Interpretation of Retirement Bylaw

[Guest Elaine]

We have had a bylaw providing our retirees with a reduced membership rate for many years.  Based on how the bylaw is written, several members who are still working want to pay the reduced dues based on the language below.  The intent was that the person exercising the bylaw would have retired.  Several members want to pay the reduced rate because they are now 62. Do you think the bylaw is clear or should the language be changed to define what is meant by retirement?

 

d.  Retirement Dues.  A member of XYZ will be entitled to a twenty-five percent  reduced rate in chapter dues upon reaching the age of 62 years.  The member must have been a financial member of the chapter for three years to receive the reduced rate.

[Edgar Guest]

"Upon reaching the age of 62 years" seems pretty clear to me though I'm not sure I'd have called it "Retirement Dues". Maybe "Senior Dues"?

 

In any case, the rule's the rule, no matter what it's called.

[Richard Brown]

I think agree with Mr. Guest.  The rule seems clear to me.  Although the title to the section says "Retirement Dues", nothing is said in the body of the rule about having to be retired but it's pretty clear about members being entitled to reduced dues at age 65.

 

However, it  is your organization's unique rule, and only your organization can interpret it.   Perhaps the rule should be made a bit clearer by adding a provision that the member must also be retired in order to be entitled to the reduction.

[Edgar Guest]

Perhaps the rule should be made a bit clearer by adding a provision that the member must also be retired in order to be entitled to the reduction.

 

Perhaps not. Defining what constitutes "retirement" is like defining what constitutes "attendance".

 

As someone recently described it, it's a "minefield".

[Richard Brown]

Perhaps not. Defining what constitutes "retirement" is like defining what constitutes "attendance".

 

As someone recently described it, it's a "minefield".

Possibly, but I'm not aware that NAP has any problems with its "Retired" status with reduced dues for "retired" RP's and PRP's.   Maybe the problems do exist, but the masses have not been made aware of it.

[Rev Ed]

The By-law is clear to me, once a member is both 62 years old and a member for at least three years, then they can get a 25% reduction in fees.

 

Also, even if you want to turn it to  "retired members" then you need to determined what 'retired' means - not working at all (totally retired) or retired but still working part time.

[Edgar Guest]

Possibly, but I'm not aware that NAP has any problems with its "Retired" status with reduced dues for "retired" RP's and PRP's.   Maybe the problems do exist, but the masses have not been made aware of it.

 

And it takes the NAP only one page to explain it. And it looks like you can "un-retire".

 

But I confess I missed the reference to "our retirees" in the original post so, yes, it may be fairly simple to determine who's retired (from this particular company). Though, like the NAP, you might want to figure out what to do with someone who goes back to work.

[Josh Martin]

We have had a bylaw providing our retirees with a reduced membership rate for many years. Based on how the bylaw is written, several members who are still working want to pay the reduced dues based on the language below. The intent was that the person exercising the bylaw would have retired. Several members want to pay the reduced rate because they are now 62. Do you think the bylaw is clear or should the language be changed to define what is meant by retirement?

d. Retirement Dues. A member of XYZ will be entitled to a twenty-five percent reduced rate in chapter dues upon reaching the age of 62 years. The member must have been a financial member of the chapter for three years to receive the reduced rate.

If the intent was that the person receiving the reduced rate was retired, this should be made quite a bit more clear, because the rule currently doesn't mention that at all.

Unless and until the rule is amended, it seems clear to me that members who are 62 or older and have been financial members of the chapter for at least three years are entitled to the reduced rate, whether those members are retired or not.

[Guest Elaine]

We have had a bylaw providing our retirees with a reduced membership rate for many years.  Based on how the bylaw is written, several members who are still working want to pay the reduced dues based on the language below.  The intent was that the person exercising the bylaw would have retired.  Several members want to pay the reduced rate because they are now 62. Do you think the bylaw is clear or should the language be changed to define what is meant by retirement?

 

d.  Retirement Dues.  A member of XYZ will be entitled to a twenty-five percent  reduced rate in chapter dues upon reaching the age of 62 years.  The member must have been a financial member of the chapter for three years to receive the reduced rate.

 I thank everyone for their input. We will revise the bylaw to define retirement.

[Tom Coronite]

We will revise the bylaw to define retirement.

 

 

...and, hopefully, specify that the dues reduction only applies to retirees, if that's the intent.  The definition alone probably won't solve the issue.