FAQs on Membership
1. Why become a member of AONTAS?
2. Who can join AONTAS?
3. Will I automatically be accepted as a member?
4. How can I participate?
5. What is the current annual fee for membership?
6. Announcement
1. Why become a member of AONTAS?
Would you like to:
- Promote the work of your organisation
- Receive regular information about the latest developments affecting adult education
- Network with other people involved in adult education
- Voice your opinions and raise issues in a public forum
- Influence policy development in adult education
- Receive support and expertise from experienced staff to enable you to develop your work
- Find out where to start on your learning path
If the answer is yes then you need to become a member of AONTAS.
2. Who can join AONTAS?
Any organisation, group or individual involved in the provision, promotion or advancement of adult education may apply for membership. If you are interested in becoming a member please contact our Membership Development Officer noreilly@aontas.com or apply using our on-line application form.
3. Will I automatically be accepted as a member?
The Executive Committee approves each application for membership. The Committee meet six times a year; therefore, members are not accepted immediately.
4. How can I participate?
- By attending and participating in general meetings, conferences, seminars, local and regional meetings
- By bringing issues of concern to adult learners to local, regional and national fora
- By nominating and electing representatives to the AONTAS Executive Committee each year
- By disseminating at a local level information and research undertaken by AONTAS
- By documenting models of best practice in adult and community education
- By tabling resolutions on policy issues for discussion at AGMs
- By contributing to the Newsheet, Website and Adult Learner
5. What is the current annual fee for membership?
Organisational members
- Small organisations:
€ 30 Annual income band: € 0 - 80,000 - Medium organisations:
€ 100 Annual income band: € 80,000 - 250,000 - Large organisations:
€ 200 Annual income band: € 250,000+
Individual members
- € 30 Regular fee
- € 2 Reduced fee (Unwaged )
Associate members
- € 100 (Overseas individuals and organisations)
6. Announcement
Change to membership categories and fees
The membership of AONTAS comprises a vast array of organisations and individual members involved in adult education which has grown and developed over the past number of years. The categories of membership used up until May 2006 dated back to 1983, however, as they did not accurately reflect the array of members today it was proposed that a change to the constitution would be made. This decision was unanimously accepted at the AGM of 10th May 2006 and the following changes may be noted.
The corporate voluntary and corporate statutory categories has be combined to simply give 'organisational members', so to allow for members that do not strictly fall into either category. The individual member category remains unchanged, however, an introduction of an associate member category has been made to cater for overseas members; all right will be afforded to these members apart from voting.
Furthermore, as the fees have also remained unchanged for over 15 years and with the ever increasing cost to service members, standing at approximately seventy five euro for each member to cover postage and stationary without taking into account the cost of publications, a revised fee structure was called for. A resolution to amend the fees was unanimously passed at the AGM of 2006. The new fee structure is based on the income of the organisation and fees will differ accordingly. The individual membership fee would increase but not for the unwaged. The new category of associate members would incur a standard fee regardless of it being an organisation or an individual as the cost to service both is identical.
Whilst we are mindful of the implications of a fee increase to our members we feel that the new fees are necessary, justifiable and designed to ensure AONTAS remains accessible to all organisations and individuals.
