If for no other reason than financial, I offer this.
Got a check in the mail yesterday from NSPS for $112.50.
Turns out that when I joined my State Association, I paid the extra $40 for NSPS membership. That triggered a refund from NSPS.
As one can see, the dues paid when via the State Association cost much less than when paid independently.
If you State Association hasn't already made this commitment, maybe this will get the the membership to sit up and take notice.
Our state society has now joined NSPS and one of the questions asked by the membership was who was going to keep track of the members who belong to multiple state societies where their dues also cover membership in NSPS to avoid duplicity.
AZ (APLS is our society) is also on board with 100% participation in NSPS. The NSPS fee is then $40/yr. Pretty good deal IMHO.
I think there are only a handful of states not on board yet, which apparently is due to the timing of their annual general membership meetings for the vote. Give it a year.
TN(TAPS) has been using this fact as a way to increase membership. It works out great for everyone.
> TN(TAPS) has been using this fact as a way to increase membership. It works out great for everyone.
WA(LSAW) is covering the extra 40 bucks, the first year, as a way to entice folks to join. Seems to be working...:-)
I would think that many surveyors that belong to more than one state society or association are full-fledged members in one (usually their home state) and "affiliate", "out-of-state" or "associate" in any other states where they are licensed.
It should be fairly easy to arrange the correct membership dues on that basis.
I believe that is addressed in the standard agreement that each society signs. The stipulation is that the members resident state is the only one needing that extra $40 NSPS membership fee. For any other states fees, it would be deducted.
In 2014 I believe our membership application has a box for "professional member with NSPS membership included", and one for "professional membership for a non resident registrant". Or something along those lines. Here it's $190 vs $150.
A similar issue still remains for associate & student members. At APLS we've decided to just kind of "bankroll" them in for a couple years until we figure out how to handle it. Their additional fee is nominal at most, but we still maintain our 100% status.
This is all new stuff and I'm in 100% support of the efforts by NSPS to increase membership at the national level. Remember that the ACSM dysfunctional days are over. NSPS is for surveyors.