Membership Guidelines and Policies: See Chapter 140 et seq. and Chapter 240 et seq.
The Membership Committee shall supervise the procedure to be followed in the election of applicants to membership in the Club,
and shall direct and supervise all activities in connection with invitation to membership,
except in the case of Complimentary, Emeritus and Junior Development members.
The Membership Committee shall consider and report to the Board of Trustees on all applications for membership.
Article VI, Section 5
(a) Intensive screening of all new applicants.
(i) Financial responsibility of applicant - employment history or references, and payment of initiation fees.
(ii) Social compatibility for all members of the family - social references, membership in other clubs, marital background.
(iii) Intellectual compatibility for both spouses - hobbies, educational background, business and community associations, occupation, community activities, and personal references.
(b) To maintain a Membership Committee that is perceptive, vigorous, dedicated, objective, open-minded, and well indoctrinated.
(i) Minimum terms of two years.
(ii) Minimum number of seven members.
(iii) Approximately even male and female.
(iv) Club membership of five years or more before appointed to the committee
(v) Active user of the Club.
(vi) Broad representation of membership.
(vii) Well known among membership.
(viii) Minimum of 75% attendance at committee meetings.
(viiii) Maintain an extensive file of written instruction and procedure.
12/6/18 Added five-year Active-membership requirement.
2. Contact Proposer and Seconder. Before the Membership Committee takes any action on an applicant, a member of the Membership Committee must communicate with the proposer and seconder.
3. Confidentiality. Members of the Membership Committee shall keep all information discovered in the course of review of membership applications strictly confidential. This including, among other things, the status of applications and the mere fact that negative information has been received.
Absolute confidentiality is mandatory! It is very important not to say anything to anyone. Any questions or concerns directed to you can be redirected to the Membership Manager.
Club members will share information regarding applicants only so long as they can trust the integrity and discretion of the Membership Committee.
4. Conflict of Interest. If a member of the Membership Committee has an actual or potential conflict of interest with regard to an application, or is aware of facts which might create the appearance of such a conflict, he or she must advise the Committee chair, and must not participate in discussion of the relevant applicant. This is, in part, for the protection of the Committee member.
A conflict of interest exists with regard to an application made by one or more applicants ("applicant" referring to all family members who would become members) if, among other things:
(i) the Committee member is likely to benefit from the approval or denial of the application;
(ii) facts exist which make it likely that the Committee member may benefit from maintaining personal goodwill with an applicant or may be harmed by creating ill will with an applicant (other than facts which are generally applicable to all Club members, or to similarly broad classes of people in general);
(iii) the Committee member is engaging, has engaged or is likely to engage in business transactions with an applicant himself or herself;
(iv) the Committee member is related to an applicant by blood or marriage; or
(v) the Committee member is a personal friend (rather than a mere acquaintance or stranger) of an applicant.
5. Holding Applications; More Information. An application shall be held if the required references have not been reached, if the Committee determines that additional references are necessary, or if the Committee feels more investigation is warranted. In specific cases when a majority of the Committee members feel it is necessary, an in-person contact may be made. It might also be necessary to seek out additional information from members not listed as references and, in some cases, to seek information from non-members.
The Membership Committee is not required to hear in-person presentations regarding membership applicants except as described in Section 8 below.
6/24/04: Adopted preceding paragraph, no in-person presentations; 12/6/12: Exception for reconsideration added.
6. Negative Comments. Committee members shall share with the Committee any negative comments, information and written objections regarding an applicant during the meeting in which the application is being reviewed. It is preferred that the member's name be recorded when providing application feedback or comments, but at the request of a person who submits a negative comment, information or objection regarding an applicant, the submitter's name me be withheld from the Committee and Board, provided that the submitter is a member of the Club and his or her identity is known, personally or by membership number, by the Membership Manager, Membership Committee chair or Board liaison to the Membership Committee.
12/6/12: Adopted last sentence, regarding withholding names of commenters.
7. Recommendation. The Committee must ultimately recommend to the Board that each application for membership either be approved or denied. The Committee’s report to the Board shall indicate whether the recommendation was unanimous or, if not, the votes for and against, and the number of abstentions.
A tie vote on the question of whether to recommend approval or denial of a membership application shall be treated as a recommendation to deny membership.
12/6/12: Adopted preceding paragraph, tie treated as denial.
(a) General Summary. Under the Reconsideration Process, should the Membership Committee not recommend an application, the Proposer (or the applicant in the case of a JSP to Senior Transfer application), should they so elect, can present factors for reconsideration, in person or via teleconference, directly before the Membership Committee. The Proposer (or the applicant in the case of a JSP to Senior Transfer application) may invite the Seconder (or an additional STC Active member reference) to participate in such presentation. The Proposer (or the applicant in the case of a JSP to Senior Transfer application) is entitled to only one reconsideration presentation before the Membership Committee for any given application. In addition, if and only if the Proposer (or the applicant in the case of a JSP to Senior Transfer application) elects to present, the Membership Committee may, in its discretion, provided the circumstances warrant and keeping in mind the strict confidentiality requirements of the application review process, invite one or more members who have opposed the application to present separately at that same meeting (either before or after the supporters' presentation).
