The purpose of the Membership Committee is to manage the process by which candidates for GCNH membership are identified and proposed and their qualifications considered. The committee considers the qualifications of all candidates proposed for membership in accordance with the Bylaws and makes recommendations to the Board of Directors.  At general meetings, its members are available to meet guests who may be interested in joining the GCNH and welcomes and introduces prospective new members to active members of the Club.

The Committee provides information on the membership procedures and timeline throughout the year and supplies forms to current members who are proposing new members to ensure that all necessary paperwork can be completed and submitted for timely review.  The Committee is responsible for organizing applications and supporting letters, tracking potential members’ contact information and Directory photos, and planning and organizing a Prospective New Member Reception at which the prospective new members are greeted and introduced to the Board. The Committee manages and presents two slates:

• New Prospective Members: All forms, applications and associated paperwork from Proposing and Seconding Members of the GCNH are managed and introduced for Board review.
• Provisional Members: Those members who have completed one year as a Provisional Member and are recommended to the Board for Active Member status.

Note:  The committee is composed of four members, proposed by the Nominating Committee and elected by the members at the Annual Meeting for two-year terms. Two members are elected each year from the slate presented by the Nominating Committee. The Chair is subsequently appointed by the President for a one-year term from the second-year members of the committee.

Chair: Lucy Ambach

Vice Chair: Nessie Stewart

Previous Chair:  Peggy Eatherton

Both new Active members and the new Provisional members will be introduced at the Annual Meeting on June 5 at Lockwood Farm, 890 Evergreen Avenue, Hamden, 12:00-2:00 pm. All Proposers and new Provisional members should plan to attend.

January 23, 2023: 3-5 pm. Gathering for Prospective Candidates for Membership
Home of Deborah Desir, 11 Zak Hill Drive, Woodbridge, CT 06525

THE PROCESS

1. Active, Associate, Sustaining and Lifetime member may propose and second candidates.
2. Candidates for membership shall be proposed by one member of the GCNH and seconded by two members.
3. Each candidate must attend, as a guest, one General Meeting prior to proposal and no more than two.
4. Each candidate must be introduced to five members of the Board of Directors and all members of the Membership Committee.
5. A member may propose one candidate and second two candidates in a given year. Proposal form deadline is February 15, 2023. 
6. Proposal forms must be completed by the proposer and, along with letters from the seconders, be received by the Membership Chairman by the deadline of February 15 which is posted in the annual Garden Club Directory.
7. The committee reviews all applications and makes their recommendations to the Board, who then vote.
8. If accepted, the candidate becomes a provisional for one year and is notified by the club secretary.
9. After a year of Provisional Membership, members are evaluated for recommendation to the Board as candidates for Active Membership