Every so often Kevin and I meet people whose jaws drop in amazement at being told that WSFS is unincorporated and has no permanent officers. There are, of course, times when having such things would be terribly useful. However, watching the latest meltdown at SFWA here, here, and here (to give but a few examples) reminds me that there are good reasons for WSFS staying just as it is, because if it did have officers there is a serious danger it would turn into something very like SFWA.
Or, to answer a question raised elsewhere, SFWA is dumber than WSFS, Goddess help us!
In all seriousness, what is the advantage to membership with SFWA?
The major advantage used to be the Medical Fund. In a country without socialized medicine, self-employed artists of all sorts are at serious risk from major illnesses, and SFWA helped provide some sort of safety net. However, they are not the only option. Stephen King’s new Haven Foundation looks like an excellent project and it has the advantage of catering for a much wider group of people. Insurance is always easier with numbers.
I loathe encouraging people to abandon ship because that just means that the conservatives will strengthen their grip on the association, but I know that a lot of writers are asking themselves exactly the question you posed. See here for both sides of the argument.