23. Policy Regarding Study Group Members Payment of Local and IPA Dues

1. A problem is created when a member of a Component Society withdraws from that Society to become a part of a Study Group.  In order to retain Membership in the IPA the person who withdraws from a Component Society must pay IPA dues through that Society because IPA dues cannot be paid through a Study Group: Rules, Rule 4, Section B(2): “Study Groups are approved and overseen by the Board and do not  collect or pay dues to the IPA.”

2. For this reason the IPA Member who withdraws must remain a member of the Component Society.  A difficulty arises when the Component Society requires the Study Group member from their Component Society to pay local dues to the Component Society.  Historically the relationship between such an IPA Member and the Component Society varies from full participation in both to no participation in the Component Society and full participation in the Study Group.  Further, the IPA Member of the Study Group must pay local dues to the Study Group.  In short, this person may pay double local dues in order to retain IPA Membership.  Arrangements have been made in the past by the Component Society to diminish local dues owed to them in proportion to the amount of participation in the Component Society, but this does not always occur resulting in ill will on both sides.

3. In cooperation with Allan Compton Dr. Sachs put forward the following proposal, which was approved by the Executive Council.

4. Whereas both Component Society and Study Group have chosen to work within the framework of the IPA, the principle of IPA discretion applies to disputes between them in regard to local dues and other matters, and

5. Whereas it is the view of Council that IPA Members who undertake the burden involved in forming a Study Group should pay significantly more local dues than other IPA Members is both unrealistic and unfair, Council recommends:

*   If there is a disagreement between IPA Members, who also belongs to a Study Group, and the Component Society to which they also belong, the two parties should negotiate a realistic and fair solution.

*   If the two parties are unable to negotiate a mutually satisfactory solution within six months of notifying one another of the difference in opinion about local dues, either party must appeal within the next month to the IPA Treasurer to arbitrate the matter.

*   After investigating the situation, the IPA Treasurer shall make a decision about the local dues that shall be binding upon both parties.

*   IPA dues shall continue to be collected by the relevant Component Society from those members of the Component Society who are also members of a Study Group.  These IPA Members of a Study Group owe no IPA dues through the Study Group.

Approved by the Executive Council January 2003