X-Message-Number: 8090 Date: Wed, 16 Apr 97 23:03:58 From: Mike Perry <> Subject: International Cloning Society The following article on the International Cloning Society from its director, Arthur D. Lafferty, was sent to me by Thierry Jordan, , with permission to send it on to CryoNet.--Mike Perry ---------------------------------------------------------------------- General Information HISTORY OF THE SOCIETY The Society was founded in 1988 as a component of the JFL Institute, division of Health, Longevity and Life Extension. PURPOSE, GOALS AND MEMBERSHIP The Society has taken steps to prepare for the advent of human cloning, which it feels will occur in the near future. The Society believes there will be several situations where human cloning will be desirable. Members of the Society consist of those people who support this belief. Members are also given the option of making themselves available, through the Society, for possible, eventual cloning. The Society also serves as a lobby....a voice in support of selective, carefully managed human cloning. THE CLONING OPTION The Society has been conducting studies and is currently engaged in communication with a number of biological laboratories/organizations with a view to determining the most effective and secure means to extract, preserve and store the cells of those members who have expressed their desire to be cloned at some point in the future. Members will be advised when the procedures have been satisfactorily set up and approved, and when and how they can exercise their option to become a prospective "clonee." We do, of course, anticipate some costs to be assessed to those electing to be prospective clonees, which will be announced once determined. We can tell you now, the "cloning bank" will entail the following steps: 1) procurement, preservation and storage of cells from those electing to become prospective clonees (we anticipate that the procurement of cells will be a very safe and harmless procedure). 2) procurement and storage of biological and biographical data from those electing to become prospective clonees. 3) a trust fund to be set up to cover the cost of maintaining the above data/items in perpetuity. 4) the procedure will also involve the filing of a "statement of disposition" from each prospective clonee which outlines the specific circumstances in which they consent to being cloned. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- We hope the following data will be informative and useful to you. Also, in the event you haven't read our recent online news releases, we encourage you to look them up. The online addresses are: http://www.webspawner.com/users/cloning/ http://www.webspawner.com/users/clone2/ We anticipate the need to issue more news releases in the future, so keep your eyes open. Thank you again for your enquiry and your interest in the work we do. Should you decide to become a member of our Society, you will be kept regularly informed of our proceedings. Arthur D. Lafferty, Director Becoming a Member Although the Society is supported in part by a private endowment, nominal annual dues are required (currently $35 per year/US funds) from members to help us sustain our work. This also provides each member with a periodic newsletter and updates on the activities of the Society. Those wishing to become a member of the Society need only mail their name and address, together with their first year's dues (payable to "ICS"), to: Arthur D. Lafferty, Director International Cloning Society 2924 Walnut Street Bellingham, WA 98225 USA Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=8090