a n d a r d s for degree courses were first discussed in 1969, a n d in 1980 the So u t h Afri can Med ica l a n d D e n t a l Counc il a cc ept ed the mini mal s t a n d a r d s r e c o m m e n d e d by the G r o u p . W h e n the G r o u p was first f o r m e d , only o n e university (the W it w a t e r s r a n d ) offered a degree course. All seven courses offered at present are f ou r - ye a r deg ree courses. T he first M a s t e r ’s De gr ee in P h ys io th e r ap y was offered by the University of the W it w a t e r s r a n d in 1972. T h e first two successful c a n d id at e s were a w a r d e d th ei r M a s t e r ’s Degrees in 1981. M.Sc. c ou rse s a r e n o w off ere d by the Universities of Ca pe T o w n , the O r a n g e Free State, Stellenbosch a n d the W it w a t e r sr a n d , whilst the University o f D u rb a n - W e st v i ll e offers an M. P h y s io t h e r ap y degree. O t h e r registrable p o s t ­ g r a d u a t e courses n ow av ailab le are the D i p l o m a in A d v a n c e d P h y s i o t h e r a p y o f th e U n i v e r s i ty o f the W i t w a t e r s r a n d , the D i p l o m a in R e s p i r a t o r y T h e r a p y o f the University o f D u r b a n - W e s t v i ll e a n d the D i p l o m a in Intensive Ca re Phy sio th e ra p y o f the University o f C ap e To wn . R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. ) 70 F isioterapie, S e p te m b e r 1982, deeI 38, n r 3 B.Sc. H o n o u r s c ou rse s w ill be ol le re d by the University ot Stellenbosch from 1983 in m obi li sa tio n a n d m an i p ul at i o n, pa ed ia tr ic n e ur o lo gy (n e ur o - d e v e lo p m e n ta l t he ra py ), adult ne urologv, o b st e tr ic p h y s i o t h e r a p y a n d intensive care. Registrable cours es in p h y s io th er a py e du c a ti o n a r e offered by the Universities o f C a p e T o w n . D u rb a n -W e st v ill e . the O r a n g e F r e e S t a t e . P r e t o r i a . S o u t h A f r i c a a n d W it w a t er sr a n d . In o r d e r to en su re the s t a n d a r d of t r ai ni ng of p h vs io th er a p y g r a d u a t e s , the Lec tur er s' G r o u p m a in ta in s a list o f a p p r o v e d ex am in er s a n d has set up task descri pt io ns for bo th internal a n d ex ternal examiners. T he G r o u p has als o est ablishe d objectives for cours es in ph ys io th er a p y e d u c a ti o n a n d has laid d o w n minimal s t a n d a r d s for these courses as well as mini mal physical r e qu ir e m e n ts for p h y s io th er a py t r ai ni ng institutions. Sincc 1977. \\ o r k s h o p s have been held in c on ju n c t io n with G r o u p m e e t in g s . S u b j e c t s such as o b j e c t iv e s for p h y s io th er a py trai nin g, e va lu at io n , clinical supervision, e d u c a tio na l p r o g r a m m e s for new m em be rs o f teaching e st abl is hm ent s a n d the use o f the po st e r as a tea ching m e di um have been covered. T h e G r o u p has also c o n du ct ed surveys on u n d e r g r a d u a t e t r ai ni ng in m a n i p u l a t i o n (1971), c o m m u n i t y m edi cin e (1974). tea chi ng es ta b li sh m en ts (1976), selection of te x t b o o k s (1976) a n d the use o f class a n d g ro u p activities (1977). T h e 1980 survey on p o s t - g r a d u a t e study a n d c o n ti n u i n g p h y s i o t h e r a p y e d u c a ti o n has been analysed bv the D e p a r t m e n t o f Biostatistics at the Medical Research Counc il a n d will be pu b lis h ed in 1982. A Ne wsletter is pu b lis he d q u a r te r ly a n d p r o d u c e d by each t r ai ni ng centre in r o ta ti on . T h e following H o n o r a r y Life M e m b er s o f the G r o u p have been elected by the N at io n a l Cou nc il o f the S o u t h African Society o f Phy si o th e ra p y : J a c k St o c k to n , M. B.E . (formerly Principal o f the P r e to r ia College). Miss J e a n Blair (formerly As sociate Pr o fe ss o r at the Uni versity of the Witw'atersrand) a n d t h e late Miss M a r ga r e t R o p e r ( fo rm erl y H e a d o f t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f Ph ys io th er ap y , Unive rsity o f C a p e To wn). Present Office Bearers: C h a ir m a n : Mrs. J. C. Be en h a kk er V ic e- C h a irm a n: Mrs. A. M