Dues Accounting & Membership Fee 2010

"The most disappointing aspect of the whole situation [the dire financial situation of the IAHR in 2005, TJ] is the state of affiliate dues payments." Thus wrote the then General Secretary, Prof. A. W. Geertz, when commenting, in his Report to the International Committee and General Assembly, on the Treasurer's Report (cf. IAHR Bulletin, Tokyo Congress Edition, Number 38, 2005, 39f and 48).

It is a pleasure to be able to state, as I also did in my Report to the International Committee in Brno 2008, that the financial situation of the IAHR has improved considerably since Tokyo 2005. This is due to the new source of income that is one of the results of our new agreement with Brill on Numen, to a concerted effort to limit expenses to an absolute minimum, and to equally concerted efforts to secure at least a minimum of CIPSH grants for the IAHR.

It is, furthermore, also a pleasure to be able to add that the situation in regard to dues payments has improved considerably, and I want to extend my thanks to all the member associations which, since Tokyo 2005, have paid long standing dues, and, of course, to all those member associations that continuously have been paying their annual dues. Thank you.

In Tokyo 2005, 17 member associations were in bad standing (dues missing for three or more years), and several others were not fully paid up. Today, as can be seen from the appendix
‘DuesAccountingNovember2009.pdf', the vast majority of the 37 dues paying national member societies are currently paid up (the 5 regional associations are exempted from paying dues).

As regards those not paid up, the following remarks may be added: The IAHR General Secretary/Acting Treasurer has recently managed to get into contact, by mail or in person, with representatives from most of the member societies in bad standing. It is thus my sincere hope that arrangements for payment of missing dues can be made before the end of this year with most of the societies in bad standing.

I have, however, not succeeded with getting into contacts with anybody pertaining to the Israel Society for the History of Religion, and any news that may lead to contact with this society, one of the oldest members to the IAHR, will be more than welcome.

According to a sad e-mail received earlier this year from Prof. Vinciane Pirenne, the Treasurer of the Société belgo-luxembourgeoise d'Histoire des Religions, this society has asked to be considered "no longer members of any supra-national association". I have, of course, asked the society whether the IAHR can be of any assistance in whatever effort to change this state of affairs.

In 2010 I intend to visit Cuba, and it is my hope that the IAHR may be of assistance in ongoing efforts to (re-)establish a (new) Cuban society. The Asociación Cubana de Estudios sobre la Religión seems to have died or become defunct with the untimely and sad passing away of its former president, Prof. J. R. Calzadilla.

As for the Russian association, recent e-mail communication signals that this association, long defunct and then dormant, may finally, thanks to concerted efforts and a more benign politico-religio situation, soon be revitalized.

As said above: we are indeed very grateful that the vast majority of the member societies are paid up, and we hope that the more 'pro-active' billing policy has been of some help also. Nevertheless, we think we can improve our procedures and thus help the members remember to pay the annual fee if we introduce fixed dates and deadlines for the annual payment of the fee.

The IAHR Executive Committee, consequently, has decided, that a dues notice is to be sent to the member societies in the beginning of January each calendar year, and that the annual dues have to be paid to the IAHR no later than January 31 each calendar year. Likewise, member societies will receive a receipt and notification that the dues have been well received, while members that have not paid by January 31, will receive a reminder. This policy will be implemented as of January 2010, also in order to help as many member associations as possible to be paid up before the World Congress in Toronto, August 2010.

The Executive Committee has also decided to recommend to the International Committee that the IAHR include in its Constitution and By-Laws paragraphs spelling out criteria, a procedure and a timeline that make it possible to determine when a membership, thanks to missing dues, can be considered and declared 'inactive' and 'lapsed'. This proposal, together with other proposals for amendments to the Constitution and the By-Laws will be mailed to all the members of the International Committee in due time before the business meetings in August 2010 in Toronto.

Allow me, however, to remind you that as it is now, voting rights are dependent upon annual payment of dues. Article 7B in the IAHR Constitution reads:

 “One of the most important rights and privileges of membership in the IAHR is the right to vote in the meetings of the International Committee and in the General Assembly. This voting right is dependent upon annual payment of the membership dues.”

Furthermore (cf. what has been said above about the rules and guidelines according to which the IAHR/CIPSH funds for the Toronto 2010 World Congress are to be granted to scholars, including those who are delegates to the IAHR International Committee), only delegates from member associations that are paid up can receive funding.

NB: I do want to stress though, that ordinary individual members of member societies that have not paid their dues are not prevented from applying for and receiving grants.