IT HAS BEEN a great honor to serve as President of the American Proctologic Society. I should like at this time to thank the membership for this expression of their confidence. I have endeavored to carryout the duties of this office faithfully and I am profoundly grateful to every one who has worked so diligently for the Society during the past year.

It is with real satisfaction that I can report to you, that the American Proctologic Society is in excellent condition.

Many of you, and I am sorry not all of you, were able to attend the joint Anglo- American Sessions held in Atlantic City and London last year. The clinical session with our English colleagues proved so successful that all members in attendance unanimously agreed some steps should be taken to have regular combined sessions. Acting upon this suggestion your council has agreed that such sessions should be held every five years. The combined meetings would be held alternately in the United States and in Great Britain. An invitation to attend our meeting in 1964, and to participate in our program has been extended to the Section of Proctology of the Royal Society of Medicine.