WSDC Life Membership Sub-Committee
At Qatar at the Annual General Meeting of WSDC on 16 February, 2010, a Sub-Committee consisting of nine members was set up to discuss issues concerning the awarding of honorary life membership in WSDC, and to report back to Council. A lively and detailed email debate ensued which lasted for many months. Members of the Committee were: Kris Ade (Canada), Mehvesh Mumtaz Ahmed (Pakistan), Daragh Grant (Ireland/Mexico), Hayah Eichler (Israel), Sixto Ramos (Peru), Claire Ryan (New Zealand), Ann Swersky (Israel), Richard Wafer (Ireland) and Asher Weill (Israel) – chairperson. Several Directors of the WSDC charity, who were not members of the Committee, also contributed to the discussion.
As the correspondence progressed it became clear that there were two distinct schools of thought. One believed that the whole concept of life membership was wrong and misguided and that it should be discontinued. The other believed that life membership is important and that it should be continued and expanded. As time went on, it became evident that the two points of view were irreconcilable, and that the Committee members were almost equally divided (four in favour of one position and five in favour of the other). We agreed, therefore, that there was no alternative to presenting Council with two separate position papers giving the arguments for both sides, and it is these two documents that are attached herewith, which we urge you to read carefully.
Council members will be called upon to vote on adopting one of these two positions as follows:
1.………… We support continuing and expanding the category of life membership in WSDC
2…………. We support eliminating the category of life membership in WSDC
A word about the consequences of your vote:
If the Council supports number 1 above, a new Committee will need to be established that will draw up procedures and an actual list of candidates for life membership.
If the Council supports number 2 above, the category of life membership will be abolished and WSDC will remain with one life member only – our founder Chris Erskine. This will also require a formal change of rules.
In our Committee, the involved and highly detailed discussion went on for a very long time and a great deal of thought and – sometimes impassioned – rhetoric was employed – in the best debating spirit of WSDC. I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Committee members for their unfailing cooperation and commitment.
Asher Weill
Chair, WSDC Sub-Committee on Life Membership
Jerusalem
20 June 2010