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<p><font face="KacstOne">Dear Tweetsters - I served on the board of
the Washington Ornithological Society for six years from 2009
through 2015 and have been a volunteer in the organization since
then.<br>
<br>
During almost all of that time, the board has regularly
discussed the fact that the WOS membership is mostly older and
white and that the board -- and the birding world generally --
should make an effort to diversify our membership. Countless
discussions have been held about the need to attract and welcome
younger people and people of color to birding. I believe
everybody was very sincere about that.<br>
<br>
I thus find it painful that when those very people who have been
so underrepresented do start to show an interest in birding and
do say that they would feel more welcome if bird and
organizational names were changed, there is a hue and cry
against it.<br>
<br>
To change the names is not something that should be seen in a
negative light but as something that could go a little ways
toward the aims we have said for so long that we share: to
diversify the world of birding.<br>
<br>
Jane Hadley<br>
Seattle, Washington</font><br>
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