| In the past our guild has had memberships run from July 1 - June 30 of the following year, no matter when the person signed up. Our application states "Our membership year runs from July 1 to June 30; renewal notices are mailed in May. We do not have the resources to provide yearly membership on an individual basis. If you join after May 1, your membership will be extended through the next year. If you join before May 1, you will receive all benefits as if you had joined the previous June." Could we consider changing the membership year to be from when one signs up + 1 year instead of the current method? |
Posted by Bill Gamradt at 8/28/2005 6:05:03 PM.
| It seems the current method provides little incentive to renew prior to May 1 of the following year, or just prior to the convention. Back issues will be given, and "...you will receive all benefits as if you had joined the previous June." Also, for new members, if they sign up late in 'our' year they are soon asked again to renew. The current method causes a glut of work during a relatively short time. With the new online system we could save Shannon some time in her efforts to maintain the membership records with the new proposed method. The efforts to maintain the list would be spread out more over the entire year and not just around June. |
Posted by Bill Gamradt at 8/28/2005 6:14:01 PM.
| What is Shannons take on this matter. She would be the one doing the work. I have always been annoyes at our "members" who play the system and pay up when it's convenient for them like at the show so they can get a table or come to the meeting and complain on how we should follow the rules ala Chris. If we can stagger they membership renewals it could make things easier and we could be nice guys and give them a grace period of lets say 2 months.Then we cut them off and no back copies unless they pay for them. |
Posted by Martin Rabeno at 8/28/2005 11:19:16 PM.
| Since I have some experience in this from the past, my opinion is that it would be hard to have different renewal dates. Part of the reason is that it much easier to do bulk mailing of renewals and membership cards. Also, printing the member cards are easier in bulk. That's my thought but Shannon should have the input here. |
Posted by Rex Pedersen at 8/29/2005 7:45:46 AM.
| One possible solution to the mailing of renewals is to simply have the expiration date shown on the mailing label. Write a small notice in the Newsletter saying "your exp. date is on your mailing label", etc. |
Posted by Bill Gamradt at 8/30/2005 10:01:20 AM.
| How would you suddenly create a staggered system ???could be rough..Keep it the way we have now but no freebe back copy information to delinquent members when they rejoin 9 months later |
Posted by Martin Rabeno at 8/31/2005 8:45:57 AM.
| Changing to a new system would take some work - it can be done though. The problem with 'no freebe back copy information to delinquent members when they rejoin 9 months later' is that new members are given all 9 months previous info and so would the delinquent member say he is renewing or simply new? It doesn't seem right to penalize a person who has been a member, even though delinquent in renewing, and then give more to a 'new' member who has never paid anything to the guild. |
Posted by Bill Gamradt at 9/1/2005 2:26:22 AM.
| Maybe we shouldn't give new members all the backlog freebees also. |
Posted by Martin Rabeno at 9/1/2005 8:34:02 AM.
| As long as we are discussing membership dates and renewals I'll add my thoughts. Keep it July 1- June 30. I believe keeping track of who's a paid up member and who isn't would become a nightmare for the person who is accountable for this. I also think that it is not necessary to automatically give away back issues of the Engraver magazine. While manning the FEGA table at the Reno show, Cherrie and I have run across this problem. People will take a membership application and say they will fill it out and send it in, on or about July 1. This is because they have already lost 6 months of a 12-month membership. Now if they really do fill it out in July and send it in is doubtful. What I would like to see implemented for new members only is an option to join for 18 months at a cost of $75.00 for a regular membership and $55.00 for an associate membership. The Certified Professional membership would not be affected, as there would be no new membership in this category. |
Posted by Mike Bissell at 9/1/2005 9:21:01 AM.
| I like mike ideas. Roger |
Posted by Roger Sampson at 9/3/2005 11:43:51 AM.
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