CLUB MEMBERSHIP IN THE APTA

By Charles E. Vasoll

I was embarrassed recently when I discovered that my club did not pay APTA membership dues for the 2003-2004 season. The revelation came about when I inquired of the club’s comptroller whether the dues for the current season had been paid. They had not been paid nor had we received an invoice from the APTA for them.

This scenario came about because I wanted to obtain the court reservation forms that I had received without cost from Viking Athletics in prior years. Viking Athletics had turned over the issuance and control of the program to the APTA during the summer and we had been notified to that effect. Now our club had to be a member of the APTA and pay its dues in order to get the court reservation sheets that we had come to rely upon over the past several years.

Upon learning of this situation, I called Marjorie Hodson, the Executive Director, at the APTA headquarters, (her home) and she promptly responded. She advised me that the reason that my club did not receive an invoice for 2004-2005 was because they had not been a member and paid dues in the 2003-2004 season. It seems that only clubs in the earlier year were solicited for the coming season.

The whole “club” membership has been in a bit of turmoil. Although this was the foundation of the APTA in 1934, the Association had shifted away from it and now had individual and family memberships. Club and municipal memberships were no longer pursued with any vigor and, as a result, declined substantially in number.

Further, many clubs saw no reason to pay a “membership” fee. “What did they really receive for it?” they asked. “Our members are your members so we don’t need a “club” membership.” The Association also recognized this duplicity and from time to time gave the clubs something tangible for their money. Initially, there was a gift of an APTA flag. A few years ago a welcome mat was the favor. These tokens were to acknowledge that the club had a membership in the APTA and was supporting the sport.

There are some substantial reasons, beyond the gifts, the court reservation forms and benevolent support of the sport, that a club should be a dues paying APTA member. That is a subject for a whole additional article. Suffice it, for now, to say that the present $100.00 fee for private clubs and $75.00 for municipal parks is a worthwhile investment for them. (Click here for a copy of APTA's Club Membership form) Every individual should make an effort to determine if there is a certificate hanging in the warm-up hut to attest to a current APTA membership for the location where they play.

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