The YMC recognises that climbing and mountaineering are potentially hazardous activities. Participants should be aware of and accept the risk and should be responsible for their own actions and involvement, even during YMC events.
WHO CAN JOIN THE YMC?
Anyone regardless of sexuality, religious persuasion, nationality or ethnicity and aged 16 or over, may apply to become a Member of the YMC if they are keen on the natural outdoors and have the interests of the Club at heart. Children aged 15 and under of Club Members are automatically Club Members. Consequently the Club has Members of all abilities and ages, from babes in arms to active 90+ year olds, and spread around the globe.
Members are required to conform to the “Rules” of the Club at all times. The Committee has the power to accept or reject any application for Membership and terminate any person’s Membership at any time if it considers such action to be in the best interests of the Club.
No Member under the age of 18 can be a Shareholder, Club Officer or be eligible to vote on Club matters.
WHO ARE THE MEMBERS?
The membership of the YMC is those persons named in the “Register of YMC Members” current at any one time. The following are the categories of Full Membership:
- Original Member (OM) One of the founding Members.
- Honorary Member (HM): A Member recognised as having specially served the Club.
- Guide Book Member (GB): Short term free Membership for YMC Guide Book writers.
- Family Member (F): Two adult Members, and with, or without children aged 15 or under on 1st Jan.
- Single Parent Member (SP): One adult and their child/children aged 15 or under on 1st Jan.
- Single Member (S): A person aged over 18 on 1st Jan. and not in full-time education.
- Student Member (ST): A person in full-time education and aged 18-22 inclusive on 1st Jan.
- Junior Member (J): A person aged 16 or 17 on 1st Jan.
Included in the “Register” are persons in the process of joining YMC, called “Aspirants”, and there are equivalent Aspirant Member categories to Full Member categories “F”, ”SP”, “S”, “ST”, and “J”.
Each Member (save for Original, Honorary, and Guide Book Members, and their spouses) pays via the Membership Coordinators an annual subscription which is due on 1 January each year. The Committee has deemed that Membership will have lapsed where any Member fails to pay the renewal fee by 31 January. See “Subscriptions” webpage on this website for information of current subscription rates.
JOINING THE YMC
Persons wishing to join the YMC must first become Aspirant Members as a Family, Single Parent, Single, Student or Junior Member. Each would-be Aspirant must submit an “Aspirant Membership Application Form” (go to “Forms” in the drop down menu) to the Membership Coordinators and pay the fee appropriate to the category of membership desired. During the 12 months following confirmation of acceptance, the Aspirant Member must attend YMC meets (“Meet-Up” meets included) including a hut meet, preferably a “housekeeping” meet, to enable the Club to become acquainted with them, and to enable the Aspirant to demonstrate a positive contribution and interest in engaging in Club activities, before they can apply to become Full Members. A period of 3 months grace beyond the expiry date of Aspirant Membership is allowed if application for Full Membership is not submitted within the 12 months membership period.
Aspirants joining before 1 July pay a full years’ subscription, which is renewable as from 1 January each year. Aspirants joining on or after 1 July pay half the annual subscription, reflecting that less than half the year is left, but then pay a full years’ subscription from 1 January.
Application for Full Membership must be made to the Committee on the “Proposal for Full Membership of the Yorkshire Mountaineering Club” form (go to “Forms” in the drop down menu) submitted to the YMC Secretary,with the signature of a Proposer and countersigned by the Seconder, who must be current Full Members. The election of Full Members is at the discretion of the Committee. Since an annual subscription will have been paid as an Aspirant, no further subscription is payable until renewal on the next 1 January.
Aspirant Members who have not completed the Full Membership application requirements within their initial 12 months may renew their Aspirant Membership for a further 12 months by application to the YMC Membership Coordinators. In the second 12 month period they will be expected to attend YMC meets (“Meet-Up” meets included) including a hut meet, preferably a “housekeeping” meet, before an application for Full Membership can be entertained. Renewal of Aspirant Membership for a third 12 month period will be at the discretion of the Committee.
In the case of lapsed YMC Members wishing to rejoin the YMC, to enable the Committee to decide, a completed “Aspirant Membership Application Form” (go to “Forms” in the drop down menu) must be submitted to the Membership Coordinators together with a note outlining the period of previous Membership. This should be accompanied by a full annual subscription for applications made before 1 July, or half year subscription for applications made on or after the 1 July.