X-Message-Number: 14874
Date: Tue, 07 Nov 2000 20:14:49 -0500
From: david pizer <>
Subject: end of a long term of uncertainty - Alcor's resolution

This message is a comment about Alcor's recent resolution.   Since I have
little or no communication with Alcor, I had no prior knowledge of the
resolution that was just posted.  

Dr. Thomas Donaldson said:

>Hi everyone!
>Yes, I agree that Dave Pizer is not behind what may be Alcor's present
>policy. I still do not think that Pizer has adequately answered what
>I had to say in my last message.
       snip
>That's all for now. And I would hope that Dave Pizer will have something
>substantive to say about the policy of Alcor re foreign life insurance
>policies, rather than going off into other issues.

Ok, here is my opinion on the resolution that Alcor just passed (below).  I
am not affiliated with Alcor management, these are just the opinions of a
rank and file Alcor member.

>----------------------------------------------------------------------

At first glance this resolution may seem threatening to some people. But if
you read it carefully you will come away with the impression this is the
best thing for everyone. 
It is good for Alcor and it is good for foreign members for two reasons:
(1) Whatever is good for Alcor is good for all their members, foreign and
domestic, (2) It clears up long standing confusion about what Alcor felt
they could or could not deliver. 

>From: Linda Chamberlain <>
>Subject: Alcor Policy on Foreign Membership

>>UNANIMOUS RESOLUTION OF THE ALCOR BOARD OF DIRECTORS, 5 November 2000:   No
>further foreign memberships will be accepted with non-standard funding until
>mechanisms can be found that satisfy Alcor s current funding requirements,
>which have been developed to ensure Alcor s financial safety. 
>In order to become an Alcor member, a foreign person will have to comply with
>the same rules as an American member. This means that they must either
have an
>American insurance policy, prepay in U.S. dollars, or use one of these
funding
>mechanisms to fund a trust written under American law, the assets of which
>must
>be deposited into an American institution. 

This does not say that Alcor will never take foreign life insurance for
funding.  I read it as saying that Alcor is not confident, at this time,
that foreign life insurance companies will pay off.  If this is so, then we
would all expect Alcor NOT to accept them as that would pose a financial
risk to Alcor.  There may come a time, when Alcor could be convinced that
foreign life insurance will be acceptable.  That burden of providing
funding and proving confidence in it, is that of the member.  

More important, this seems to be for the protection of the serious foreign
cryonicists.  This resolution will eliminate the chance that a foreign
member will get prepared for being stored in cryonics and their insurance
does not pay, and they have to be unfrozen and burried or cremated. Now the
foreign members knows that he/she has to get insurance with a company that
Alcor knows will pay, but that eliminates the chances that he may get
unfrozen if he had some questionable insurance and they didn't pay.

>They will be required to complete
>the current paperwork, as well as sign a special disclaimer (currently being
>developed) that establishes an understanding of, but not limited to, the
>following: 

>(1) Alcor will be substantially limited it its ability to deliver equal
>service
>levels outside the US, 

This is just common sense. I have always felt this way and I am glad to see
Alcor realize this.  Hopefully this will drive home the point that dying
far away from Alcor is dangerous.  Hopefully this will motivate terminal
foreign Alcor members to come close to Alcor when time of death is near and
therefore increase the odds of their getting a better suspension.

>(2) The best chance of a good biostasis means getting to Scottsdale before
>they
>arrest, 

>(3) Due to varying laws, such as those relating to contracts, anatomical
>donations, etc., our forms may not be accepted in their countries.  


I commend the current Alcor directors for having the courage to face this
long-standing problem and take a stand that is in the best interests of
everyone.  Other good effects of this resolution might be to motivate
foreign cryonicists to form their own company like Alcor close to where
they live.

This will also help some of us to work harder and faster in creating a
cryonics retirement community close to Alcor.

I hope foreign potential cryonicists who want an Alcor-type suspension will
use this resolution to their benefit in getting more dependable insurance
and realizing the importance of getting close to Alcor when they become
terminal.  

Dave Pizer

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