Membership

This page contains the following information regarding AVLIC Membership:

• Membership Renewal
• Member Benefits
• Benefits of Membership (A Message from the AVLIC President (2002-2004), Denise Smith)
• Membership Categories and Conditions
• Membership Exemption Policy
• Membership Payment Plan

Membership Renewal / Application Forms

Membership renewal and online application forms for 2010/2011 membership year are now ready.

Current members:

Please sign in to the Members Only section with your login and password, then go to "My Account" to renew your membership.

New members:

Please register a new user account by clicking here. A verification e-mail will be sent to your e-mail address. Click on the link in that e-mail or copy and paste the address directly into your web browser to verify your e-mail address. Once your e-mail address has been verified, please login with your user ID and password in the "Members Only" menu and click on "My Account" to proceed to the payment options. If you are a new Active member, please choose your Affiliate Chapter and "First Time Active" for your membership category.

Benefits of Membership

From an address by the President, Denise Smith, to the membership at the

Halifax Conference Appreciation Lunch

Saturday, July 27, 2002

Good Afternoon members and guests. I want to thank everyone for being here today - for making a decision to participate in AVLIC 2002. It's not always easy to attend a conference. It costs money to travel and find accommodations; it takes time away from other commitments such as work or family or time for yourself. So I want to thank you for choosing to be here, and for participating.

This luncheon is one effort we make to thank volunteers for their support of AVLIC over the past two years. Many come from outside our field - friends, partners, parents, sons and daughters, Deaf and hearing - and I think we should be proud to have such support. They do everything from billeting snoring strangers in their homes or soliciting donations from local merchants, to helping with fundraising, and picking up people from the airport.

On the screen here we see over 200 names, including theirs. And many more names - names of interpreters - of AVLIC members. These are people who not only understand the importance of joining an association to become better interpreters themselves, they've also set aside many hours to make the most of the experience, and to help others become better interpreters. They've shown more than the usual level of commitment. And this is our time to show our appreciation.

You may have heard the story about the chicken and the pig in a barnyard one morning. They're both hungry, and they decide they could really go for some breakfast. The pig says, what did you have in mind? And the chicken says, I was thinking maybe some eggs and bacon. The pig hesitates for a moment and says, well, for you that would require a contribution. For me it would mean a total commitment.

We don't actually require total commitment from all our members, but sometimes I'm sure it feels pretty close. (Just ask anyone who's ever worked on a conference planning committee.)

These volunteers make membership in AVLIC more valuable for everyone. They do it by working on committees that improve the way interpreters are evaluated and certified. They do it through fundraising, and through membership drives. They do it by preparing our newsletter, and by preparing AVLIC responses to a variety of issues that require a common voice from our profession. They do it as well by organizing conferences like the Message and the Medium that allow us all to improve the way we serve Deaf and hearing communities.

As a non-profit association, we live or die based on the commitment of our members and our volunteers, and that's why we recognize them today.

A question that I am asked often by people, considering membership in AVLIC - I know many of you get asked as well - is: "What do I get for my money?"

It should be a straightforward answer, but I'm not sure we are always as effective as we could be in our reply. I'd like to take a minute today to think out loud about the answer. So that when we are all back in our communities perhaps we will have a response that better reflects what we are as an organization, and we will be more effective in welcoming new members.

The idea of people with a particular skill banding together as we do goes back many years to the craft guilds of medieval Europe. Weavers, goldsmiths, saddlers, fishmongers, bakers, dyers, glove makers . . . all saw the benefits of working together to ensure that knowledge was shared, that standards were met, and that they were paid fairly.

Some guilds were better than others in keeping a focus on what was important.-- namely doing a better job for the people they served. Some guilds lost their way. . .their efforts became more focused on protecting their position and resisting change, than it did on providing service.

Time has shown that the idea of forming an association such as AVLIC is a good one, but that doesn't necessarily guarantee success. Success lies in how the members carry out their mission after the association has been formed. It's a work in progress.

When we pay our AVLIC dues, we write a cheque for anywhere from $250 to $295, depending on where we are in the country. Let's say, on average, its $275, which is tax deductible. So the money out of our pockets is really $184 a year or $15 a month. . . a cup of coffee every two or three days.

If you have read through the package of materials sent to you before the conference, including the Treasurer's report, you probably have a sense that it is a pretty lean operation. It is. And we've made some tough decisions to keep it lean, including changing our relationship with our colleagues who operate in LSQ & French. We are also changing our board structure to keep costs down. I think these decisions have been made responsibly, and will make our association stronger. My point is, the money from dues is clearly not piling up in corners somewhere, it is just enough to get by.

