MEMBERSHIP AND MEMBERS’ANNUAL DUES
MEMERSHIP
Regular membership is open to any individual of African descent or other who is a Catholic or personally expresses in writing, by way of a registration form, the desire to become a regular member of the group.1) New members fill out the form when they attend their first AFC biweekly Sunday meeting
2) For couples, both spouses must register individually if they are interested in becoming regular members.
3) Agrees to abide by the rules governing AFC (bylaws and standard operating procedures)
4) is willing to contribute to the success of the group’s mission by participating in the following AFC’s activities including, but not limited to the;
• biweekly Sunday meetings or other AFC meetings (at least 3 times a year).
• weekly evening prayer meetings (whenever possible)
• AFC ministries (sign up for at least one ministry and be active in it)
• Taste of Africa event planning and delivery (help with at least one activity team)
• AFC community outreach activities (whenever possible)
• AFC annual retreat and other such events (whenever possible)
• AFC social events (whenever possible), Etc.
5) agrees to pay the annual membership dues to financially support the group
6) is entitled to certain benefits, including financial assistance through special fundraising/collection; material and other assistance, as needed
New member registration is open from January until September.
After this period, those who wish to register will wait until January of the following year. Meanwhile, they may still participate in AFC various activities, if they so choose.
Non-member Supporter
1) shows interest in the group but does not wish to be a registered regular member
2) may voluntarily get involved in certain AFC activities
3) is not entitled to certain membership benefits (such as financial and other assistance) as described in the section on mutual care and support among members;
4) may elect to become a registered regular member at any point in time
How to stop being a regular member
An individual stops being a regular AFC member when:
1) s/he notifies the president or vice president in writing (through email, text, private WhatsApp messaging etc.) of his/her resignation as a member OR
2) he/she does no longer live in the community, thus does not participate in the group’s activities (for example, moves away from the area) OR
3) the leadership committee decides, through a vote, to revoke the person’s membership for the following reasons:
The member;
• does not satisfy the regular membership criteria as outlined above
• misbehaves in such a way, which is detrimental to the well-functioning of the group.
When an AFC member misbehaves in a flagrant way, s/he will be suspended for 3 months after receiving one verbal and one written warning. At the time of the warnings, the member will be given the opportunity to resign from the group, if s/he wishes.
If after the suspension, the member’s behavior persists, the committee will convene a meeting to remove the member from the group by a vote.
ANNUAL DUES
AFC members are required to make an annual membership contribution of $120 to be paid either as a lump sum at the beginning of the year, or in $10-monthly installments.
Senior citizen members (over 65 years of age) give an annual contribution of $60, payable as a lump sum or in monthly installments of $5.
Young college students or early young professional members pay a monthly fee of $10 / $120 per year.
New members who register after the month of January will pay their remaining balance on a prorated basis, either as a lump sum or per monthly installments.
For example, membership dues for joining in February and July would be $110 and $60, respectively.
The treasurer and financial assistant are responsible for collecting members’ contributions, posting reminders to the group’s WhatsApp, as well as sending individual reminders to members who are not up-to-date.
Members are highly urged to make their monthly payments on time to retain their regular membership status. Any member who misses a payment will see their membership automatically downgraded to volunteer status until they make their account
current.
Members’ contributions are used for the following purposes, among others:
• Taste of Africa event
• End-of-year party
• Annual summer barbecue
• Spiritual retreats and conferences
• Some AFC recreational activities
• Ministries’ activities
• Gifts for celebratory events
• Financial support to AFC members in need (i.e., serious illness in family)
• Etc
Get in Touch
If you are interested in learning more about the Catholic faith and exploring whether you would like to
join the Catholic church,