It has been the SMS’s intent to hold the 2005 annual international meeting in Europe, as part of the normal cycling of meetings from North America to Europe. After an extensive search for venues over the past two years, your Board, very reluctantly, has concluded that it was not possible to meet at an appropriate venue in Europe in 2005. The reasons for this decision are several, among them were: high costs, availability of suitable dates for a meeting, venues of appropriate size, special venue and site needs for a proper 25th anniversary celebration, and finally, simply running out of time and alternatives.