Amateur
Entomologists'
Society

Why can't I have a year's membership from the date I join?

We are sometimes asked why members cannot join for 12 months starting from any time of the year, rather than be tied to a fixed, calendar-year membership period.

Somewhat related to this is the question of why we cannot accept membership payments by monthly standing order.

Fixed membership periods are in fact commonplace in the case of many organisations.

In the case of the AES the membership year begins in January, but for other societies the membership year can begin at another fixed time, depending on how that organisation's activities are structured.

The reasons for our calendar-year membership include:

  1. Membership is tied in with receipt of a periodical. In common with other entomological journals, our periodicals are published in parts which make up an annual volume.

    Thus, to receive the full volume, including the corresponding annual Index, membership subscriptions need to cover a calendar year.

    (In practice, members also receive the first issue of the following year's volume free of charge, as it is accompanied by the index to the previous volume).

  2. The society's periodicals contain details of the society's planned events for the year (these are also available on the website and in the monthly newsletter, for those with internet access). The events are planned on an annual basis and normally begin in March or April.
  3. Logistically, our membership systems are designed to handle calendar year memberships. This is also simpler and more predictable from the point of view of voluntary societies such as ours. It is not straightforward to change these systems.

What if I join half way through the year?

Normally, anyone joining between January and September will receive all of that year's journals.

Anyone joining after 1st October can choose to either receive that year's journals, or to join instead for the following year.

We can be flexible around membership periods, if the need arises, often to members' advantage.

As an example, someone joining in the autumn could be eligible for a discounted rate on a two-year membership, to include all the current year's journals as well as the following year's journals.

Alternatively, those joining towards the end of the year will receive the last journal(s) of the year in which they join as well as their subscription year volume, subject to availability of journal copies towards the end of the year.

The main requirement is that the membership year ends on December 31st of any year, as the members' database automatically archives data at that time.

If you should have any questions about your membership at any time please inquire by contact us