Membership

There are many advantages to joining the IBPA for bridge journalists and bridge media creators. These include:

Having access to a large network of bridge journalists from all corners of the world
Receiving the monthly IBPA Bulletin.
Having access to the Handbook.
Having access to high quality, high-resolution photos to supplement your articles.
Each year the IBPA give awards in various categories. The winning journalists and players win prizes.

Membership eligibility

Any person in good standing is eligible to membership of the IBPA subject to the terms of the IBPA Constitution and any regulations properly established by the Executive Committee. No person will be denied membership because of gender, race, colour or creed.

Full member

Those eligible for full membership include bridge journalists, writers and reporters, all publishers, editors and regular contributors to bridge periodicals and to other periodicals regularly publishing features about bridge and its players, all producers of bridge media or content, and any other persons as the Executive Committee may deem fit and desirable, conforming by profession or interest to the aims and objects of the IBPA. A candidate for full membership shall be proposed by a full member in good standing.

Associate member

All persons in good standing who have an interest in the activities of the IBPA but may not have the qualifications required for full membership can apply for associate membership. Associate members pay full membership dues, but have no voting rights and are not eligible to serve as officers or members of the Executive Committee.

How to Join

Please check what type of membership you are eligible for (see excerpt from the IBPA constitution above), and the appropriate membership due (see below).
Fill out the application form, or type the details in an email and send the data to the Membership Secretary, Katie Thorpe.
Pay the appropriate membership due (see below).

Renewals

Please check your personal details in the database. Send any changed details that you cannot change yourself to the Membership Secretary Katie Thorpe.

Late payers

Membership is based on Calendar years and members who have not paid by July 1 are, according to the Constitution, deemed to have resigned.

Members paying late can alternatively opt to reinstate their past membership by paying for two full years, in which case they will not miss any Bulletins. Use the payment routine twice if you prefer that method.

Members who have let their membership lapse can alternatively re-join (pay for the remaining part of the year, plus the next year).

Fees

December 1 – June 30

The membership due for a calendar year is U$48. See below.
Members joining between January and May inclusive pay the (full) due for the current year.
Those who join after May 31 pay as follows:

1 June – 31 August
50% of the annual membership plus one additional year for the following calendar year.

1 September – 30 November
One quarter of the current dues to cover the rest of the current year and one additional year for the following calendar year.

Other arrangements

A member joining in October can opt to pay for the (entire) current year, i.e. as if he had joined before June, or for 1.5 year, i.e. as is if he had joined in July. Any other special arrangement must be agreed in advance with the Membership Secretary.