HCWG Membership Benefits Changes – Effective 1 Feb 2021
The Guild Board of Directors approved three changes to the membership benefits and rules at their last meeting held on 20 January 2021. Many of the changes were motivated by our pandemic scenario and questions or comments you shared with us. Below, you’ll find a snap shot of the changes.
Membership Benefits Changes
Membership Benefits are for current members. More content will require login or being on our Active Member email distribution list. Help with login is available.
- For Sale and Want ads, and special events email notices will go to Active Members first. Two days later, they will be sent to local guilds we have a communication agreement with, and prospective members.
- Virtual meeting and premium content Zoom connection information will only be provided to logged in members, and Active Member email addresses.
- The March monthly meeting Zoom participant information will only be sent to Active Members. Members who log into the website will be able to view the Zoom meeting connection information. In accordance with our By Laws, guest passes are available for up to two meetings on request.
New “Suspended” Membership Status
A new Suspended membership status has been established to recognize the situation where current members do not favor virtual meetings, yet want to stay connected to the guild, and wish to avoid paying dues or late fee while in-person meetings and the workshop are not available. Rules for this status:
- Members must ask to be suspended, contact the Membership Chair ().
- The suspension will apply to the 2020-2021 fiscal year membership. Will be extended if Maryland and Howard County continue to restrict in-person meetings beyond 1 July 2021.
- No dues or late fee during the suspension will be assessed.
- The suspended status begins immediately and expires at the end of FY2021-2022, or the second fiscal year from when in-person meetings begin. At that time, if the member has elected not to reactivate, the member’s status will change to Expired, and will be subject to being deleted from the Guild database.
- The suspended member can reactivate at any time before the end of FY2021-2022 by contacting the Membership Chair () and paying the then current fiscal year published membership dues.
- The suspended member is not eligible to receive any member benefits.
- The suspended member’s email address will be moved from the Active Member email distribution list, to the Suspended Member email distribution list, and will no longer receive any active member emails, or receive membership renewal dues.
- The suspended member will be notified by email as soon as the guild knows we can resume in-person meetings. The member can at that time elect to reactivate and renew, or if no response, will eventually be changed to expired status, per #4 above.
All Statuses:
Active – current membership status, dues paid.
Pending (expiration) – renewal campaign started, member about to expire.
Suspended – member requested to be suspended.
Expired – member did not renew or suspend.
Expiring Members – effective February 7th, 2021
- Before the February 6th meeting, an email notice will be sent directly to members who are about to expire.
- On or after February 7th:
- Members who have not renewed or requested Suspension, will be changed to “Expired” status.
- Expired members’ online login access to the guild website will be deactivated.
- Expired members email address will be moved to the Expired Members email distribution list.
- Another email to this group will be sent to remind them of the option to request membership suspension as well as being urged to renew.
- Expired members will not receive active member information (virtual meeting connection information, for sale and want ads, event notices).
- Expired members will be purged from the membership database at the beginning of the second fiscal year after expiration.
Check your status now. View the Pending Expiration list to see if your name is on it.
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