VISION MATTERS 
College of Opticians of British Columbia Newsletter
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October 2009
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What’s the difference between the College and an Association?Simply, the College works for the interests of BC consumers while an association works for the interests of opticians. I bet you thought that when you vote for an optician to serve on the Board they would look after your interests. If you did you were wrong. The person you elected was presumably nominated because s/he had an excellent and respected reputation within the profession. Your expectations of the person elected are that you trust them to govern the profession fairly and impartially, but that they first and foremost look after the interests of the public.
Board members are required to take an “Oath of Office.” The oath is worth reproducing in this article:
- I will abide by the Health Professions Act and I will faithfully discharge the duties of the position, according to the best of my ability;
- I will act in accordance with the law and the public trust placed in me;
- I will act in the interests of the College as a whole;
- I will uphold the objects of the College and ensure that I am guided by the public interest in the performance of my duties;
- I have a duty to act honestly;
- I will declare any private interests relating to my public duties and take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest;
- I will ensure that other memberships, directorships, voluntary or paid positions or affiliations remain distinct from work undertaken in the course of performing my duty as a board member;
The oath makes it quite clear that an elected optician ceases to represent the interests of the profession and only works in the interests of the public of British Columbia. If this sounds unfair it should not be, your interests are represented by the association. You have an opportunity to either run for office or vote for the directors of the OBC: Opticians of British Columbia at the end of this month. You can expect the Board of the Association to act in your interest.
The College works for the interests of BC consumers.
An association works for the interest of Opticians.
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