How Membership Works
The Membership Year
The ArcheryGB membership year runs from 01 October until 30 September of the following calendar year and this applies to all members, irrespective of when they originally join. SCAS and KAA operate in the same way.
A "grace period" until 31 October is allowed for renewals, after which:
- clubs that have not returned renewal forms risk exclusion by ArcheryGB;
- individuals whose affiliations have not been received will cease to be members of ArcheryGB, their regional association and county association.
The following discounts are available for new members who join part way through a membership year, but note that they are available only to new members to the sport - not to past members returning after a break:
| ArcheryGB | January - March pay 75%; April - June pay 50%; July - September pay 25% |
|---|---|
| SCAS | no longer provides any discount, because its fees are so low |
| KAA | July - September no fee is payable |
None of the above offer a refund of fees to members who leave the sport part way through a membership year.
The Current System
ArcheryGB introduced a new membership system in 2010 to replace an entirely manual system that had existed for many years and was no longer able to cope with the increased level of membership, or the need to store all day-to-day information about each member in a single structured database.
In time the new system will allow members to review, add and update certain personal information on-line, although it is likely that this will have to be done via the club secretary. In the meantime it is still necessary to advise changes/corrections to the ArcheryGB Membership Officer, who will key them in; this is done using the "Payment Summary and Membership Update" form.
The most obvious change when processing new membership applications and renewals is that ArcheryGB (national) membership and the region/county memberships are now dealt with in two separate streams - it is very important that they are kept separate and each is dealt with correctly, as described in Payment of Membership Fees.
Setting the Fees
Fees are determined by each body and set at their respective AGMs:
| ArcheryGB | April |
|---|---|
| SCAS | April |
| KAA | November of the previous calendar year |
Information: each year's fees can be found from the main menu under Clubs ⇒ Fees as soon as they are available..
Juniors
Any archer under the age of 18 years is a junior and will remain so for the whole of the membership year in which their 18th birthday falls. However a new member to the sport whose 18th birthday fell earlier in the current membership year, but who was 18 at the time of joining, will join as a senior.
Who is included?
Basically, to comply with the terms and conditions of ArcheryGB insurance, every archer who shoots at your club must be a member of ArcheryGB or of another national governing body (NGB) that is affiliated to World Archery. ArcheryGB is the only UK NGB recognised by World Archery, so the reference to NGBs is there to allow foreign archers to shoot over here.
Most of your club members will arrange their membership of ArcheryGB through your club - these are the ones who you include in the membership process.
Who is Not included?
However there are likely to be a few members at almost every club, who do not need to be included. They will fall into one of the following categories that are therefore excluded:
Associate Members
It is common for someone to be a member of more than one club, so it is very possible that someone who is already a member of another ArcheryGB club will want to join yours as well. Occasionally you might receive a similar request from someone who is a member of a club abroad - this is also OK, provided that the club is affiliated to an NGB that is affiliated to World Archery. The World Archery website has a list of all member associations, with links to their websites; if you are not sure whether a request is genuine, check with the KAA secretary or ArcheryGB office first.
Both of these situations are normally dealt with by granting "associate membership" of your club, with no need for the new member to pay additional ArcheryGB, SCAS and KAA membership fees - they continue to pay those (or equivalent) fees through their existing club, or possibly direct.
Note: It is important to periodically check that their ArcheryGB membership remains current.
Direct Members
Although it is significantly more expensive, some members of your club may wish to arrange their membership of ArcheryGB direct, thus relieving your club of the need to do this.
Note: It is important to periodically check that their ArcheryGB membership remains current.
Social Members
Individuals who want to join the club, but are not actively involved in shooting, judging or coaching and so do not require membership of ArcheryGB.
Note: ArcheryGB insurance currently covers volunteers who are involved in certain activities even though they are not members of ArcheryGB, but clubs are advised to check periodically as to exactly what cover is provided.
Other NGBs
Some clubs may be affiliated to more than one national body within the UK (e.g. BLBS, NFAS, EFAA) and some of their members do not require membership of ArcheryGB.
Note: Ensure that you are aware of any current restrictions in the GNAS Rules of Shooting and insurance in this regard - care must be taken to ensure that adequate insurance cover is provided to members and third parties, either through an NGB policy or arranged independently.
