Association Membership
Membership of an association can be granted to a person, community/association or an institution. An association can include foreign members, but usually the chairman has to have a residence in the association's home country.
If an association's essential purpose is to affect on governmental issues, usually the members have to be citizens of the association's home country, or foreigners who have a residence in association's home country.
Becoming a Member
To become a member of an association, one must usually fill a membership application form. Some association can also utilize recommendations. In this case, a member of an association or association's board must recommend new member before he/she can be granted the membership of an association.
An association board accepts new members, if this rule isn't determined otherwise on the association's rules. Board meeting states new and resigned members. Attendant of the member register must provide the board with the needed information.
It is useful to pay enough attention to the acceptance and welcoming of new members to guarantee the continuation of membership. Mere collection of the membership fee is not enough.
It is recommendable to provide new members with a special welcoming letter, which includes information about the association's operations. It is also a nice habit to mention new members on member bulletins.
Some associations also arrange special networking events for new members with fitting intervals. Alternatively new members can be invited to participate in some kind of special event, like the "New Member Night", especially designed and arranged for them.
Terminating Membership
A member has the right to terminate his/her membership at any time. The termination is handled by announcing it to association's board of the chairman. Termination of membership can also be announced in association's meeting, when it is written down in the minutes.
Rules of an association can especially state, that the termination of membership will come into effect after a certain deadline, which can usually be no longer than one year.
Firing a Member
A member of an association can be fired due to the occurance of some firing principle, which are announced in the rules of an association (e.g. failure to pay the membership fee in a certain timeline).
Usually a member can be fired, if:
- he/she has left unfilled those commitments, to which he/she has engaged to when joining the association
- has severely damaged the association by his/her actions
- no longer fullfils the conditions reguired from a member on association's rules or the law
The decision of firing a member is made by the association's meeting, if the rules don't state otherwise. Usually the reason for firing must be mentioned on the decision.
Often, if the reason for the firing is other than failure to pay the membership fee, the member must have a possibility to give an explanation for his/her actions. If the firing is decided by association's board, the rules can define, that the fired member can demand for a hearing on association's meeting.
This article is a modification of the Finnish version produced by Optinet Ltd and found on www.yhdistystieto.fi.