and television carry stories not only about the problems that come with age but also about the achievements of aging people.
There is progress being made, the kind of progress which comes with understanding.
And understanding, after all, is a precious commodity. It was helped along in 1971 with a White House Conference on Aging. It may be helped along once again with a similar conference in 1981, since such national assemblages traditionally take place every 10 years. But 1981 is a long time from now, and it may well be that we should not wait 10 years for another look at where we are. For that reason, I hope that readers of this report pay special heed to its final chapter. There, it is pointed out that the year 1976 will be mid-way between White House Conferences on Aging. The chapter asks whether some productive action should be taken next year to mark the fifth anniversary of the 1971 conference, and it asks for ideas about how this should be done. Personally, I join in asking for suggestions. It seems to me that a miniature or repeat version of the 1971 conference would do little good at this point; we still have a long way to go before we come anywhere near fulfilling recommendations made then. But some form of stocktaking could be useful in 1976. The questions are: what form should it take, and how can it take place without diverting energy and resources from other important activities?
Answers to those questions are needed. Nineteen hundred and seventy six, the year of the National Bicentennial celebration, could also be a year in which important issues related to our national future could be answered or at least faced up to more clearly than they now are. That is true of problems affecting all age groups. It is especially true of those that now so seriously trouble so many older persons in this Nation.
Chairman, Special Committee on Aging.