c F a r l a n e H o n. T rea su re r: Mrs. A. Stewart Hon . Secretary: Miss S. Ir w i n - C ar r u t h e r s UNIVERSITEIT VAN PRETORIA — TOELATING VAN FISIOTERAPEUTE TOT NAGRAADSE ST U DI E Die Universiteit Se n a at het besluit dat: — die Kollege van F is io te r a p ie van die T r a n s v a a l Provin- siale A d m in is tr a si e as ’n in rigting g e ly ks ta an d e a a n ’n Universiteit be sk o u sal wo rd , en ’n k a n d i d a a t wat ’n D i p l o m a d a a r v e r w e r f het. sal g ely k a a n ’n b a c c a l a u r e u s g r a a d gestel wo rd , en d e u r die D e k a a n n a m e n s die F a k u l te i ts r a a d to t b a cc al a u r eu s h ono re s- stud ie toege laa t word. — D a t b o g e n o e m d e k a n d id a a t wat d a a r b e n e w e n s die O n d e r w y s d ip l o m a s in Fisiot erapie, o f die D i p l o m a in Tersiere O n d e r r i g v e rw er f het, d e u r die D e k a a n name ns die F a k u l t e i t s r a a d tot magi ste rst ud ie toege laa t sal word n a d a t hulle. volgens sy oo rd eel , ’n t e n t a m e n op h o n o r e s v l a k b e vr edi gen d afgele het. — D a t b o g e n o e m d e reelings as o o r g a n g s m a a tr e e l sal geld vir die vo lgende vier jaa r. Belangstellende p e r so n e kan Mev. Beattie, Fisiot erap ie Kollege, Priv aat sa k X169, Pre to ria 0001. vir verdere inligting nader. REPORT O N TH E ACTIVITIES O F THE ACTIO N COM M ITTEE It was decided at the 1981 Na tio n a l Cou nc il meeting that an Ac tio n C o m m i t t e e sh o u l d be fo r m ed in an effort to i m p ro ve the im ag e o f the p h y s i o t h e r a p y pro fes si on in all spheres of society. The m em be rs of the Ac tion C o m m i t te e decided that , as p h y si ot he r a pi st s, we are no t a d e qu a te l y qua lified to assess wha t o u r image is / w a s an d th a t pro fession al help was required. This help would c o m e in the for m of a C o m m u n i c a t i o n s Au di t to be ex ecuted by a public relations c o m pa n y. This w ou ld cost R3 000. This idea incl udi ng the costs was pr esented at the Se p t em b e r 1981 N . C .R . meeting, where it was agreed by all present th at t h i s a u d i t sh o ul d be u n d e r ta k e n . F u r t h e r m o r e , it was ag ree d th a t ea c h b r a n c h sh o u l d be responsible for raising the f und s required. A loan was g ra n te d by N. E.C . and Mr D. H i l to n - B a r b e r o f H il to n - B a r b e r Associates was e ngaged to c o n d u c t the Audit. T h e a u di t was de fined as a mea ns of e v al ua ti ng the effectiveness of a b o d y ’s (in this case, m em b e rs of the p h y s i o t h e ra p y pr of ess io n) efforts to “ talk to the pub lic ” . M r H i lto n- B a rb er interviewed va rious m em be rs o f the Sou th African Society o f Ph ys iot he rap y: ph ysi ot her ap ist s in hospital practice, pr iv ate pr actice a nd involved in teaching; hospital a d m i n i s t r a t o r s , do c to rs a nd patients. This list was felt to be sufficiently co m p re h en s iv e to e va lu ate the profession. T he findings o f this a u d it were th en p r e se n te d to^ the A c tio n C o m m i t te e a n d to all m em b e rs o f the N. E.C. It was decided th at there is a definite need to ch an g e the existing st atu s o f the profession a n d t h us a plan o f a ct io n was d ra w n up. T h e objectives o f the p lan are: • To im p ro ve the image o f the p ro fes si o n o f ph ys io th er a p y. • To i m p r o v e c o m m u n i c a t i o n with key target gr oups. T he target g r o up s are: • M e m be r s of the S. A. S.P. • Ph ys io th e ra pi sts wh o are not m em be rs of the S. A. S. P. • T he D e p a r t m e n t o f Hosp ita l Services. • Su p e r i n te n d en t s o f Hospitals. • T h e S o u t h African Med ica l a n d De nt al Council. • Specialists a n d General Pr a c ti t io n e r Do ctors. • S u p p l e m e n t a r y He alt h Service Professions. • Patients. • Universities which teach p h y si ot he r a p y . • T h e media. • T h e m a n in the street. Th e Ac tio n C o m m i t te e is a lr e ad y involved in several pr ojects to impr ove the image of the profession a n d to c o m m u n ic a te it to the target groups. R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )