For the last several months, the OPA Board has been working to simplify OPA membership procedures and make it easier for members to track their memberships and renewal dates. At the last General Membership Meeting, in October 2015, members voted to transition to a single renewal date. From now on, the renewal due date for all OPA memberships will be March 1st.
How will I know if I need to renew?
Some time in January or February of each year, you will receive a postcard telling you the status of your membership. If your membership was due to expire before March 1st, 2016, you will be asked to renew. If your membership is paid up through any date after March 1st, 2016, you will be informed that you are a member in good standing, and that you do not need to renew.
Is there still an option to renew for two years?
Yes. If you renew as of March 1st, 2016, and pay for a two-year membership, you will not need to renew again until March 1st, 2018.
What happens if I don’t make the March 1st deadline?
You can still renew or join at any time during the year, but you may miss out on some membership benefits in the meantime. You may be left out of the membership directory.
If I renew or join later in the year, do I still have to pay for a full year?
If you renew or join between March 1st and November 1st, you will pay the full year amount (or full two-year amount, if you wish). This would enable you to attend the annual conference in October, and to submit to the fall contest, at member rates.
If you renew or join after November 1st, you will pay a flat fee of $10.00 which will make you a member in good standing through the following March 1st.
Why March 1st?
March 1st is the due date for OPA’s spring contests. Many members like to renew their memberships and submit contest entries at the same time. March 1st also aligns with the National Federation of State Poetry Societies’ membership deadline.
Why make this change at all?
There are many benefits. Members will not need to try to remember when their membership expires; they need only mark the March 1st date, and watch for the postcard. The membership directory will be produced and distributed in March, and will include all members who are renewed or continuing as of March 1st.