Editorial
(June 2002)
Past Editorials
THE INTERNATIONAL Guild of Professional Electrologists is gone.
At its General Meeting and Annual Congress, held in Chicago this past April, the
Organization severed its ties with permanent probe electrolysis and went over to
lasing, electronic tweezing, and the generally more lucrative field of
superfluous hair reduction. [See Hair Route story in this issue, page 16.] The
move effectively brought death to the 24-year-old organization.
Contrary to opinion in some quarters of the electrolysis community,
International Hair Route believes that the demise of IGPE is a low point in the
history of electrology in North America. The “Guild,” as it was fondly referred
to, offered a valid option to the all-pervasive, Big Blue American Electrology
Association and — to a lesser extent — the old Society of Clinical and Medical
Electrologists (which recently changed its name to Society of Clinical and
Medical Hair Removal). Many electrologists liked the Guild as an addition to
their other affiliations; some liked it as an alternative to the other
associations. Though the Hair Route has often called for unity among the
associations, it also values the freedom to choose and the benefits that come
from having that option.
Founded in 1978 as a public relations entity with the mandate to champion
traditional electrolysis and educate consumers on the truth about temporary hair
removal methods of those days, the Guild was always a lighter, less passionate
alternative to the AEA and SCME, which were keenly focused on electrology
education. In the beginning, the Guild was the more indulgent, non-judgmental
parent, tempering morning lectures on “how to market your business,” with
evening parties of the “let’s all do the can-can,” variety.
Peer certification changed all that. When Trudy Brown took over the mantle of
president of the once 1,500-strong Guild, in 1986, it was faced with dwindling
attendance at its meetings. Electrologists now were becoming more interested in
earning CEUs (Continuing Education Units) for peer certification and state
licensing, and much less interested in networking and amusement at the annual
convention.
When Ms. Brown embraced the newly arrived manufacturers of laser hair removal
devices in 1995, she was surprised at the resurgence of interest in Guild
membership — not from CEU seekers, but from dermatologists and cosmetologists,
and a new breed of hair removal specialists with an eye for high technology.
These newfound supporters brought with them not only more glamour, but more
riches. It was more than Ms. Brown could resist.
Thus it came to pass, that the Guild arrived at Congress 2002 with proposed
amendments to its charter calling for the words “Professional Electrologists” to
be removed from the corporate name, and the words “Hair Removal Specialists” put
in their place. The change was calculated to open the door to a broader
membership for the much-weakened Organization — which was formerly restricted to
“persons who practice or teach only in the profession of electrology or who are
manufacturers in the field of electrology, using those methods approved by the
Guild.” Naturally, the laser manufacturers, the laser doctors, the
cosmetologists and the electronic tweezer operators, would be among the first to
receive invitations to support the Guild in its new role.
To ensure that things unfolded as Ms. Brown thought they should, the charter
revision was placed in the business meeting so there could be no secret
balloting, and the Membership’s most important decision was put to a
“detractors-only” standing vote. Of the scant 61 IGPE members who had come to
this critical Chicago meeting, barely one third got to their feet to oppose the
motion. Ms. Brown had won the day with no more than 42 supporters.
There has got to be something wrong with this picture!
— Derek R. Copperthwaite
home
subscribe
advertise
about us
