Membership

THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NEGRO MUSICIANS, INC.

I. MEMBERSHIP FOR INDIVIDUALS

In compliance with the organizational structure of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc., each organization member (individual) should be affiliated with a local branch in or near his/her city. Each NANM branch has its own local annual dues structure. Information on existing local branches and all other categories of membership is maintained in the national office. For individuals who are at least 21 (twenty-one) years of age, who may reside in an area where there is no local branch in or near his/her city, application for membership may be processed for the "Member-at-Large" category (see Membership Application).

The membership of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. is composed of the following:

A. Musicians
B. Patrons of the Arts
C. Life Members
D. Members-at-Large
E. Youth
F. Junior
G. Campus

More information is available on each of the preceding categories of membership in the NATIONAL CONSTITUTION, ARTICLE II -MEMBERSHIP, Section I. For more information on individual membership, see Membership Application on page seven (7).

Annual membership renewal - Annual membership may be renewed in each category of membership, provided the individual is a member in good standing. He/she must have satisfied all local and national financial obligations of dues and assessments, and must have complied with the rules and regulations set forth in the constitution of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. and the local Branch Constitution. NANM’s fiscal year is from July 1 through June 30.

(very important: see BRANCH CONSTITUTION, ARTICLES V & IX).

II. DIVISIONS & BRANCHES—Eligibility

The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. is comprised of five (5) regions: Central, Eastern, Rocky Mountain, Southern, Western. Each region is under the governance of a Regional Director (Regional Vice-president) who resides within the respective region and is elected at the National Convention by the general membership. Regional Directors serve as voting members of the Board of Directors.

Senior Branches - Senior Branches (Adults at least 21 years of age) may be affiliated with NANM, Inc. through proper application to the Regional Director and shall be endorsed with fulfillment of the necessary financial obligations sent to the Executive Secretary (see Branch Constitution, ARTICLES V & IX) Said Branch must have at least ten (10) members (see Branch Constitution, ARTICLE II, Section 1).

            Current fees for Senior Branches and individual members are:
                    Branch Charter Fee to the National                             $15.00
                    Annual Senior Branch Assessment                           $300.00
                    National Annual individual member dues                     $40.00
                    Local membership dues (determined by the local branch)

Youth Branches - A Youth Branch may become affiliated with NANM Inc. through proper endorsement of the Director of the Youth Division and so endorsed, with the fulfillment of the necessary financial obligations sent to the Executive Secretary. A Youth Branch may be established and accredited upon conforming with the rules of the Senior Branch (Youth and Junior Branches must be affiliated with a local Senior Branch as its sponsoring organization) with the exception of lower rates and lower age limit. The joining fee plus annual dues are set by the Board of Directors. The age limit for Youth Branch members is fourteen (14) through twenty-one (21) years of age. Upon marriage, a youth may elect to remain a youth member through age twenty-one (21) or become an adult member. Youth Branch members are entitled to full voting privileges in National elections provided said members are financial with the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. as well as with his/her Youth Branch.

            Current fees for Youth Branches and individual members are:
                    Branch Charter Fee to the National                     $10.00
                    Annual Youth Branch Assessment                     $25.00
                    National Annual Youth individual membership dues $15.00
                    Local Youth membership dues (determined by the local branch)

Junior Branches - A Junior Branch may become affiliated with NANM, Inc. through the proper endorsement of the Director of the Youth Division and with the fulfillment of the necessary financial obligations sent to the Executive Secretary. A Junior Branch may be established and accredited upon conforming with the rules set for the Senior Branches (Youth and Junior Branches must be affiliated with a local Senior Branch as its sponsoring organization) and youth Branches except for lower fee and a lower age limit. The age limit for Junior Branches is six (6) through thirteen (13) years of age. The activities of the Junior Branches are governed by the Director of the Youth Division, appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors.

            Current fees for Junior Branches and individual members are:
                    Branch Charter Fee to the National                      $10.00
                    Annual Junior Branch Assessment                     $25.00
                    National Annual Junior individual member dues    $10.00
                    Local Junior member dues (determined by the local branch)

Campus Branches - A Campus Branch may become affiliated with NANM, Inc. with the proper application to the Regional Director of the Region in which the school is located. All Campus Branches are under the supervision of the National Campus Coordinator, appointed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors. The joining fee and annual dues shall be set by the Board of Directors. The Campus branches are under the local supervision of a faculty member who is a bona fide member of NANM, Inc. or whomever the Regional Director designates. While a student at the undergraduate or graduate level may be an adult (at least twenty-one (21) years of age), he/she usually maintains Campus Branch status until he/she graduates or is no longer a student at a college or university.

        Current fees for Campus Branches and individual members are:
            Branch Charter Fee to the National             $10.00
            Annual Campus Branch Assessment (campus branches are exempt from                     annual assessment.)
            National Annual Campus individual member dues (set by the Board of                          Directors)
            Local Campus members dues (determined by the local branch)

Life Members - Life Members are those persons who have paid a special fee determined by the National Board of Directors of NANM, Inc. upon acceptance by vote of the assembly. Those persons who are Life Members automatically become a member of the Life Members Guild. A brief history of the Life Members Guild is included in the following section.

            Current fees for Life Members are:
                    Life Membership $500.00
                    Required:
                            Initial Life Member dues installment         $250.00
                     Balance of installment paid over two years    $250.00

National Annual Life Member dues (Life Members are exempt from National Dues) Local Life Member dues (determined by the local branch) .

THE LIFE MEMBERS GUILD
(a brief history)

The Life Members Guild of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. was founded by Dr. Theodore Charles Stone in St. Louis, Missouri, August, 1969; the year NANM, Inc. celebrated its Golden (50^th) Anniversary.

Mrs. Florence White Billups, the wife of then national president, Mr. Kenneth Brown Billups, was asked by Dr. Stone to plan a luncheon for the Life Members attending the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. convention.

The first luncheon was intended to provide some lighthearted diversion from regular convention activities and featured a fashion show composed of Life Members and other members, in which Dr. Stone, himself, appeared as a featured model. While the Life Members Guild was originally organized for fun and relaxation, it has accepted the challenges of supporting specialized projects which are important to the mission and purpose of NANM. It currently embraces a number of serious and significant projects which include providing funding for the generation of the research and history of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. Its members have contributed to the development of scholarships and other financial resources for the support of NANM’s Youth and Junior Divisions and their programs.

In its twenty-eight years of existence, the Life Members Guild has had four chairpersons:

its first chair, Florence White Billups, Saraugusta Ray Diggs, Lillian Dunn Perry and its current chair, Edith M. Spaulding.

Many within the Life Members Guild are among the most prominent and long-standing members of NANM. The diversity of its age groups spans more than seven decades.