That doesn't mean that paying dues is ever easy, so let me continue?

For writing that cheque you get to say you are part of a national organization that is committed to improving the quality of service provided by its members. An organization that has a Code of Ethics, and Guidelines for Professional Practice, which members agree to, and which is enforced through a grievance or mediation process. An organization that shares information about best practices, that encourages people to research and present papers on anything from better interpreting techniques to matters of public policy.

You get to say that you are part of an organization that maintains formal and informal links with peer organizations nationally and internationally, and with stakeholders in the Deaf and hearing communities we serve. An organization working for fair compensation for its members.

All of that is at least a partial answer to the question: "What do I get for my money?" But I think there is a better answer. . .and it involves reframing the question. I would suggest that it is not what you get that is critical. . . it's what you get to give.

Our association is young, and we are still finding our way. We have many challenges, and we need to work together to meet them. When you join AVLIC you get a chance be part of making the organization and the profession better. You have a chance to make a greater contribution than just paying your dues. You have a forum for your ideas. You have a place that needs your energy and your imagination. When you provide these, you make AVLIC better-not just for yourself or even for the other members, but also for the Deaf and hearing communities we serve. It's hard to put a price on that because it speaks to something fundamental about what makes any life a good life.

There is no better example of what this means than the efforts and commitment of the volunteers we are saluting today. They've shown that the more you give, the more everyone gets. By being here today, they've also shown it doesn't kill you. You can still be around to enjoy that eggs and bacon, or in this case, the lunch.

In fact the work they've done probably makes it taste even better.

Thank you and enjoy your dessert.

Membership Categories and Conditions

2.01Active voting membership shall be open to interpreters who currently provide visual language interpreting services and whose application has been approved by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will approve applications for Active membership from interpreters who are graduates of an interpreter education program or who meet the defined criteria. Active Voting Members shall have one (1) vote. Dual membership in both the Corporation and an Affiliate Chapter of the Corporation is mandatory for Active Voting Members living in provinces or territories with Affiliate Chapters. Eligible Active members who live in a province, or territory in Canada where there is no Affiliate Chapter may become Active Voting Members under the terms of the In-Lieu-of-Affiliate-Chapter Membership Policy.

2.02 Student membership shall be open to individuals who are currently enrolled in an interpreter education program. Student Members must uphold the objectives of the Association. Dual membership in both the Corporation and an Affiliate Chapter of the Corporation is mandatory for Student Members.

2.03 Any organization of Visual Language Interpreters upon approval by the Board of Directors may become an Affiliate Chapter Member of the Corporation by submitting a copy of its Constitution and By-Laws demonstrating that it has similar aims and objectives. Affiliate Chapter Members shall designate one (1) voting representative to attend meetings. An Affiliate Chapter Member has three (3) votes which shall be exercised by the Affiliate Chapter Member Representative. All Affiliate Chapter Member Representatives shall be Active Voting Members and shall have their own individual vote as well as the three (3) votes which they have in their c apacity as the Representative Member of the Chapter.

2.04 Eligible Voting Members consist of Active Voting Members and Affiliate Chapter Members.

2.05 Membership fees or dues shall be set by the Board of Directors as declared at the General Meeting of the Corporation.

2.06 Any Member may withdraw from the Corporation by delivering to the Corporation a written resignation and lodging a copy of the same with the Secretary of the Corporation.

2.07 Any Member who violates the Objectives, the By-Laws or the rules as determined by the Board of Directors, approved by the membership and set out in the Corporation's Policy Manual may be deprived of his/her membership upon written notification of the Board of Directors, subject to a three-quarters (3/4) ratification by the eligible voting membership at a General or Special Meeting.

2.08 At any meeting of the Members the Chairperson shall not be permitted to vote except in the case of an equality of votes in which case the Chairperson shall cast the determining vote.

Membership Criteria for Active and Student Membership

• Graduation from an interpreter education program
• Working experience as a Deaf interpreter
• Valid RID certification
• Proof of membership in a professional interpreter association from another country for the two years previous to and including the date of application for AVLIC membership

Membership Dues

Membership Due Date

Membership Exemption Policy

Membership Exemption would allow members who currently have Active Status to pay 25% of the Active membership fee for no less than six months and no more than one year, except under special circumstances. During this time, members will retain their CES status but will have reduced privileges such as not being entitled to voting (at their Affiliate Chapter or national level).

