URGENT!!! Policy Change on Reinstatements as of January 1st, 2020

The General President has issued the following Information Bulletin concerning the policy for member reinstatement.

Current Reinstatement Policy

Upon receiving dispensation from the General Office affiliates have been allowed to reinstate former members who meet the following criteria:

  • Has been inactive for 24 months or less.
  • Reinstate into the same affiliate to which the member belonged when the record was inactivated.
  • Current status is SUSPENDED, RESIGNED, DROPPED, CONDITIONAL WITHDRAWAL, or HONORARY WITHDRAWAL.
  • The total owed (including dues, fines and fees) is paid in full through the current month.

Changes to Reinstatement Policy Based on Status

Beginning January 1, 2020, dispensations will not be automatically granted for reinstatement, but the following policy will be in effect:

Dropped and Resigned Status:

Former members in Dropped or Resigned Status are no longer eligible to Reinstate. Former members in these statuses only have the option to Reinitiate with a new initiation date.

Suspended Status:  Former members in Suspended status may only Reinstate one-time per Initiation Date.

General Office policy allows dispensations to reinstate former members in Suspended status who meet the following criteria:

  • Has been inactive for 24 months or less.
  • Reinstate into the same affiliate to which the member belonged when the record was inactivated.
  • Current status is SUSPENDED.
  • Previous status is not SUSPENDED WORKING DUES or ASSESS DUE.
  • The total owed (including dues, fines and fees) is paid in full through the current month.
  • Member was not previously Reinstated under the Current Initiation Date.

Example A (SUSPENDED STATUS)  Assumption: Policy Effective Date is 1/1/2020

  1. Member X’s Current Initiation Date is 2/22/1990 but let his membership lapse for the first time and was Suspended effective 3/31/2020.
  2. On 6/1/2020, Member X was Reinstated and therefore, retained his Current Initiation Date of 2/22/1990.
  3. Member X let his membership lapse for a second time and was Suspended effective 12/31/2021.
  4. On 2/15/2023, Member X requests to rejoin, but is only eligible to Reinitiate. Therefore, his Current Initiation Date  changed from 2/22/1990 to 2/15/2023.
  5. Member X let his membership lapse for a third time and was Suspended effective 10/31/2024.
  6. On 3/1/2025, Member X requests to rejoin and has the following options:
  • Option 1: Reinstate and retain his Current Initiation Date of 2/15/2023.
  • Option 2: Reinitiate and change his Current Initiation Date from 2/15/2023 to 3/1/2025.

Suspend Working Dues and Assess Due Status

The current Reinstatement policy will continue to apply for Suspended members with a Previous Status Suspend Working Dues or Assess Due.

Conditional Withdrawal Status

The current Reinstatement policy will continue to apply for members in Conditional Withdrawal status.

Honorary Withdrawal Status

Members in Honorary Withdrawal status can no longer reinstate more than once in a 3-year period.

General Office policy allows dispensation to Reinstate former members in Honorary Withdrawal status who meet the following criteria:

  • Has been inactive for 24 months or less.
  • Reinstate into the same affiliate to which the member belonged when the record was inactivated.
  • Current status is HONORARY WITHDRAWAL.
  • The total owed (including dues, fines and fees) is paid in full through the current month.
  • Member was not previously Reinstated from Honorary Withdrawal status within a 3-year period.

Example B (HONORARY WITHDRAWAL)

Assumption: Reinstatement Policy Effective Date is 1/1/2020

  1. Member X’s Current Initiation Date is 2/22/1990 but takes an Honorary Withdrawal for the first time effective 3/31/2020.
  2. On 6/1/2020, Member X was Reinstated and therefore, retained his Current Initiation Date of 2/22/1990.
  3. Member X requests to take an Honorary Withdrawal for a second time effective 12/31/2021.
  4. On 3/1/2023, Member X requests to rejoin and has the following options:
  • Option 1: Reinitiate, which would change his Current Initiation Date from 2/22/1990 to 3/1/2023.
  • Option 2: NOT eligible to Reinstate until 6/2/2023 (end of 3-year period) to retain his Current Initiation Date of 2/22/1990.

Example C (HONORARY WITHDRAWAL)

Assumption: Reinstatement Policy Effective Date is 1/1/2020

  1. Member X’s Current Initiation Date is 2/22/1990 but takes an Honorary Withdrawal for the first time effective 3/31/2020.
  2. On 6/1/2020, Member X was Reinstated and therefore, retained his Current Initiation Date of 2/22/1990.
  3. Member X let his membership lapse and was Suspended effective 12/31/2021.
  4. On 2/15/2022, Member X requests to Reinstate. Therefore, retained his Current Initiation Date changed from 2/22/1990.
  5. Member X requests to take an Honorary Withdrawal for a second time effective 10/31/2022.
  6. On 3/1/2023, Member X requests to rejoin and has the following options:
  • Option 1: Reinitiate, which would change his Current Initiation Date from 2/22/1990 to 3/1/2023.
  • Option 2: NOT eligible to Reinstate until 6/2/2023 (end of 3-year period) to retain his Current Initiation Date of 2/22/1990.

These policies will be incorporated into the function of the Personify system beginning January 1, 2020. Individual and exceptional requests for dispensations may still be sent to the General Office.