X-Message-Number: 9399
Date: Fri, 03 Apr 1998 08:25:13 -0800
From: Peter Merel <>
Subject: Cryonics as a Fraternal Society

Charles's message is sure to raise a storm, but I don't want to 
address whether or not he's right. I want to look at means. Let's not 
worry about whether this is a church or a government or what - let's pick 
a simple, established, doctrine-free model: a fraternal society. Like 
the Lions, the Goodfellows or the Masons.

The function of such a group would be both to fill the social role that
Bob Ettinger has been describing, to support the fund-raising activities
Charles notes go on anyway, to enhance the long-standing community 
that we've enjoyed right here on cryonet, and to collect the funds that
folk originally slated for projects like poor old Prometheus.

The first question is how such a thing would go about distributing funds. 
It makes no sense for it to be passing funds straight through to the orgs - 
not being a business, it would have no automatic way to determine who would 
get how much. But orgs and researchers should be the ultimate target of 
the funds. How can this be done?

In no set manner. The charter of the society would be to do what best
promotes cryonics as its members see fit. Each member should have a voice
in direct proportion to the amount they invest in the society, and proposals
for distributions of funds should be vetted by all and voted on by all.

The natural name for this society to be the Prometheus Society. 
Members would be known as Prometheans. There would be no waiting period
while we put together millions for a particular purpose - it'd be donate
now, decide later. And I see cryonet as its main organ. In the immortal
tradition I'll immediately count myself out as a potential organizer and
dob in Paul Wakfer, Charles Platt and Bob Ettinger as folk with adequate
commitment to do the job of founding - it'd just be an amalgam of their
ideas anyway.

I suspect this message will be one of several seizing on what Charles has
said, so I'll also Cc those three gentlemen and see how they feel.

Peter Merel.

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