April & August. 1999 
31 
arc now printing in Mombasa, rather than Nairobi. 
Contrary to most people's impression of coastal business 
practices, this is costing the Society half as much, taking 
half as long, and looking twice as good as the previous 
printers could manage. 
As for Kenya Birds and Scopus— I can only quote 
the philosopher Wittgenstein, in that ‘whereof one 
cannot speak, thereof one must remain silent' The)’ 
will, no doubt, appear very soon 
Time to turn to people. Our rate of acquiring new 
staff has slowed, but not stopped The latest to join the 
team are William Olang‘. as driver 'messenger, and 
Stephen Wamiti, as field facilitator to the RSPB 
Kinangop project Why docs the Society need a driver 
when it has no vehicle, you may ask? Well, there are in 
foci good reasons— even before the United Nations 
Operational Services sorts out our Landrover. We also 
welcome David Mutekanga, from Uganda, as the GHF 
project Sub regional Co-ordinator He Is employed 
directly by BirdLife International, but will be operating 
out of our office here to bring together BtrdLifc Rirtners 
in the East African sub- region 
•As always, we haw relied this year on numerous 
volunteers, without whom the Society's wheels would 
quickly gnnd to a halt. I cannot list them all. but would 
like to say particular thanks fin no special order i to 
Nanndcr Hover. Giihtnji Kamau. Mercy Njeri. Doricc 
Agol. Shailesh Patel. Elly Gathungu. Anne Nyaittbura. 
Louise Fordvee and Marlin Hinstridge. Our expanded 
activities mean that volunteer input is even more vital 
than in past years, and we are most grateful to those 
who generously give their time to help the Society out 
The Executive Committee, all volunteers too. cannot 
Ik forgotten here 1 would like to thank all of them for 
their hard work and support It is not invidious to single 
out John Silvester, who bow* out of the Committee this 
year, for his work on our Constitution and other legal 
and management matters Tins has been a tremendous 
injnji for which I am personally very grateful Perhaps 
ihis is also an appropriate [joint to congratulate our 
former Vice-Chairman, Dr George Abungu. on his 
appointment ns Director-General of the National 
Museums of Kenya. Although George has consequently 
had to step down as Vice-Chairman, this can only 
strengthen the close and constructive ties between our 
two organisations. 
As a final point, I would like to revisit the issue ol 
membership You will hear shortly an account of our 
finances (sec p. 30), They are certainly healthy enough, 
hut the figures conceal a serious long-term problem: as 
for some time now. membership subscriptions do not 
come close lo covering die aclual costs of membership 
services There are two (perhaps incompatible) 
approaches to this problem to raise subscription 
charges, or to increase the number of members. Before 
anyone becomes too agitated, let me reassure you that 
yxxir Executive has firmly plumped for the latter strategy, 
at least for the time being With our new name and new 
brochure, and an exccllcm membership package, we 
should be making great strides in membership 
recruitment Unfortunately, our present strides are not 
as long as we should like Membership is rising steadily, 
but we need six or seven times as many new members 
coming in if we are to have some hope of breaking cwn 
over the long term I f you can do nothing else to support 
your Society this year, please iry to recruit at least one 
additional member. It isn't all that hard to do. 
Thank you. 
Leon Bennun, Chairman 
EANHS MEMBERSHIP RATES 
PER ANNUM 
Local 
USS 
UK 
Life now closed to further subscription 
Corporate 
5000 
200 
135 
Sponsor 
1000 
56 
40 
lnstututlonal• 
700 
36 
24 
Full 
500 
26 
20 
Family 
700 
30 
20 
Pensioner 
250 
- 
- 
Student* • 
250 
15 
10 
Conservation 
Group Member* •• 100 
* Schools.Librarics and Conservation groups 
••Only children under 18 and full-time University 
undergraguates. Graduate students register as 
full members 
‘••Only open to individuals who arc members of 
an Institutional Member which is also a 
Conservation Group approved by the Executive 
Committee. 
Membership offers you free entry to the National 
Museums; free lectures, videos, films or slide 
shows every month in Nairobi; field trips and 
camps led by experienced naturalists; free use 
ol the joint Society-National Museum Library 
(postal borrowing is possible) and the monthly 
newsletter and thrice yearly Bulletin The 
Society is the Birdl.ifc Partner for Kenya. It 
organises the ringing of birds in eastern Africa 
and welcomes new ringers. It also runs an active 
Nest Record Scheme. 
Subscriptions arc due on I January From I July 
you may join for half the yearly subscription 
and receive publications from that date. 
Application forms may be obtained from the 
Hon. Secretary. Box 44486. Nairobi. Kenya. 
