by Crystal Johnson, VP Member Services
STC memberships are effective January 1—December 31 of each year. Lapsed members who renew within the year must pay a reinstatement fee of $15 (lapsed members are those that have not renewed by mid-March). Therefore, it makes financial sense to save $15 by renewing on time. Note: Members who do not renew by February 28 are not eligible to vote in elections. To renew, please go to http://www.stc.org/membership/join01.asp
When times get tough like they are today, STC membership can be even more important than ever. Members have exclusive access to the jobs database, the salary database, and selected software discounts. STC Membership benefits include:
• Ready-made Network of Peers
• Exclusive Access to Jobs Database
• Personal Subscriptions to STC Publications
• Chapter Membership
• SIG Membership
• Free Sponsored Seminars
• More Continuing Education
• Exclusive Access to Salary Database
• Exclusive Discounts on Products
• Big Savings on Conference Costs
• Discounts on Insurance Programs
• Access to Best Practices Research
The last item refers to a new member benefit from the Aberdeen Group. STC members get exclusive, one-year free access to 5,500 research documents on best practices, benchmarks, market perspectives and key performance indicators, a $995 value.
If you’re not aware of these benefits, check them out at http://www.stc.org/membership/. Go to http://www.stc-houston.org/stcmemdrive.html for more information.
Retired? Save Even More Money!
Retired dues are handled on an individual basis and those who wish to apply should contact Lloyd Tucker, Director of Education & Membership. The dues for retired are 50% of dues (50% X $150) plus the $25 for the chapter or a total of $100. That is a $65 discount on the lowest dues rate and it is an electronic membership. Retired members must 67 years old, retired (not working part time in Tech Comm) and a member of at least 10 years.
Now’s the Best Time to Become a New Member
There is a one-time enrollment fee of $30 for new members. However, this fee does not apply to students. Additionally, if you become a new member before January 1st, you can get a prorated discount off of your membership for the following year. Refer to http://stc.org/membership/proration-schedule.asp.
Remember that STC dues can be deducted from the tax return filed for the year in which they were paid. You can claim them as a charitable expense, a business expense, or a miscellaneous deduction.
Awesome Benefits
Remember, when times get tough, the resourceful depend even more on STC!
