JANUARY 1955 THE CHRISTMAS DINNER AND FESTIVAL ...

I IA FEW WORDS ABOUT PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP IN THE ARTS AND LETTERS CLUBBecause of the misunderstanding which occasionally crops up when memberspropose candidates for professional membership and are sometimes surprised orchagrined when candidates fail to qualify as such, but who would be welcomed asnon-pro members, it has been thought desirable to discuss in the pages of the MonthlyLetter this important question.By-law 11 reads as follows:"Resident members shall be classified as Professional or Non-Professionalmembers. Professional members shall be all such members as in the opinionof the Executive Committee are actively engaged in any of the arts setforth and derive a substantial part of their income therefrom. All othersshall be Non-Professional members."The "arts set forth", according to By-Law No. 3, are:Drama Literature ArchitectureMusic Sculpture and Fine and Applied Arts.1. There is an important distinction between the term "Professional" in the Artsand Letters Club Constitution and the same word as used in everyday language. AUniversity professor or teacher, no matter how eminent he may be in his profession,does not thereby automatically become eligible for professional membership in theClub. He must be actively engaged (at the time of application) in one of thespecified arts. A world famous scientist or mathematician; a leading chemist,physiologist or biologist, who might have been awarded the Nobel Prize, the AlbertMedal, discovered a new wonder drug and have written outstanding reports of hisdiscoveries, would not necessarily be eligible for Pro membership in the Club despitethe eminence achieved in his chosen profession.2. The working rule used by the Executive in determining whether an applicantderives a substantial part of his income from the practice of one of the specifiedarts is that at least 75% of his income shall arise from this source.Naturally there are border line cases to be decided. Heaven forbid that weshould ask an applicant to make a statutory declaration as to how he earns hisincome, as the Income Tax Department does.3. Confusion and misunderstanding is sometimes caused by making a comparisonbetween the status of an applicant and some present members who have professionalstanding in the Club.ISuccessive elected Executive Committees may have had different criteria accordingto varying circumstances and in past years of the ClubTs history rulings may nothave been always uniform. Generally speaking however the spirit and intention ofthe present by-laws have been faithfully observed.KS.