(Note: The Membership Committee approved this policy as its second draft on February 23, 2009 for recommendation to the Board of Directors. The Board approved the policy on March 28, 2009, contingent upon the approval by the membership at the 2009 convention of the bylaw change to include the corporate category. On November 8, 2009, the membership approved the addition of the new membership category, “corporate membership.”)
Membership and dues in the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind (PCB) are defined in the PCB bylaws Article IV, Sections 1 through 5 as follows:
- Any person eighteen years of age or older shall be eligible for membership in the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind provided he/she subscribes to the objectives of this organization.
- Persons under eighteen years of age who subscribe to the objectives of this organization are eligible to become junior members. Junior members may participate in discussion but may not vote nor hold office.
- Any agency or non-profit organization which subscribes to the objectives of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind is eligible for agency/non-profit membership, a non-voting membership.
- Any business or for-profit corporation which subscribes to the objectives of the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind is eligible for corporate membership, a non-voting membership.
- Any individual or organization may purchase a life membership for him or herself or for another member.
- The Board of Directors may confer an Honorary Life Membership upon any person who, in its judgment, has given outstanding service to and for people who are blind or visually impaired.
- The annual membership dues for the Pennsylvania Council of the Blind shall be an amount recommended by the Board of Directors and approved by the membership at a convention. Dues are payable in advance and credited to the first day of January of each year. Dues are payable by chapter members through their chapters and by members-at-large directly to the Treasurer of PCB.
- Dues for junior members shall be fifty (50) percent of dues paid by adult members.
- Dues for agency/non-profit membership shall be twice the dues paid by adult members.
- Dues for corporate/for-profit membership shall be thrice the dues paid for agency membership.
End of excerpt from the bylaws.
It is strongly recommended that chapters follow the same policy as PCB in allowing dues paid by a new member after September 1 to be credited towards the subsequent year.
Chapters shall be urged to get their membership renewal lists and dues to the PCB office by January 15 of each year. Chapters shall be encouraged to offer payment plans for dues to make it easier for members to join or renew.
After the January 15 deadline the PCB Executive Director or other appropriate person will look at non-renewals on a case-by-case basis and contact chapters or members at large via letter or phone. Before July 1 of that year a second letter will go out to members at large who have not renewed.
Chapters shall be expected to contact members to encourage renewal of membership.
If a member allows membership to lapse, that person is considered a new member after a lapse of two years or more. Otherwise, it is considered a renewal.
A member who has not renewed by January 15 and has not indicated a desire to terminate membership shall receive the next spring edition of the ADVOCATE newsletter, but subsequent issues may not be sent unless dues are received in the office.
PCB informs ACB of lapses of memberships as they become final.
End of Membership Policy.