cause of the sense of being no longer alone, of having understanding friends with whom to visit or write or, even in the most isolated cases, just being able to identify and associate themselves with others. Fran made it possible and now that she is leaving I hope she will be receiving a lot of letters from those of you who are aware of your debt letting her know what a difference her efforts in FPE have made in your life. This is her only reward for years of love, care, and concern for all of you.

It will just not be possible to replace the dedication that Fran lavished on FPE. She was there at its creation, adopted it and "brought it up”. I was the biological mother so to speak since I conceived the idea and brought it to birth, but Fran did the real mothering, the nurturing and the loving which were necessary. I thank her greatly and hope you will too.

We are going to try to carry on here in L.A. with Donna 5-Y-1, a trusted friend and former president of Alpha chapter as Fran's successor. To make the burdens less we are trying to streamline procedures. You can assist by minimizing your requests and necessary letters and making things simple when you do write. We can't solve everything at head- quarters anyway.

There are other groups formed and forming for those who cross dress. They take the position that if you are a male and cross dress you are a sister and welcome, regardless of what type of cross dresser you are or what your motivations. We do not condemn such organizations, they will succeed or fail according to how they serve the interests of their members. But FPE was conceived and developed for heterosexual-FPs only and will remain so. We do not solicit members, nor urge you to join, you have to want to belong after deciding that FPE is your kind of group.

Our goal and purpose is to help both the FP and his wife to under- stand the nature of the FP, and that there are a great many of us. We particularly welcome wives at meetings and want them to be reassured about their husbands and not threatened and further worried by meeting various other types of persons. This is why FPE has always limited it- self so far as possible to one kind of person. This has always been my own, TVias and FPES position in the past and will continue to be in the future. Most of its members realize, approve and are comfortable in this policy. If you are interested in joining we would want you to accept this principle too.

Virginia

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