Criteria for Membership

1. At least one full year in business. (businesses with less than one year will be reviewed on a case by case basis by the Board)
2. Verifiable references
3. Decision making capacity in the business being represented
4. Appropriate licenses and insurance

Non-Compete

• All members occupy a unique business “category” and agree not to compete with other current member businesses. Each existing and all newly accepted business(es) occupy one business category for their non-refundable membership fee. Any business occupying an additional exclusive category or categories is subject to payment of additional initial/annual membership fees for each category held.

Attendance

• LTBRN members must attends at least 7 meetings per calendar quarter. If a member does not meet this requirement, he/she will be notified in writing that his/her attendance is below required levels. If a member fails to meet attendance requirements (7 meetings per quarter) for two consecutive calendar quarters, that member will be removed from the group. Attendance will be tracked by the LTBRN secretary.
• Attendance at any Board meeting counts as make-up for any LTBRN member.
• Leaves of absence may be granted by the Board of Directors on a case by case basis.

Payment of Dues

• Annual membership dues of $150 per year are billed January 1 and must be paid by January 31st. A second category is $100 per year. Late payment of dues may result in removal from the group. New members will pay an initial $50 setup fee in addition to annual dues prorated for the month that they join the group. Timely payment of dues is required of all LTBRN Members, even if on leave of absence.

New Members

• New prospective members are presented by a sponsoring current member and will be reviewed and discussed prior to the new prospective member attending any meeting. Upon initial acceptance by the group, the prospective member will be invited by the sponsoring member to a group meeting for a short presentation of themselves, their background, and their business. The sponsoring member may be required to verify background, references, licensure, etc.
• Atfer attending a minimum of 3 meetings, if the prospective member wished to join the group, he/she will submit an application for membership and references. After the prospective member’s information and references have been verified, he/she will be voted on by existing members at the last meeting of the month. If the prospective member recieves three of more negative votes their membership into the group is denied. Two or fewer objections and the individual/business may join the group.

Unsponsored New Member Probationary Period

• The new member probationary period only applies to new members that are not sponsored by an existing LTBRN member. As we are advertising the club’s existence, it is possible that an unsolicited business may express interest. The purpose of the probationary period is to give the new member an opportunity to feel out the group and to allow the club to get a feel for the new member, check their references and reputation, and witness the enthusiasm the new member displays for the club.
• The new member must pass the initial screening, in regards to category conflict, length of time in business and experiences with the other members.
• If the new member passes the initial screening they shall be granted probationary membership. The new member shall attend meetings just like a full member but will not be included in the printing of new brochures. As such, the new member is not expected to pay dues until succesful completion of the probationary period. The new member is expected to fill out the application for membership and to provide references to the club.
• During the probationary period, the LTBRN Sergeant at Arms will be assigned the task of checking the new member’s references. Additionally, should any full member(s) choose, they may utlize the services of the new member, as well as ask around the community in search of feedback. This feedback should be shared with the other group members.
• At the conclusion of the probationary period, the full members shall make a final vote. If approved, the new member will then pay his/her dues and become a full member of LTBRN.
• The length of the probationary period shall be 60 days.