9 0 1 , ▁under ▁the ▁Friend ly ▁Soci eties ' ▁Act , ▁as ▁am ended ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁ ▁History ▁When ▁The odor ▁Herz l ▁came ▁to ▁England ▁before ▁the ▁First ▁Z ion ist ▁Congress ▁the ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Society , ▁who ▁then ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁" Lo vers ▁of ▁Z ion " ▁movement , ▁p led ged ▁their ▁ad her ence ▁to ▁the ▁Z ion ist ▁cause . ▁The ▁Society ▁is ▁an ▁av owed ly ▁Z ion ist ▁Order , ▁and ▁every ▁member ▁on ▁ad mission ▁has ▁to ▁declare ▁his ▁willing ness ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁Z ion ist , ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁she kel ▁and ▁to ▁assist ▁generally ▁through ▁the ▁Order ▁in ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁res ett ling ▁the ▁Jews ▁in ▁Palest ine . ▁M emb ership ▁consists ▁primarily ▁of ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁prof essions , ▁with ▁a ims ▁to ▁provide ▁" social ▁inter course ▁and ▁co - operation ▁among ▁its ▁members ▁with ▁a ▁view ▁to ▁the ▁promotion ▁of ▁the ▁interests ▁of ▁Jews , ▁including ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁any ▁professional ▁or ▁learned ▁bodies ▁and ▁char ities ." ▁ ▁All ▁persons ▁" of ▁the ▁Jewish ▁faith ▁who ▁declare ▁themselves ▁ad her ents ▁to ▁the ▁Z ion ist ▁Mov ement " ▁can ▁become ▁members ; ▁membership ▁also ▁includes ▁similarly ▁mind ed , ▁non - J ew ish ▁' hon or ary ' ▁members . ▁ ▁Past ▁pres idents ▁▁▁ 1 8 9 1 – 1 9 0 3 ▁Rap ha el ▁M eld ola ▁( in ▁whose ▁honour ▁the ▁society