D.D. Humber, DC, FICA
2710 Twin Leaf Trail
Marietta, GA 30062

April 12, 2003

Dear Fellow ICA Member,

Over the past eighteen months, I have had the honor of representing you and ICA’s vision for chiropractic around the world as President of the International Chiropractors Association. I have done my very best to represent ICA’s principles and values with determination, dignity and energy. As you are surely aware, ICA has been under vicious attack by our competitors in what can only be characterized by a “contain and eliminate” campaign designed to silence ICA as a voice for principled chiropractic. I am determined never to let this happen and I am asking for your help.

After much serious consideration and extensive discussion with other ICA leaders, I have decided to seek a second term as ICA President. I believe that the programs that have gotten underway during my first term need continuity of leadership in order to bring the maximum benefits to our organization. As well, I believe that the team with whom I am running, Dr. Michael McLean for Vice President and Dr. Tim Meng for Secretary-Treasurer, will provide ICA with a great new vision, energy and a renewed focus on ICA’s values and principles.

I have worked as hard as I can to broaden ICA’s outreach, mobilize new resources on behalf of our vision and values, and never compromise our principles. We have already accomplished a lot, despite the assertions and aggressive actions of those who are trying to hold us back. Over the past months, ICA has made great new strides, both in the United States and around the world. Just to name a few breakthrough accomplishments, in recent months ICA:

• Federal Recognition. For the first time in ICA's 75plus year history, under DD Humber's leadership, ICA has secured an appointment to a Federal Governmental body. The Bush Administration has appointed ICA Board Member Dr. Michael McLean (right) to serve on the powerful Veterans Administration Chiropractic Advisory Committee, which will in effect recommend a Federal definition of Chiropractic and its scope.
• Initiated the largest ever communications program in ICA history featuring regular FAX and E-mail broadcasts to all ICA members and leaders in the profession worldwide, with 60 editions already out.
• Began publication of a new profession-wide newspaper, now in its fifth edition, spreading ICA’s message to over 66,000 DCs around the world.
• Established a new Practice Mastery informational program, now reaching more than 8,000 subscribers weekly via e-mail.
• Joined in an historic coalition with the Federation of Straight Chiropractors and Organizations (FSCO) and the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA) to more effectively promote a conservative chiropractic legislative agenda in Washington and in the states.
• Took determined and successful action to defend patients’ rights and freedoms on the vaccination issue in Congress and in many individual states.
• Started a powerful and effective membership development campaign, mobilizing ICA’s entire leadership, seeking to build on our 2002 membership success, where the full-dues paying membership posted a net gain. Our goal is a dramatic increase in ICA membership in 2003!
• Established a new Council on Chiropractic Philosophy to foster a new generation of chiropractic thinkers, anchored in ICA’s principles and values, and scheduled chiropractic’s first International Conference on Chiropractic Philosophical Standards, to be held in Kansas City in May, 2003.
• Successfully challenged the Council on Chiropractic Education’s proposals to push chiropractic into the realms of medicine and physical therapy by changing their standards to demand that chiropractic colleges incorporate PT and “primary care physician” elements into their chiropractic programs.
• Held an historic world chiropractic conference in Rome, Italy, bringing nearly 500 DCs from more than two dozen nations together and helping the Italian chiropractic community gain credibility and political recognition.
• Established a powerful new financial relationship with the Academic Management Services (AMS), one of the nation’s top student loan agencies, adding great new financial strength to the ICA and a valuable new service to ICA members.
• Published an historic pediatric textbook by Dr. Peter Fysh, contributing an important new asset to the literature of chiropractic.
• Led the chiropractic profession’s effort to defend chiropractic’s unique status in health care from a nationwide onslaught by the physical therapists, who are seeking to legislate doctor level status, including authority to perform many chiropractic procedures, with no additional education.

While I am very proud of this roster of accomplishments, I am fully aware of the tremendous challenges that lie ahead for ICA and for chiropractic and the urgent work that needs to be done. I am asking for your support and your vote for myself, Dr. McLean and Dr. Meng (right). In this democratic process, in which your voice counts very much, we have an opportunity to defend our ICA and all it stands for against what I believe is the most determined, hostile and dangerous environment we have ever faced. Solidarity, based on a proven commitment to our principles, is the basis for this campaign.

I hope that you can join us in this important campaign to build the strongest possible future for ICA and for chiropractic. I invite you to visit our campaign website at www.ICAPRIDE.com , for more information and updates on this important effort.  I also ask that you join our growing roster of supporters by filling out the form on the page by clicking on, "Show your support by adding your name to the growing list of supporters".  Thank you for support, advice and commitment to chiropractic.   I the ICA and the millions we serve, are counting on you.

Yours in Service,
D.D. Humber, DC, FICA
President, International Chiropractors Association