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Your Membership Matters: Important Update
Change to Length of Membership
The Executive committee has approved a two year pilot project to test two changes to VWNC’s membership rules. The length of membership will change from four years to six years. The second change is to how the length of membership is calculated.
The membership year runs from September 01 to August 31. However, our constitution states that the duration of membership is either four years or “four years plus the balance of the membership year that follows the four year anniversary”. As a result, some members qualify for more than fours years of membership. For example, the membership of a person who joined in October of 2022 would not expire until August of 2027, almost five years later.
The calculation of the length of membership will change so that it is based on the membership year regardless of when during the year a member joined. For example, everyone who joined between Sept 01 and Aug 31 of 2022/2023 will enter their second year of membership in September of 2023, their third year in September of 2024, and so on until their membership expires Aug 31, 2028 (assuming they renew every year). This change is being made for administrative reasons: to simplify and reduce the amount of volunteer time required to manage membership.
The change to the length of membership was made for several reasons. Some members have requested it. The current size of the membership permits expansion; membership size has varied historically from about 130 to 185 and we currently have about 150. An increase in membership will increase the revenue of the club, which will help the club pay for a much needed new website. Hopefully, this will avoid the need for a significant increase in annual dues. In addition, a larger membership will mean a greater number of potential attendees at the luncheons.
Our contract with the Union Club gives us use of the meeting room for free, but in exchange we are required to purchase at least 65 lunches. We usually have more than 65 members attend, but some months the registration has been a little too close for comfort.
The Executive initially considered five years of membership for the pilot project. This was changed to six because of how the length of membership is calculated. Some would not have benefited from a one-year extension of membership (those who joined late in a membership year, would have almost 5 years of membership anyway).
These changes will take effect at the end of the current membership year – August 31 2023. After two years, the effect of the change will be assessed and if favourable, a permanent change may be proposed.
Frequently asked Questions
Does the executive committee have the authority to do this? Yes. The constitution of the VWNC states that the length of membership may be extended by the Executive “depending on the size of the total membership AND/OR personal circumstances of a member”.
Will the club become too cliquey if membership is longer? This is possible, as well as other unintended consequences. This is the reason for making this change as a two-year pilot project, subject to review. The Executive believes that the kindness and openness of our members will endure and new members will continue to be welcomed and befriended. If needed, new programs can be created, such as a buddy system.
Karin Buss
President, 2023
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