Members requesting membership exemption must meet the following criteria:

• Not earn income from interpreting for between six months and a year.
• Should the exemption period NOT coincide with the membership year, dues will be calculated in 3-month increments.
• Request for exemption is based on one of the following reasons:
• Illness / Injury: Members requesting exemption based on illness must provide a doctor's note with their request. Members themselves may be unable to work due to their own illness or that of a spouse (partner) or family member.
• Upgrading Education: Members who have returned to post-secondary education. Again, supporting documentation (registration), must be provided by the member. If the member discontinues their studies during the school year, Dual Active membership fees (less any supporting fees already paid) will be paid by the member.
• Bereavement: Applies to members who experience the loss of a spouse (partner) or family member.
• Parental Leave: Applies to members who are unable to work in order to fulfill childcare obligations. This would include pregnancy leave.
• At the time of the request, is an Active member in good standing.

*** Acceptance of repeated applications for exemption shall be at the discretion of the Affiliate board.

Guidelines For Affiliate Chapter Boards: AVLIC Membership Exemption

Membership Exemption is granted to a member based on the criteria outlined in the Membership Exemption Policy. This criterion is defined below:

• Illness / Injury: Members requesting exemption based on illness must provide a doctor's note with their request. Members themselves may be unable to work due to their own illness or that of a spouse (partner) or family member.
• Upgrading Education: Members who have returned to post-secondary education. Again, supporting documentation (registration), must be provided by the member. If the member discontinues their studies during the school year, Dual Active membership fees (less any supporting fees already paid) will be paid by the member.
• Bereavement: Applies to members who experience the loss of a spouse (partner) or family member.
• Parental Leave: Applies to members who are unable to work in order to fulfil childcare obligations. {This would include pregnancy leave}

Requests from members for exemption must be submitted in writing to AVLIC and the member's Affiliate Chapter Board prior to the commencement of the membership year.

Requests for an extension of exemption must be submitted to AVLIC and the member's Affiliate Chapter prior to the commencement of the membership year. This must be a new request again, with supporting documentation.

The above policy was originally ratified by the AVLIC membership July 4, 1998, at the Annual General Meeting and Conference held in Montreal, Quebec. Subsequent amendments were passed in 2002 at the Halifax Annual General Meeting. This policy and further subsequent amendments were passed in 2006, at the Toronto Annual General Meeting.

Membership Payment Plan

The AVLIC payment plan is provided in response to requests from members. The membership payment plan is designed to allow for members to spread out payments to reduce any financial hardship, and encourage lapsed members to join.

Members are not obligated to use this payment plan; those wishing to pay their membership in full may do so, and the Affiliate Chapters and AVLIC will process the application in the usual fashion. This payment plan has two distinct phases:

Phase One

This Phase is for members who are new to the payment plan. This is the "double-up" year, where two years' worth of dues will be paid to put members "on track". This way they will have the current membership years' dues paid by the end of that membership year and the following years' dues paid at the beginning of the coming membership year. IE: A member joins the payment plan April 1st , 2004 . By March 2005, they will have paid for the 2004-2005 membership year and the 2005-2006 membership year. The norm is for members to pay their annual dues at the beginning of the membership year. By having this initial "double-up" year, payment plan members are paying at the beginning of the membership year, which is equivalent to members who make a lump sum payment.

• When members renew, they will complete an application form as usual and mail in twelve postdated cheques.
• Cheques should be made out for the first day of each month beginning with April 1st - attention must be paid to ensure that the change of year be correct on the cheques.
• The first two cheques, April and May will each be for one year of the Affiliate Chapter dues (e.g., Affiliate Chapters dues may be $75.00, therefore two cheques each for $75.00).
• The remaining ten cheques, beginning with June in equal amounts.

Phase Two

Now that the member has "caught-up", their monthly payments are applied to the coming membership year.

• When members who have been on the payment plan through Phase One renew, they will complete an application form as usual and mail in twelve postdated cheques.
• Cheques should be made out for the first day of each month beginning with April 1st - attention must be paid to ensure that the change of year be correct on the cheques.
• The first two cheques, April and May, will each be for half of the total of the Affiliate Chapter dues (e.g., Affiliate Chapters dues may be $75.00, therefore two cheques each for $37.50).
• The remaining ten cheques, beginning with June in equal amounts.
• From this point forward, at renewal time, members submit postdated cheques to Affiliate Chapters, which equal one year's dues.

Payment Frequently Asked Questions

Please see Membership Payment Plan FAQ.