Proposed New Membership Policy

James Wold is submitting this as a proposed policy, for consideration at the next EPNA meeting in January.

PROPOSAL TO CREATE A POLICY GOVERNING TERMS AND DURATION OF MEMBERSHIP.



Membership Terms.

Whereas, currently membership terms are set forth on the website of the Eken Park Neighborhood Association, under the heading of “Join”. Those terms read: “This fee covers membership from November 1 to October 31. Members joining after April 15 have a membership running through October 31 of the following year.”, and

Whereas, those words are neither Bylaw or Policy, nor is their source or authority clearly stated, and

Whereas, those membership terms as stated are confusing to administer, and make determining a member’s status difficult, and

Whereas, the Association has allowed for the creation of Policies by amending the Bylaws to that end, now

Therefore Be It Resolved that a Policy governing duration and terms of membership is hereby created and established as shown.



MEMBERSHIP POLICY

The term of a membership shall be established herein.

Current membership shall be defined as what is shown on the membership rolls of the Eken Park Neighborhood Association as of the date this policy is adopted by the Association.

All persons, households and businesses holding a membership in the Eken Park Neighborhood Association, as of the date of adoption of this policy, shall maintain that membership status through August of 2023, along with any memberships begun or renewed after the date of adoption of this policy.

Beginning on September 1, 2023, all memberships in the Eken Park Neighborhood Association shall begin on September 1 of the year and continue through August of the following year, except as set forth in the paragraph preceding this one stating the membership terms of members current upon the date of adoption of this policy.

Members who pay a membership fee in August of a given year are deemed to start their membership on September 1, following that August. This term of membership, from September 1, of a given year, through August 31 of the following year, shall be in force permanently upon September 1, 2023.

Members who pay a membership fee prior to August of a given year are deemed to have membership status only through August of that given year. They must pay a renewal fee to continue membership beginning upon September 1 and beyond.

If the Eken Park Festival is held in a month other than August, then the details of this Membership Policy must be reconsidered in a Resolution taken up in a monthly meeting not later than September of the year in which the Festival is held.

If said reconsideration is not performed on a timely basis by Resolution in a monthly meeting then all membership fees paid in the calendar year of the Festival with the changed month shall have the following effect. Annual memberships shall be deemed valid through the revised membership end date of the following year, or the latest end date chosen within the current year, which ever is later.



This policy shall be posted as required by the By Laws.



Explanation of the above items in Membership Policy.

The current state of membership terms shown as “This fee covers membership from November 1 to October 31. Members joining after April 15 have a membership running through October 31 of the following year.” is awkward and difficult.

Establishing membership as one 12 month term from September through August is much simpler. Beginning the term in September allows members to join in plenty of time to run for an officer position in the fall. It allows members to vote in the Officer elections in November. It will establish continuity in membership status over time.

Enabling people to pay their membership fee in August for the next year of membership accommodates the surge of signups which occurs at every Festival.

This dating regime is keyed upon the Festival occurring in August. If we move the Festival date then we must at least look at the terms of membership. If we fail to timely reconsider membership terms after a month change of the Festival, then membership terms shall be extended to whatever is the latest term end date to accommodate membership participation and retention.