Any documentation or testimonials the Proposer (or the applicant in the case of a JSP to Senior Transfer application), Seconder (or an additional STC Active member reference) or other parties involved wish to solicit from other members in connection with the Reconsideration Process must be submitted by commenting members directly to the Membership Manager, Membership Chair, or Club Manager for consideration, as opposed to such parties collecting and presenting such materials on their own. Although the Membership Committee in general welcomes such additional input from the membership, the parties involved in the Reconsideration Process are urged not to exert pressure on other members in soliciting comments on the application in question.
Immediately following the reconsideration presentation(s), the Committee will re-evaluate the application in light of such presentation(s), vote again on the application, and send its recommendation to the Board for ultimate disposition. The Board, in its discretion, may either (i) accept the Committee’s recommendation (whether it be a recommendation to deny or to approve the application), (ii) reject the Committee’s recommendation and make a different decision on the application, or (iii) send the application back to the Committee for further consideration.
The Proposer (or the applicant in the case of a JSP to Senior Transfer application), Seconder (or an additional STC Active member reference) and any other party participating in the Reconsideration Process are reminded of the strict confidentiality requirements to which the Membership Committee is subject and under which it operates. By participating in this process, such parties agree to respect these requirements by not soliciting information, whether from the Membership Committee, the Membership Manager, the Club Manager or the Board of Trustees, regarding the Committee’s deliberations or the status of the application. Such parties further understand and agree that any breach of these confidentiality requirements could have an impact on the ultimate outcome of the application.
(i) The Proposer (or the applicant in the case of a JSP to Senior Transfer application) may elect to participate in the Reconsideration Process. By doing so they agree to attend the next regularly scheduled Membership Committee meeting (or a subsequent regularly scheduled meeting as agreed to by the Committee) and present to the Committee on behalf of the applicant(s). Any decision by the Proposer (or the applicant in the case of a JSP to Senior Transfer application) must be made within 7 days of notification by the Membership Manager.
(ii) The Proposer (or the applicant in the case of a JSP to Senior Transfer application) may elect to take no action, in which case there will be no reconsideration presentations for the application. However, it is important for the Proposer (or the applicant in the case of a JSP to Senior Transfer application) to understand that if participation in the Reconsideration Process is declined, the original negative vote of the Membership Committee stands and will be presented to the Board as a recommendation to deny the application, with the Board making the final and standing vote (per the Club’s Bylaws, adverse votes by two or more Board members will result in an application being denied).
(iii) The application may be withdrawn from the process by the applicant(s) with no further consideration. If this option is selected, the applicant(s) may re-apply for the active wait list immediately, in which case they will be placed at the bottom of the wait list.
7/24/21: Reconsideration process revised.
1. Meetings. The Membership Committee meets at 5:00 pm on the third Tuesday of every month, or at such different or additional times as determined by the Chair.
Meetings start promptly at 5:00 pm and usually end by 6:00 pm, however please be prepared to stay longer if necessary.
2. Assignments. Two weeks before each month's meeting, you will receive an email with a scan of an application, and any other appropriate documents, for each new applicant that your as assigned to the work-up on. If you know in advance that you will note be able to attend a meeting, please let the Membership Manager know as far in advance as possible. You will either not be given an assignment (when possible) or, if you are given an assignment, please complete it and return to the Membership Manager before the meeting (when an assignment is not completed it holds up the application for a month).
Seventy-five percent attendance at Committee meetings is required by Board policy.
You will receive a copy of the agenda at the meeting. You should be prepared to name the members that you spoke with and to summarize what each one said about the applicant(s). At the end of the meeting, you should place all your notes in trays (at the center of the table) and the Membership Manager will place those notes in the appropriate files.
All other papers are place in the tray (at the center of the table) and will be properly filed or shredded after the meeting by the Membership Manager.
3. Emails and Calls. It is best to start sending emails or making calls right away. You must exchange email or speak with the Proposer and Seconder - you are welcome to contact the five references as well but aren't required to do this.
It is the responsibility of the Proposer and Seconder to ensure that the application is complete in all respects.
Sponsors and references should be close, personal friends (i.e. someone they currently see several times a year in social gatherings or in one-on-one situations). When communicating with sponsors or references, try to ask open ended questions. Ask follow-up questions if necessary. Be direct when necessary and ask for clarification or examples when appropriate.
In the event of a denial recommendation by the Committee, the Membership Manager will begin the reconsideration process by contacting the Proposer (this process is described in Section (A)(8) above).
If you have a potential conflict of interest regarding an application, please advise the Committee Chair or the Membership Manager and you are expected to recuse yourself during discussion (for your own protection).
Qualification of Proposers and Seconders are set forth in Part B of Chapter 142.
The rights and privileges of each membership category are set forth in Chapter 141.
4. Adoption and Modification. The procedures in Part C may be adopted and modified by resolution of the Membership Committee, so long as they are consistent with the major policies in Part B, other Club rules and policies and any action by the Board of Trustees.
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1/26/23: Chapter 254 approved by the Board.