Renewal of Local WYAM's membership is carried out in April every year
Clarification where Members do not Renew their IAM or WYAMs Subscription
General
The Group Affiliate Handbook 2019 (Rules) states that to be a member of WYAMs you must also be a paid-up member of IAM (they are two separate entities); accordingly, if you let your IAM subscription lapse we have no choice but to cancel your WYAMs Group Membership. Due to UK GDPR requirements we are not allowed to retain any of your records / data so all of that has to be erased too! Pretty harsh stuff but if we are to remain affiliated to IAM we must stick to the Rules I’m afraid. However, it is possible to be a member of IAM and not WYAMs: some people will let their Group Membership lapse when they move away or they may just want to join another Group or they may ask IAM to “unlink” themselves from our Group. Whatever the reason, they have effectively cancelled their membership of our Group and we have to erase their data from our records.
Timeline of Actions
IAM notifies members at the beginning of the month that their national subs are due at month end. As the Group have access to IAM’s database, we can see the subscriptions that have expired and the ones which will expire in the near future; out of courtesy, the Group sends out a gentle reminder, around the middle of the month, to remind people about their IAM subs. When IAM subscriptions have expired the Rules put us in a difficult position because there’s no guidance about giving an extension of time for overdue payments. Our policy has been ad hoc so we thought it would be better to let our local members know in advance what our procedure will comprise for lapsed memberships:
After the expiry of an IAM (or WYAMs) subscription, key organisers will be notified and club benefits will be suspended within 4 weeks (i.e. No training, attendance at training events, social events, zoom meetings, club runs and provision of the newsletter etc.). After 2 calendar months have passed without payment, we will cancel the WYAMs membership and erase all data.
Return of Members
Notwithstanding any subscription payment made previously, any new or former member of WYAMs who wishes to join/rejoin the Group, needs to complete a Group Application Form. This application will be reviewed by the Group Committee and if membership is approved, the member shall pay a full Local Group Subscription and key organisers will be asked to add the Member’s name to their distribution lists etc.. This does not apply to Associates who have purchased an IAM Advanced Rider Course, as the Committee have decreed that continuous membership for Associates will result in a proportion of fees being due, to year end i.e. 30th April.
WYAMs Secretary
The Group’s Bank details will be provided after completion of the Group’s GDPR pro-forma, to enable payment of Local Subscriptions. Members should insert their Membership Number and Surname in their Bank Payment Reference. If problems are encountered please email treasurer@wyam.org.uk for advice. Any payment in excess of the subscription amount (which will change from time to time to meet the financial aims of the club) will be viewed as a donation to the club’s nominated charity.
Renewing your membership confirms:
- Your acceptance and agreement to comply with Wyams’ Rules and Policies
- You hold a valid driving license for your motorcycle
- Your motorcycle has valid MOT and Road Tax
Associate Members who have recently joined should check their membership renewal date as their next local subscription may not be due until the following year. However Associates are reminded that IAM RoadSmart membership subscriptions are separate and run on a 12 month cycle from the date of joining. Training cannot continue if your IAM subscription has lapsed. It’s easy renew your IAM RoadSmart membership is online.
