communication department

Volume XIX Number 10

Membership

Membership Renewals Due January 1

Renewal invoices for the 2007 Society year were mailed in late November to all STC members who had not renewed their memberships online. For membership dues, STC accepts checks in U.S. dollars or the Canadian equivalent, and payments made by American Express, MasterCard, or Visa. Dues payments must be received by January 1, 2007. Note that only members who have paid their dues by January 1 will be eligible to vote in the 2007 STC election.

The renewal invoices for 2007 allow members to choose one of the following individual membership categories: classic, e-membership, limited, student, and retired. The costs of these categories vary across the three tiers established by STC's localized dues structure. Costs and other information related to membership categories and localized dues can be found on the STC Web site.

Prorated Dues for New Members
New members who joined STC between February 1 and October 31, 2006, receive prorated credit on their first renewal. The amount of credit new members receive does not depend on the membership category they select when renewing for 2007.

A member's credit is based on 2006 dues and the month he or she joined the Society, as shown in Table 2 below. For example, new members who joined STC in September at the classic rate paid $150 for a membership that extends until December 31, 2006. Each of these members would receive an 80 percent ($120) credit toward 2007 dues.

These credits appear on new members' renewal invoices. New members who join the Society in November and December 2006 are considered paid in full for 2007 and do not receive a renewal notice in 2006.

Table 1. Renewal Credits for New STC Members (in U.S. Dollars)

Month Joined (2006)	Credit Toward 2007 Dues (As a Percentage of 2006 Dues: Classic $150, E-member $140, Limited $130, Student $55)
January	0
February	10%
March	20%
April	30%
May	40%
June	50%
July	60%
August	70%
September	80%
October	90%
November	N/A
December	N/A

Other Rates for 2007
Two groups of members do not receive a renewal invoice in November: members who join STC on or after November 1, 2006, and sustaining organizations. Sustaining organizations are billed separately in July.

Confused?
If you have any questions about membership renewal, please contact the membership department; Cara Gardner, Membership Assistant; or Ella Carlson, Membership Assistant.

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Community Membership Drives

To attract new members during their membership drives, chapters can use the promotional items mailed to all membership managers and student chapter advisors in early November. These items include membership applications, flyers promoting STC's 54th Annual Conference, and copies of the Discover the Benefits brochure. Discover the Benefits contains information about STC and its services, publications, and special interest groups. Applications and brochures can also be downloaded from the Society Web site.

Below is a list of STC membership drive achievers. The communities listed are leading their respective categories in growth percentages from June 30 through November 30, 2006. Chapters are ranked in the size category they attained on June 30, 2006; the list also includes a category for SIGs. The numbers in parentheses denote the number of communities in each category as of June 30, 2006. As an inspiration to all STC communities, Tieline will publish an updated version of this list in every issue through March 2007.

Professional Chapters, Size Category 1
More than 600 members (2 communities)

Chapter	Percentage of growth since June 30, 2006
Silicon Valley	10.38
Boston	8.82

Professional Chapters, Size Category 2
301 to 600 members (9 communities)

Chapter	Percentage of growth since June 30, 2006
Toronto	14.78
Washington, D.C.	11.76
Puget Sound	10.97

Professional Chapters, Size Category 3
151 to 300 members (18 communities)

Chapter	Percentage of growth since June 30, 2006
Carolina	15.02
Eastern Ontario	14.74
Canada West Coast	11.93

Professional Chapters, Size Category 4
76 to 150 members (24 communities)

Chapter	Percentage of growth since June 30, 2006
India	34.29
Indiana	15.12
Southwestern Ontario	13.43

Professional Chapters, Size Category 5
41 to 75 members (21 communities)

Chapter	Percentage of growth since June 30, 2006
James River	24.59
Four Lakes	19.64
San Gabriel Valley	17.24

Professional Chapters, Size Category 6
Fewer than 41 members (30 communities)

Chapter	Percentage of growth since June 30, 2006
Susquehanna Valley	63.33
Rock Valley	36.36
Metrolina	25.00

Student Chapters, Size Category 1
20 or more members (7 communities)

Chapter	Percentage of growth since June 30, 2006
James Madison U.	118.75
U. of Washington	19.44
U. of Minnesota	16.00

Student Chapters, Size Category 2
Fewer than 20 members (23 communities)

Chapter	Percentage of growth since June 30, 2006
London Ontario	150.00
College Station	60.00
Northern Illinois U.	60.00

Special Interest Groups
(20 communities)

SIG	Percentage of growth since June 30, 2006
Quality and Process Improvement	99.80
Environmental, Safety, and Health	82.51
Lone Writer	73.85