The council has approved the following membership policies that may be amended from time to time. Sponsors should use the most current version of these policies.

1. New membership is limited to persons residing at least a portion of the year in Hancock County, though the council may, at its discretion and for good reason, waive this requirement.

2. Classes of membership include Life (L), Sustaining (SUS), Family (F), Single (SI), Couple Shore (SHC), Single Shore (SHS), Inactive (I), and Honorary (H). New members may apply for any one of these classes except Couple Shore, Single Shore, Inactive and Honorary. Couple and Single Shore memberships are available to members in good standing with ten or more years of continuous membership. Shore members make no use of the waterfront. Inactive membership status is intended to accommodate members whose circumstances have changed and who will not use the club at all. Inactive status and may be reviewed annually and such members may be reclassified at the discretion of the membership committee. Honorary membership is awarded at the discretion of the council.

3. Single and Shore memberships are available only to unmarried persons. Single and both Shore categories may be reviewed by the membership committee annually. The committee has the authority to reclassify members.

4. In the case of divorce or legal separation, both individuals may continue their membership or one or both may resign. Membership limits do not apply. If the couple had a Life membership, it is their responsibility to notify the club which person will retain the Life membership.

5. Candidates accepted in the mid-summer council meeting will pay one half of the annual dues for the current year.

6. Except as specified by the rules and procedures for application, new members shall not be admitted when membership exceeds 275 members. Inactive and Honorary members shall not be considered for the purpose of this limit.

7. Adult children of a member of at least five years standing whose Life, Sustaining or Family membership had previously included them shall be exempt from initiation fees and membership limits when applying for their memberships within one year of lapse of parental coverage. Such adult children need a letter from a sponsor and a completed application to apply for membership; no supporting letters are required. Sponsors should meet the criteria listed hereafter in these policies.

8. Each active member may put forth three (3) candidates for membership each calendar year, be they three sponsors, three seconds or a combination of these. Sponsors are the liaison between the candidate and the membership committee, and are responsible for assembling the membership package that includes the sponsor’s letter, two seconding letters, and a completed membership application. The sponsor is also responsible for ensuring that the applicant(s) are known to members of the membership committee and/or the commodore or vice commodore.

9. To qualify as a sponsor or second a member must have a minimum of one year of membership.

10. A sponsor or second should have had a significant social and personal relationship with the candidate for a number of years prior to proposing him or her. Members should not propose or second a candidate with whom they have primarily a business relationship. Examples of such a relationship include but are not limited to the following: tenant-landlord, architect-client, real estate agent-client, doctor-patient, and lawyer-client.

11. Sponsors and seconds may not be close relatives of the candidate or of each other. 

12. No officer of the club or member of the membership committee may sponsor an application for membership. No officer of the club may second an application for membership, but members of the membership committee may second applications for memberships. A list of officers and of members of the membership committee can be found in the current KYC directory.

13. When a member in good standing resigns and later seeks re-admission, a letter from a sponsor who is an active club member and a completed application will be submitted to the membership committee for their consideration and recommendation to the council.

In lieu of the initiation fee a re-admitted member must pay one-half of the annual membership dues for the appropriate membership category, family or single, times the number of years of lapsed membership up to three years. From four to seven years of lapsed membership, a re-admitted member must pay one half of the current initiation fee. After seven years, a former member seeking to rejoin the club will follow the same procedure as other applicants and pay the full current initiation fee. In addition to the fees listed previously, the re-admitted member must also pay the full amount of any assessment imposed during their absence from membership.

Approved by the Council, October 30, 2010

Amended July 30, 2011, October 6, 2012, July 26 2014 and July 30, 2016

This page last updated on November 17, 2016