Important Information! FOR ALL SOCIETY LIFE MEMBERS
Page last updated on Monday, 20-Apr-2009
Significant changes must be made to Life Membership criteria to ensure our financial stability. In the years up to 1994 you will have paid either £30, later £40 or from 1992 £80 when the option of life membership of The Spitfire Society was closed in 1994.
Those sums of money were essential in establishing this society and we are ever grateful to those members. By late 1993 the Executive realised that if the Society was to flourish in future years cash flow would steadily decline and we would eventually run short of money.
Our then Vice Chairman, the late Leslie Colquhoun, sent a circular letter in Spring of 1994 to all Life Members that invited them to make an annual donation equal to the sum of money paid then by annual subscription members. Many have responded most generously every year since and we thank them.
Looking forward from 2009 we can project that despite considerable frugality of our financial affairs, changes must be made to ensure our long term survival. Your Management Team now asks all existing Life Members to convert to the standard annual membership fee each year commencing January 1st 2010.
We fully recognise that there a number of valued and very active Life Members that will be affronted by this announcement as they have contributed to the society with years of hard work on a voluntary basis. We intend no insult by this.
We are advised that it is not prudent for us to continue sending out Journals to members of the society who do not presently contribute to the society by annual subscription. We feel that all members will understand this situation and we have indeed been encouraged by many Life Members who have commented to us positively on this point in recent months.
We do have a large core of members who support the society in keeping our icon - the Spitfire - to the fore and we are further encouraged by the steady stream of new members joining us. It should also be said that other societies are also having to resolve similar problems.
The simple administrative method for UK (only) members is to use a Bankers Standing Order & Membership Instruction Form. You can download this document from our website as a printable PDF File. Click here for the file.
Please complete it, return to the Membership Secretary,
The Spitfire Society,
PO Box 202,
Biggin Hill,
Kent
TN16 9DA.
Please also remember to fill in the Gift Aid form where appropriate, it also helps our finances considerably. Overseas Life Members, unless you have a UK £Sterling bank account, we invite you to send in your renewal £Sterling cheque each January. Ignore the Gift Aid Form however.
It is essential that we receive your completed instructions by using the form attached; members whose names begin with the letter A-L by 31st January 2010; members whose names begin with the letters M-Z by 28th February 2010 . If you do not, we will assume that your choice is to cease being an active member of The Spitfire Society.
Subscription to the society remains at £15 per annum or £14 per annum by Standing Order.Junior membership is now AMENDED to £7.50 per annum. We will open a Family Membership for the first time at an annual subscription of £25.00. There will be no subscription increases for 2010.
David Lloyd
Vice Chairman The Spitfire Society August 24th 2009
