More retired leaders are joining boards, as are executives in large corporations' "C level" ranks, like chief financial officers.

"It is my wish and my party's wish that the relationship with our retired leader should remain warm, sincere and healthy," Mr. de Klerk said.

Numerous active and retired military leaders, including Major General Jack Wheeler, were in attendance.

When an 84-year-old retired leader of Iris, an organization of white women, was asked in an interview today whether men would ever be allowed to join, she replied, "Never."

There were things I could not believe, until I spoke of them to several retired leaders of the Politburo.

For many retired military leaders, the whole messy spectacle has been disheartening.

Some of the retired military leaders whose blunt statements about war strategy have rankled the Pentagon defended their right yesterday to offer frank assessments about military progress.

The principal decisions will almost certainly have been made by the Politburo and by retired leaders well before the session opens.

The retired leader, who is 77 years old, announced last week that he was quitting after holding unchallenged power for 26 years.

A retired Episcopal leader who for more than a decade was one of the strongest liberal Christian voices in New York City, he was 83.