Organizational

Membership

Finances

CHAPTER HANDBOOK

1. AHS Membership Dues

Annual AHS memberships are valid from September 1 to August 31. Renewal memberships must be received by no later than January 1 to include the Winter issue of the American Harp Journal. Because of the cost of individual mailings of the American Harp Journal, members who renew after January 1 will not receive the winter issue of the American Harp Journal except as a back issue with the appropriate charge. Late memberships will be accepted but will expire as of August 31 and will not include any mailings made prior to receipt of the renewal check.

2. Membership Requirements

All regular members of the chapter must be members of the parent organization. The only categories of local membership exempt from this rule are students of national members, immediate family members of regular members, and honorary members as defined in the Constitution and Bylaws of the American Harp Society, Revised 1988, Article II, Section 2-D. Only regular members of the chapter may vote or hold office. The local dues may not exceed the national dues, however further contributions may be made to the chapter treasury.

3. American Harp Society Membership

Include a national membership form when you mail out your dues requests so that your members may maintain their national affiliation. Also, please mail change of address notices to the Executive Secretary to help reduce the cost of journal mailings.

4. Contact List

It is very helpful to maintain a contact list in addition to your regular membership list. This list would include anyone with a remote interest in the harp who is not a member of the chapter. In the first mailing of each season, when appealing for new members, include the entire contact list. The extra postage will pay for itself and a few new people are likely to join. The list is also useful to publicize a special event.

The American Harp Society grew from the needs of harpists - performers, teachers and pupils. Membership in the Society is now over 3000 with chapters throughout the Americas.

Our aim is to promote, foster, sponsor, and develop the appreciation of the harp as a musical instrument, not only among our members, but in the community of music and with the general public.

Our purpose also is to develop and further the quality of the instrument itself and of its related components, to encourage the composition of music for the harp and to improve the quality of performance of harpists.

Finally, it is our aim to bring together all those who love the harp.

What membership does for you...

• The American Harp Journal, an academic journal published twice a year
• National Conferences
• Summer Institutes
• National Competition, monetary awards given in four divisions
• Anne Adams Awards, for full-time study of the harp
• Music Education Auditions, non-competitive learning experience for all students
• AHS Concert Artists Program, provides a performer with training and experience
• Local Chapters, Regional Newsletters and Regional Conferences
• Liability Insurance, for chapters and members
• Grandjany Centennial Fund, makes available tapes and videos of Marcel Grandjany
• Salzedo Centennial Fund, publishes music by Carlos Salzedo
• Harp Literature Committee, promotes new music for the harp
• Tape Libraries, audio and video tapes are available for loan to chapters and individuals
• Membership Directory
• Group Health and Life Insurance
• Harp Insurance

All this and much more is accomplished, thanks to the support of our membership!

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