Congreso de Gerontología

XIV  INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF GERONTOLOGY

ACAPULCO - MÉXICO - 1989

ROLE OF THE SCIENTIFIC SECRETARIAT

The Mexican Organizing Committee of the XIV International Congress of Gerontology held the first official meeting with the IAC Executive Committee in April, 1986 in México City. The first steps in planning and a careful Time Table were implemented. Presiden!, S. Bravo Williams appointed COMLAT (IAC Latin America Regional Committee) as the Leader Committee and his Chairman Dr. ). González Aragón as Convenor of the Scientific Program in order to plann the Program structure,the selection of proposed gerontologists and the cali for scientific papers to be included in the Program. The Congress Program Planning Committee (CPPC) composed by the IAG Executive Committee and the Chairs of the 4 IAG Regions worked under the coordination of COMEAT in the consolidation of a timely and diverse Scientific Program ensuring the participation of a worldwide gerontological professional leadership.
The Administrative Secretaria! and the Scientific Secretaria! were then created in order to work with specific tasks and responsibilities, in a joined effort.
COMLAT and Scientific Secretaria! commitments:
— To establish a communication bridge with the gerontological community involved in the program. More than 5000 letters and hundreds of phone calis, telex, faxes, ecc. were made by the staff.

— To print and distribute all the promotional documents of the Congress: 1st newsletter (5000), Cali for Pape-s (35.000), September Bulletin (7000) and Preliminary Program (3500). COMLAT obtained the funds for the printing expenses and also for the postage of all pieces.
— To design the structure of the Congress and the guidelines of the several parts of the Program that were approved in Brighton, (Sep. 87). To produce and coordinaíe the invitations to Chairs of SY and Convenors of RTs selected by CPPC. To produce and mail the Cali for Papers. To coordinate their reception, processing by subjefes and distribution to the Regions for final selection and approval in the 2nd meeting in Acapulco (Oct. 88). To produce the notification forms. To define in other several meetings in México and abroad the SY, RTs, and Paper and Poster Sessions; always in collaboration with the four Regions. To intégrate the Program for Developing Countries. To ensure the Latin American participation in some special Sessions. Finally, to process the Final Scieníific Programm in Ihe slols of 16 rooms, four sessions per room in five working days.
— COMLAT and the Scientific Secretariat are the Editors of the final Program and the Book of Abstraéis. Funds were raised for the printing of this two imporlant books delivered ío all attendants.
— The Scientific Secretariat strived to get the grants of the 10 Supported Symposia that provided the main core funding of the Congress.
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
It is our great pleasure that all of the Program was completad with the
cooperation and solidarity of many participants from all over the world.
The Program comprehends the Opening and Closing Ceremony, a Plenary
Session, and
5 Distinguished Sessions.
The rest of the Program is divided into 6 categories:
I. Biology: 9 Invited Symposia (SY), 4 Invited Round Tables (IRTs), 1 Submitted Round Tables (SRTs), 33 Paper Sessions (PSs) and 7 Poster sessions (PTs).
II. Clinical Medicine: 10 Supported SY, 13 SY, 12 IRTs, 12 SRTs, 33 PSs and 7 PTs.
III. Behavioral and Social Sciences: 16 SY, 8 IRTs, 9 DRTs, 29 PSs and 6 PTs.
IV. Social Research, Planning and Practice: 12 SY, 7 IRTs, 15 SRTs, 22 PSs, and 5 PTs.
V. Multidisciplinary: 10 SY, 9 IRTs, 7 SRTs, 11 PSs and 4 PTs.
VI. Program for Developing countries 10, Latin American and Hispanic Series 11. The total number of Sessions is 295, with an average of 6 presenters by Session, provides an estímate of 1770 participants in the Scientific Program. SUMMARIES OF MOST OF THE PAPERS ARE PUBLISHED IN THE BOOK OF ABSTRACTS.

SCIENTIFIC SECRETARIAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- IAG Gerontological Societes for mailing the Cali for Papers to their membership.
-AMERtCAN ASSOCIATION OF RETIRED PERSONS/INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION ON AGEING for support for the Scientific Secretaria!. For mailing the preliminary Program, for continuóos collaboration with COMLAT.
-ELVIRITA LEWIS FOUNDATION for support for the Scientific Secretariat. For printing the Cali for Papers. For printing and distributing the 1st Newssletter, for continuous colaboraron with COMLAT.
- CERONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA for computer processing of the Abstraéis and mailing to the 4 regions, for continuous collaboration with COMLAT and the Scientific Secretariat.
- HELP AGE INTERNATIONAL for support with the hardware and software of the Scientific Secretariat.
- SANDOZ PHARMACEUTICAL, Basel, USA and México for the support for DHL and mailing of Congress documents for printing the Program at a Glance.
- SANDOZ FOUNDATION FOR GERONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH for the support for printing of the Book of Abstraéis.
- FARMITALIA CARLO ERBA for the support for printing the Preliminary Program, September Bulletin and Final Program.
- AKM CONGRESS SERVICE (Switzerland) and VIAJES SG (México) for continuous collaboration with the Scientific Secretariat.
- POSADAS DE MÉXICO. HOLIDAY INN for support in accomodation services for meetings of the Program for Developing Countries.
- ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARIAT for support for the Scientific Secretariat, for paper and office material expenses, for mailing the invitations, notifications of acceptance and schedule, for continuous collaboration.
-SOCIEDAD DE GERIATRIA Y GERONTOLOGÍA DE MÉXICO A.C. for continuous collaboration.
TO THE SCIENTIFIC SECRETARIAT STAFF for outstanding services beyond
all gratitude
Mrs. Aurora González Aragón de Decroux. Executive Director
Susana Jiménez Freixanet and Laura Harlow. Executive bilingual Secretarles.
TO THE FOLLOWING PERSONS THAT IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITIES
HELPED US WITH A GENUINE INTERÉS! FOR A SUCCESSFUL EVENT:
Bernice Neugarten, James T. Sykes, Ken Tout, Bill Connelly, Guido Nusbau-mer, Leo Abisch, Jordán Tobin, Carol Schulz, Jack Cornmon, Charlotte Ñus berg, Steven and Shari Brummel, Jean Boyance, Catalina Aguirre, Acacia Tejedo, Ezequiel Quiñones, Pedro Islas, Laura Gómez, Diego González, Ramón Alcán¬tara, Beat Detwiller, Patricia Bernal, Deyanira Horcasitas.
TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARIAT STAFF: Mrs Victoria Montufar de Bravo, Victoria Bravo Montufar, Georgina Mancilla, Gabriel López, Agusti¬na Esquivel.
At last, but nol least, on behalf of the officers of the Mexican Organizing Committee, I would like to apologize for whatever inconvinience you may have encountered during the organizational period or during the Congress, we can assure that we faced this tremendous task with professionalism; dedication and devoting not only part of our time but also part of our lives to make this gerontological journey a memorable and profitable experience for you, our Countries and Mankind.
Dr. JOAQUÍN GONZÁLEZ ARAGÓN Presiden! of COMLAT
CONVENOR OF THE SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM