As of April 1 WBA will operate as an independent organization separate from the North American Butterfly Association (NABA), of which we have been a chapter since our beginning in 1999.

Last fall, NABA sent newly revised bylaws for all chapters to sign. They included substantial changes from the previous bylaws with greater centralized control by NABA. Several areas concerned us, but primary were accepting NABA as the scientific authority for common and scientific butterfly names including their mandatory use in anything we publish; NABA intervention in our financial management and not allowing chapter-only memberships. Consequently, we sent a comparison of the existing and proposed bylaws out to you, our membership, for comments and opinions. The response was large and overwhelmingly against accepting the new NABA bylaws. The WBA Board agreed and on December 18, 2014, as directed by the WBA Board, your President Idie Ulsh wrote to NABA stating that the Board could not sign and accept them. We received no response, but since then NABA has dropped WBA from its list of chapters and has blocked changes to the WBA website which NABA has hosted. It was apparent that if we are to continue we must separate from NABA. To make the transition as orderly as possible, the WBA Board has established that we will be officially autonomous and withdrawn from NABA as of April 1, 2015.

After April 1, renewing your membership with NABA will not automatically make you a member of WBA as in the past. A form for renewing your WBA membership is included in this issue on the back page, and some of you may want to maintain membership in both WBA and NABA. Note, however, that if you renewed with NABA before April, we will continue to honor you as a WBA member until your renewal time comes up again.

The Board has been moving forward with acquiring insurance coverage and filing new bylaws, articles of incorporation, etc. with the State of Washington and the IRS as required for our new structure. To replace the website hosted by NABA, our webmaster Carolyn Heberlein is developing a new and even better website. This transition should be seamless for you as we carry on with all the same activities as we have in the past. Please contact us with your questions, comments, suggestions and new ideas. We appreciate your support as we move forward with these important and exciting changes.

Richard Youel

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