In einer eMail vom 19-5-02 2:32:39 West-Europa (zomertijd) schreibt [log in to unmask]: > And, IBCLCs who are not members need to become members. I have recently > become aware that some IBCLCs aren't members of ILCA and that many European > and Australian IBCLCs belong only to their local or regional affiliates. I > want to encourage all IBCLCs everywhere to become members of ILCA. Dear Pat (and Jan in her former post). First: $90 in the USA is not the same as $90 in Europe. It costs much more in what you can do with it. If I should join all organisations (and believe me I would love to be able to afford) I would be a member of NVL, the Dutch LC organsisation (of which I am a member and a journal editor), BDL of Germany, where I live, VELB from Europe and ILCA.. And there are the ''hundreds of dollars'' Rachel Myr was talking about. And you know, many people just simply have to choose between buying the groceries for their family or paying for all those professional memberships And believe me, there are more of us than one can get scolarshipsfunds for. ILCA is not the only one in financial trouble. > > I have for many years given regular donations to Baby Friendly and to LLLI. > Paying dues and making donations are my way of investing in the future of > breastfeeding. I'm an IBCLC because I love mothers and babies and I love my > profession. And yes, I also have trouble paying my local and international LLLI fees, though I do contribute as a writer and as a PL person in both Netherlands and in Interntational. Costs a lot of time and money too (no pay and extra costs when I don't have time to cook properly) Yes, I do love my job and I do love babies and mothers and even do love to argue on Lactnet about the existance or not of nipple confusion, buit I am not able to show this every year in paying memeberships to 4 professional and a lay organisation. Yes I would love to show my engament to ILCA and lactation, Jan, by opting for a job, but I just cannot afford to spend more unpaid time and to travel for meetings in the USA (how very much I would like to do so) and then having no income and my partner having to take unpaid time off from his job to care for the children. And I'm very sure I'm very much not the only one. Warmly greeting, sorry to be rambling on this nice sunny sundaymorning, Gonneke ================== Gonneke van Veldhuizen =+= IBCLC, LLLL, MOM =+= primairy school teacher EUROLAC breastfeeding information centre and lactation consultant practice http://www.users.skynet.be/eurolac *********************************************** The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM) mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html