How can I tell if someone is a member?
Contributed by HL Yolande Chastellain, GdS
A member of the Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc. is a person who paid a yearly membership fee to the membership Registry in Milpitas, California (SCA Headquarters), and has received confirmation from the Registry that their membership fees have been processed.
There are various forms of Proof of Membership. It is important to remember that a person's word that they have paid their fee is not valid proof. All valid memberships must be in paper format. We are a chivalric society, and do take people at their word, but when checking for someone's Proof of Membership, you must insist that they show you the paperwork. If the person says, "Oh it's on site, just back in my car" then get them to go to their car and retrieve it to show to you. Remember to be kind and ask with a smile.
On the valid Proof of Membership, you are checking the membership expiry date. If the membership expires on the day you are checking it, the membership is valid until the end of the day. Memberships may be either for a one, two or three year period.
Valid Proof of Membership must be one of the following issued from the Milpitas Registry:
Blue Card
A blue membership card issued from the Registry indicates that payment has been made and a waiver has been signed and is on file in Milpitas. The card should be signed by the member on the back. If the signature line is blank, get the member to sign it. The membership expiry date is shown on the front of the card.
White Card
A white membership card issued from the Registry indicates that payment has been made and a waiver has *not* been signed and a waiver is *not* on file in Milpitas. The card should be signed by the member on the back. If the signature line is blank, get the member to sign it. The membership expiry date is shown on the front of the card.
Post Card with Registry Stamp
A person may send a self-addressed, stamped post card to the Registry along with their membership payment. The Registry tends to process the payment faster than they can generate membership cards. In the interim, the post card is mailed back to the member with an official green ink Registry stamp indicating that the payment has been processed and the person is a member. This post card with the Registry stamp serves as a temporary Proof of Membership. A membership card will be sent in the mail within four to six weeks. The membership expiry date is shown on the green ink Registry stamp.
Credit Card Receipt
A credit card receipt issued from the Registry and memo on official SCA, Inc. letterhead indicates that the Registry has processed the membership payment. The Registry tends to process the payment faster than they can generate membership cards. In the interim, a memo with the credit card receipt is issued to the member indicating that the payment has been processed and the person is a member. This credit card receipt serves as a temporary Proof of Membership. A membership card will be sent in the mail within four to six weeks. The credit card receipt has the date the credit card payment was processed.
Website Receipt
Memberships can be purchased online with a credit card on the SCA, Inc's website at https://secure.sca.org/membership/. The Registry tends to process the payment faster than they can generate membership cards. In the interim, once the online membership form has been completed, the member can print an official receipt indicating that the payment has been processed and the person is a member. This website receipt serves as a temporary Proof of Membership. A white membership card will be sent in the mail within four to six weeks. The website receipt has the date the online membership was received.
Crier Label
Some members choose to receive the kingdom newsletter as part of their membership privileges. The Crier is the Kingdom of An Tir's newsletter. The address label (either on the back of The Crier, or on the envelope in which The Crier was mailed in) has the member's expiry date found on the top right hand side. The membership expires at the end of the month listed, not the first of the month.
Membership Roster
The Kingdom Seneschal can, upon request, order a Membership Roster from the Milpitas Registry. This Roster lists the SCA and modern names of all members in An Tir and their expiry dates. Branch Seneschals can also request the Roster for a fee, and it can be sent in either hard copy or PDF formats. The Kingdom Seneschal usually requests a new Roster from the Registry just prior to the four Crown events. The Seneschal orders the Roster as a courtesy to entrants in the Crown Lists. However, it is still the entrant's and inspiration's responsibility to provide Proof of Membership.
The following are NOT valid forms of Proof of Membership:
- Word of honour
- Knowing your membership number
- Combatant's authorization card ("fighter's card")
- Fax confirmation of credit card payment to the Milpitas Registry
- Cancelled cheque
- Copy of money order or bank draft
- Credit card statement
- Anything else that is NOT issued from the Milpitas Registry
Sometimes you are shown interesting variations of valid forms of Proof of Membership. Such as the person who colour photocopied their blue membership card, both front and back, then later mistakenly destroyed the original blue card in the washing machine. (The person had a habit of constantly losing their card and finally started to learn from their mistakes.) The person shows the colour photocopy in place of the destroyed original. Is this a valid form of membership? Yes. Use common sense in these situations.
There are times when valid Proof of Membership is mandatory, such as during Crown or Coronet Lists. If entrants to the Crown or Coronet Lists (and their inspirations) cannot provide valid Proof of Membership, they are to be denied entry to the Lists.
If you are unsure of a person's membership status, be on the safe side and consult your branch or kingdom Seneschal.
Any further issues or questions not answered here can be addressed to the Kingdom of An Tir Seneschal seneschal@antir.sca.org