Life membership

[Anon.]

How does one become a life member of the Students' Association?

[Association President]

Life members:
pay 10 pounds, they must have Matriculated three times or become members of the University General Council (i.e. Graduated). There is a provision for students who have been a student of the Open University for two years preceding becoming a student here. Currently there is not provision for our Non-Graduating Alumni.

Honary Life Members:
Awarded to those who have made a "substantial contribution to student life" this is not supposed to be awarded to office holders of the Association who simply cary out their job.

[hr]Simon Atkins
President
Students' Association
St Andrews
(01334 46) 2700
pres@st-andrews.ac.uk

[Al]

"Honary Life Members:
Awarded to those who have made a "substantial contribution to student life" this is not supposed to be awarded to office holders of the Association who simply cary out their job."

With respect, I think that is verging on the disingenuous. Let us take the example of the sabbatical officers. I have never known of a single case where a sabbatical has not received honorary life membership. Perhaps they have made a significant contribution to student life. I would expect sabbatical officers to make a substantial contribution to student life. But how? Through fulling the remit of their job. Their paid job. So, in effect, sabbatical officers are being honoured for merely doing a job for which they were paid.

It used to be the case that people were awarded HLM because of their services to the Association. Not some airy-fairy notion of "substantial contributions". Who decides what is substantial or what is merely a contribution? I thought the old system was bad enough. The Exec would meet before the AGM to decide who - from the previous year - was recommended for HLM. Unfortunately, such a system rewarded longevity (dare I say "institutionalised hackdom"?) rather than any work actually done. The unfairness was compounded by the fact that the rules of people not being honorary life members and ordinary members was followed.

[hr]Life is too important to be taken seriously.

[Marco Biagi]

It seems like a good idea to me to recognise somehow "substantial contribution to student life". Defining it is hard to do, and it's also unlikely that the Exec in its one meeting (now at the end of the year) is likely to have all the knowledge available, or total impartiality, but it still does more good than harm. On the sabs, most have made a "substantial contribution" before they become a sab, but otherwise, yes, your point makes sense.

[Al]

What about the KK? Or the CU? It could be argued that those organisations make a "substantial contribution to student life". Have any of the office-holders of those organisations been awarded HLM as a result of their office and not some other contribution they have made?

[hr]Life is too important to be taken seriously.

[niall]

[s]Al wrote on 07:54, 1st Dec 2004:
What about the KK? Or the CU? It could be argued that those organisations make a "substantial contribution to student life". Have any of the office-holders of those organisations been awarded HLM as a result of their office and not some other contribution they have made?

[hr][i]Life is too important to be taken seriously.
[/i]

its up to other students to nominate them. If someone in the CU thinks that there is someone who has contirbuted alot then they email the DoS and say why.

[Director of Services]

[s]Al wrote on 07:54, 1st Dec 2004:
What about the KK? Or the CU? It could be argued that those organisations make a "substantial contribution to student life". Have any of the office-holders of those organisations been awarded HLM as a result of their office and not some other contribution they have made?

[hr][i]Life is too important to be taken seriously.
[/i]

Yes.
When I have a longer minute to spend, I'll talk more on the subject.

But, it really is about the contribution someone has made rather than what office they held (there's a subtle and important difference). Last year we had a range from people who had never held office but made a significant contribution to student life to those who held office several times (and also contributed to student life *beyond the call of their office*).

[Anon.]

[s]Association President wrote on 10:27, 30th Nov 2004:
Life members:
pay 10 pounds, they must have Matriculated three times or become members of the University General Council (i.e. Graduated).

So whom should one contact? You, Simon?

[Al]

I believe your first port of call should be the Union Cash Office who will check your eligibility and take your money. From there you will need to go to the General Office who will issue you with the card. At least, that was the procedure when I got it. Mind you, it was much more expensive then.

[hr]Life is too important to be taken seriously.

[Director of Services]

To buy a life membership, your first port of call is the Cash Office on the middle floor of the Students' Association Building. Any specific questions regarding the photographs required (to go into the card) can be directed to hommd@st-and.ac.uk.

To nominate someone for a honourary life membership, e-mail me at doserv@st-and.ac.uk.

Thanks

[Anon.]

Righto, thanks.

[Legion]

The sabbs don't get paid - they receive a living allowance, which is apparently not actually enough to live on.

[Chester the Snowcat]

So who got honorary life membership last year?

[Guest]

Can I nominate Preston for honourary life membership?