See that your BASE COMMANDER receives this message.

Effective with the end of the Saratoga Convention in September, the old paper membership cards are history!

Fred Borgmann (National Office) will bring new individualized plastic (credit card sized) membership cards, sorted by base, for each base representative to take home.

Each of the cards will have 2005 as the expiration date (or, in the case of a few, a later EXPIRATION DATE). Additionally, each base will receive a supply of durable YEAR stickers for future renewal use. As the member renews this fall, the base will provide them with their personal membership card. ** If they renew for 12 months, you place no sticker because 2005 is already printed on the card.** If they renew for a longer period (5 or 3 years) you will place a durable year sticker over 2005 representing the proper year of expiration. <<< STICKERS The entire process is virtually identical to our old way with the paper membership cards, except that the new card is 'permanent' plastic and stickers will be added for future renewals. After the convention, all NEW MEMBER cards will be directly mailed from National along with the new member's "Welcome Aboard" package. This means you will no longer have to stock blank membership cards to hand out.

Below are some questions and answers about this program.

QUESTION:
Who deserves the credit for the new card?

ANSWER:
Thank Central Region Director Art Randall for your new cards. He put lots of time into the design and got us a good price for the production.

QUESTION:
Why are these cards being brought to the convention? Why aren't they just going to be mailed to the members? Why add an extra step in this process, and make the bases incur the costs?

ANSWER:
Your base currently supplies paper member cards as the members renew. Under the new system (for 2005) renewals, the Base will hand out the new plastic personalized cards instead as the member renews. The process is identical to prior years, just that the card is plastic instead of paper.

For future years, when a member renews the base will provide a year sticker for the card instead of a new card.

QUESTION:
Again I thought that as guys joined or renewed that they would send the new stickers. I see that they are doing it with the New members, but why not the renewals? Why are we putting this administrative burden on the Base Commanders?

ANSWER:
Following the convention, all new members will receive their membership card along with their "Welcome Aboard" package from National.

Renewals will be handled exactly the same way the base currently does it. There is no change at all and no additional administrative burden.

For 2005 annual 12 month renewals, the base will provide the new personal plastic membership card, already printed with 2005 expiration on it. If they renew for a longer period, stick the proper year label on the card and then provide it to them. (The stickers are sized to go over the printed YEAR on the card.) Each base will receive a supply of annual stickers to use.

For 2006 and beyond renewals, instead of providing a paper membership card for the year, the Base will provide a YEAR sticker to go on their already provided card.

QUESTION:
What if a member 'loses' his card and needs a replacement.

ANSWER:
They should contact the National Office are request a replacement. After verification of eligibility and a $ 2.00 payment for the replacement card (to cover the card cost and mailing), the card will be sent to the member. The processing time will be about two weeks.

QUESTION:
How about LIFE and HOLLAND CLUB cards?

ANSWER:
No changes in this process as they are already plastic cards and sent from the National Office.

QUESTION:
What do I do with the personal cards of members who do not renew by April 1st, 2005?

ANSWER:
Those subvets will be dropped from the national rolls and are no longer members, so you can destroy those cards.

A suggestion to all Base Commanders:

As you know, the new National dues structure gives a discount to members who 'ship over' for 3 and 5 years. Consider a parallel Base membership renewal structure for your base, and encourage your members to 'ship over' for both base and national dues for the same term. To the extent that your members sign on for longer periods, you will have less 'chasing' to do at the end of the year for renewals.

Please email me if you have any specific questions that pertain to your base and this process.           NATSEC@comcast.net

NOTE: If you will NOT have a representative of your Base at SARATOGA who can pick up your Base Cards, please let the National Office know by return Email so Fred can send your cards directly to your base for handling.
Natioanl Office E-Mail:      ussvi@telebyte.net

Fraternally:

Patrick Householder Nat Sec