Membership Application Procedure

Introduction

Membership information for new applicants is held at the Nottingham office and in limited quantities by branch secretaries or the local recruitment officer. The information currently available is in the form of a full-colour brochure, and an application form with a tear-off section which gives guidance on completion.

Application Form

In addition to personal details of the applicant the form requires the signatures of a proposer and a seconder, who are existing members of a particular grade. The form also requires the names of two referees who know the applicant personally. Applicants may be in doubt about the grade which is appropriate for them. If this is the case, they should be advised to contact the Secretary at the Nottingham office or simply return the form with the grade section left blank. The same form is used by those wishing to transfer to a higher grade of membership.

UK Application Procedure

When the form is received at Nottingham, the General Manager checks the details and either agrees the grade applied for or contacts the applicant to clarify or correct the grade. A letter of acknowledgement will then be sent to the applicant, requesting the payment of the entrance fee (if any) and the appropriate subscription. Only when payment is received by headquarters will the applicant’s details be entered into the computer record system.  To speed up this process payment can be sent with the application, however please note that we are unable to take the initial payment by direct debit.

In the meantime, the applications are copied to delegates of the Finance, Membership and General Purposes Committee and to the relevant Branch Committee together with a request that any comments upon the eligibility of the applicant should be made within two weeks.  If no valid objections or reasons for rejecting the application are received within that time, the applicant is elected by the power delegated from Council to FM&GP Committee.

Following election, the applicant is sent a letter of confirmation, which also gives details of direct debiting arrangements and the tax concession regarding the annual subscription.  The applicant can expect to be informed of his or her election within one month of receipt of the application form and payment.

Subsequently, a membership certificate will either be sent direct to the new member, or to his Branch Secretary for handing over personally at the first available meeting.

Branch Membership

When an application form is received directly from an applicant it is normal practice for him/her to be assigned to a branch which covers the applicant’s home and/or works address to which meeting notices etc are posted. If the application form is forwarded by a branch then the new member is normally assigned to that branch. Members living or working within a reasonable distance of more than one meeting place may request details for up to four different branches.

Overseas Application Procedure

Overseas applications for membership are either forwarded direct to Nottingham, or, if the applicant is in an area covered by one of the overseas branches or Affiliated National Institutes, are forwarded to Nottingham through that body. Those not related to an overseas body are classified as ‘Overseas Unattached’. Their applications are processed in the same way as UK applications, and the applicants pay their subscriptions direct to Nottingham.

To avoid undue delays, applications forwarded by overseas sections are handled on a continuous basis by two delegated members of FM&GP Committee and the General Manager.  A schedule listing those processed in this way is prepared for each meeting of FM&GP.

The rules of Affiliation provide overseas members with a form of joint membership, whereby they hold their personal grade within their national Institute, but are also Affiliated Overseas Members of The Institute of Quarrying itself.

Bye-Law 24bvii provides for an Affiliated National Institute to supply Council with details of new members so that they can be elected as Affiliated Overseas Members.  To overcome any variation in interpretation of the membership rules, it has been agreed that applications are forwarded by the National Institute or Branch for consideration by FM&GP Committee.  Once approved through this channel the endorsement of the UK Council can be taken as read.