As many of you know, on a national level the IWLA is an organization with a proud history, but seriously declining membership. From a high of around 100,000, the National membership has shrunk to something less than 30,000. As you may also know, the Arlington-Fairfax Chapter, with approximately 2,500 members, is the largest single Chapter in the IWLA. This fact, combined with our location close to the nation’s capitol, suggests our Chapter has a special responsibility to defend the ideals and goals of the IWLA pledge.
    At the August general meeting, our members passed a motion that the Chapter President appoint a committee to take a strategic look at the future options for the Arlington-Fairfax Chapter. This committee has been named the Affiliation Recommendation Committee (ARC). The members of this committee represent a wide range of views, including individuals on both sides of last year’s debate over the proposal to transfer the Chapter’s property. Despite this diversity, there has been surprising unanimity on some key points:

•      IWLA National is not effectively representing the interests of those Chapters that emphasize ethical hunting, fishing and shooting;

•      Recent changes to the National’s by-laws further a trend of top down decision making that is at odds with the traditions of a volunteer organization committed to local Chapter control over local conservation priorities;

•      In its efforts to be all things to all members, the National appears to have lost its focus. The committee believes the IWLA needs to rededicate itself to its original pledge, agree on some priorities and then map out a strategy for concrete action on both the National and Chapter levels.

    The admittedly ambitious goal of this committee is to reinvigorate the National IWLA by encouraging a more open debate over the policies and priorities of the National organization. The members of this committee do not all agree on what those priorities should be. The members DO all agree that the only way to reverse the steady decline in the membership and influence of the IWLA is to engage in real debate.
    The committee will make the below recommendations to the Arlington-Fairfax Chapter Board of Directors (BOD). Before the BOD votes, they need to hear from you, the members. Do the views of the Committee represent your views? The actions proposed could lead to a serious dispute with the National organization. Are these issues worth a fight? Your voice needs to be heard because the committee is nothing more than an advisory body, and the BOD vote needs to reflect the views of the entire Chapter membership.
    What we propose:

1.     A change in the by-laws of the IWLA that would change the voting from the current structure, to a simple “One Member, One Vote” structure. Currently, the 2,500 members of the Arlington-Fairfax Chapter could be out voted by 13 separate Chapters, each with 51 members. In other words, 663 members, divided into smaller Chapters can, and routinely do, out vote our 2,500 members. More than anything else, this change will give you, the members, a real voice in the future of IWLA. The real business of IWLA National is controlled by the National Board of Directors (NBOD) and the Executive Board. Each State Division is allotted a certain number of National Directors; but, again, the voting is weighted to favor the smaller State Divisions. For example, a State Division with 10 members (Georgia, in the 2004 National Directory was listed as having only 11 members, several State Divisions were listed as having fewer than 100 members) is given one vote. A State Division with 500 members is allotted two votes. A State Division (Virginia) with 8,000 members would be allotted ten Directors. Again, ten small Divisions, with perhaps only a few hundred members TOTAL, could out vote the 8,000 Virginia members. Our goal is to enfranchise every member of the IWLA so that the priorities of the National organization reflect the majority view. A “One Member, One Vote” system would ensure a true majority rule within IWLA. We believe that change, in and of itself, would eventually allow many of our problems to be corrected.
2.     A change in the by-laws that expressly denies the “right” of the National IWLA to seize the property of any Chapter so long as the Chapter’s assets and/or the proceeds thereof continue to be dedicated to 501(c)3 purposes. IWLA was intended to be a confederation of Chapters. Diversity of viewpoints and priorities can be, indeed should be, a value we cherish and an element of the organizations’s strength. It is important to note that the current by-law is a strong disincentive for any existing club to even consider affiliating with IWLA. As an organization, we should be looking for ways to attract new Chapters and reverse the decline in membership.

    How YOU can make change happen:
    The Arlington-Fairfax Chapter has proposed similar changes to the by-laws in the past. Unfortunately, and for a variety of reasons, these proposals have not yet been brought before the National Board of Directors for a vote. As a committee, we believe these issues deserve an up or down vote, and we intend to recommend to the Chapter Board of Directors that the Chapter withhold all dues due to the National until there is such a vote.
    The Arlington-Fairfax Chapter Board of Directors needs to know if you, the members, agree with the recommendations of this committee.
    Needless to say, this strategy is not without risk. Based upon past experience, we are not certain the IWLA National organization will be open to our opinions or substantive input from the state and chapter levels. The committee considers these proposals as an initial test of the commitment to democracy within the National IWLA. We believe the potential benefits, a re-energized National organization committed to a spirited advocacy of ethical hunting and fishing, the shooting sports and the protection of wildlife habitat, makes those risks worthwhile. That said, before the Chapter Board of Directors can consider this recommendation, it is critical they hear from you, the rank and file members. We, the Committee, need to know what you think and so does the Chapter BOD.
    Call us. Write us. The names of the committee members are posted below. The names and contact information for the Chapter BOD are all posted in this NEWSLETTER. Come to the November and December membership meetings. The BOD needs to know what you think. We think the future of IWLA is worth the effort. DO YOU?