Dear Lactnetters,

As a fellow past ILCA board member, I share Jeanine's concerns about what has
been omitted from the ILCA bylaws. Such care was taken by past ILCA boards to
preserve the integrity of the lactation consultant profession. ILCA has
always gone far beyond just giving lip service to the WHO Code and other
issues that impact on breastfeeding. To leave the door open to formula
industry involvement in the association is, I hope, by error rather than by
design.  Also, at a time where ILCA is recommending that voting members must
be IBCLC certified, what can be the rationale for not requiring that ILCA
board director even be members of the association?

While I believe that debate of these issues is more appropriately done by the
ILCA board with its membership, logistics do not permit a timely discussion
in that manner. It is for that reason that I am responding via Lactnet rather
than privately with the ILCA board. The majority of Lactnetters are not
familiar with, nor do they feel accessible to, the inner working of the ILCA
board. If anyone else is concerned about the bylaws changes, I would
encourage you to contact members of the ILCA board directly.

Warm regards,

Judi Lauwers