Organisations that founded the National Trust are expected to rally their forces tonight to protect their representation on the governing council.

A meeting of the Trust membership is to vote on a proposal that would end automatic representation on the 13-member council for the Audubon Society, the Bermuda and St. George's historical societies, the Garden Club, and Keep Bermuda Beautiful.

That would allow the Trust to double to ten the number of council members elected by its members.

Col. Michael Darling, who chaired a committee of past Trust presidents that recommended the change, has said the move was intended to strengthen the council's accountability to the general membership.

But there were protests when the report was presented at a Trust meeting on May 26. Some members said they wanted to study the report thoroughly before they voted.

Others said that if the five organisations were to lose their seats on the council, Government should lose its three representatives.

The KBB has sent members a newsletter urging them to attend tonight's 8 p.m.

meeting at Pembroke Sunday School.

"The stated goals and objectives of the National Trust can be achieved without the removal of the five founding members' seats on the council,'' KBB vice-president Ms Christine Hoskins said in the letter.

"Indeed, we are of the opinion that the loss of those five independent seats would be detrimental to the National Trust.''