Tales From the Chiefs
Challenges and Sacrifices

by Elizabeth Smith

The opportunity to work with other actuaries professionally and to see the CAS prosper were just two of the many positive aspects of being CAS president for Fred Kilbourne, CAS president in 1982-83. Politics, on the other hand, was one of the least enjoyable aspects of his tenure. Besides having the extra challenge of serving as president while starting a small consulting operation, Kilbourne was witness to some fascinating political circumstances.

One highly charged situation involved a heated discussion over the appropriateness of Las Vegas as a meeting site—a discussion that reached the board level. Some felt that Las Vegas was the wrong image for the CAS—one Fellow even rescinded his membership over the matter. In the end the meeting venue was changed to Toronto. The Fellow did not rejoin the CAS and Las Vegas has since become a popular meeting site amongst CAS members.

Under Kilbourne's tenure the CAS hit its 1,000^th member mark. At the time, the idea of having a CAS pledge of allegiance was being promoted. Thinking the idea of a pledge absurd, Kilbourne felt that what was truly needed was a ceremony. So in a Swiftian measure he proposed the ritual sacrifice of each 1,000^th member. The pledge and sacrifice ideas went down to defeat together.

As for his advice to those running for office, Kilbourne feels that competition is healthy. He stresses that it is important to keep one's sense of humor and not to become impressed with the position. One of Kilbourne's goals during his presidency was progress toward consolidating the different actuarial organizations—an idea that is still intensely debated within the Society.