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BSR MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Questions About Your Membership? Contact the Membership Chair via e-mail at membership@bsrbarracudas.com or call the Pool Office (301)262-3349 and leave a message.
 

2008 Maintenance Fee Renewal. 

        The 2008 Maintenance Fee Payment Invoice will be mailed to you in early April.   Please complete the form so that we may update our database and return it with your annual dues which be $450 for Family Members and $255 for Individual Members (Singles).  The maintenance fee is due by May 1^st, 2008 – after that a $25 monthly late charge will be applied.

            Digital Photos:  Since we adopted the computerized gate entry system last year, we will not need a new individual photo this year.  However, if we do not already have a digital photo for each family member than the photo must be taken at the gate either at Open House or the first time that member comes to the pool.  Photos should not be provided via e-mail and must be taken at the gate.

             BSR Numbers.   Our Membership Database tracks payment status by your name and address and the BSR Membership Number that was originally assigned is no longer used.  However, the gate entry system does have a discrete database record number for each individual family member.  You may speed the gate guard’s search for your name by asking the guard to give you a card with the database record numbers written for each of your individual family members.  On future entries you can just use your number instead of spelling out your name.  Each family member will have a different number.

               Last Names.  All family members are recorded in the Gate Entry database under the last name that you use on your Membership Application (or Transfer Form).  We will be glad to use any last name (or hyphenated names) that you would like and if you want it changed simply contact the Membership Chair.

             Open House:  Open House weekend this year will be 17-18 May 2008 from 1-7PM.  Please invite non-members to explore the facility and hopefully join our Club.  An award of $50 worth of BSR Barracuda Bucks will be provided to any member who refers a new member to the Club.  Barracuda Bucks may be used at the Snack Bar, for Club Social Events, or Registration fees (excluding annual maintenance fees).

Members no longer willing to pay the annual maintenance fee will need to find a prospective new member to transfer their membership to or simply resign their membership.  Details and Forms can be found at the Membership page of our web site.  If you do not intend to return the enclosed renewal form and maintenance fee, please inform the Membership Committee Chair. 

 Procedures for Resigning Your Membership:

    Per BSR's By-Laws, a member wishing to terminate his/her membership shall notify the Club in writing.  A form letter can be downloaded from the Download Page for this purpose.  It may be forwarded electronically to the membership chair via e-mail or sent via regular mail to BSR PO Box 499, Bowie MD 20718.   Please let us know on the form the reason for your resignation.
    Private transfer of your membership is presently the best avenue to re-coup something from your original investment in BSR Membership.  Suggested options are advertisement (in local papers, bulletin boards, etc.); transfer to family members, neighbors, or friends; or transfer of Membership with the sale of your home. 

BSR is not able to “buy-back” your Membership Fee until we are at our full membership capacity of 750 families. 

NOTE:  Annual Dues must be paid by 1 May each year in order to remain a member in good standing.  A late fee of $25 per month is assessed for each month dues are not paid.  If you do not pay your annual dues within a year, the previous year's dues plus the monthly late fees will have reduced the value of your original Membership Fee to Zero.

Procedures to Join the Waiting List for a Single Membership:

    BSR's By-Laws set a maximum number of Family Memberships at 750 and Single Memberships at 25.  We presently have a Waiting List for members wanting to convert from a Family Membership to a Single Membership.  Requests to join this waiting list for a Single Membership shall be sent to the Membership Chair via e-mail or regular mail.

Procedures for Transferring Memberships:

    Members are encouraged to recruit non-members to join the Club and find non-members to transfer their membership privileges.  In accordance with BSR's By-Laws, a member wishing to transfer their membership to a non-member shall notify the Club in writing via e-mail or regular mail to the Membership Chair.  By finding someone to transfer your membership to, you can avoid a long wait on the Club Request to Transfer List. You may not transfer your membership if you have outstanding debts with the Club to include the previous year's maintenance fee.  {The recruiting incentive of snack bar credits or other rewards does not apply to former members who have sold/transferred their membership.}  BSR Membership Transfer Form can be found at the Download Page.   If you do not intend to renew your membership for 2006 and wish to simply resign, resignation forms can be downloaded from the web site and sent to the PO Box for the Membership Committee Chair. 

Procedures for Leasing Memberships: -- A way to try the Club out for One Year!

Current members who wish to lease their memberships for the season are requested to contact the membership chair.  Members will be required to submit a leasing agreement, which may be downloaded from our web site, and then send the signed agreement to the membership chair.  As interested families contact the club regarding this option, members will be contacted from the list and the lease will be initiated for the season.  This option is based on the availability of families interested in leasing, so members are encouraged to seek out families independently as well.  

Is it a Membership Bond or a Membership Fee???  -- Answer: it is a one-time Membership Fee (that has some ownership value and "salvage" value)

    Over the 40 year history of the Club the term "Bond" has been affixed to the membership fee made to join BSR.  In 1965 it was $375.  Today the membership fee is only $600*.  Since BSR is owned by the members, this fee entitles each member to ownership in 1/750th of the pool's value**.  Each member has voting rights in major decisions regarding Capital Expenditures and By-Laws changes.  However, the word "Bond" is never used in the BSR By-Laws in describing the Membership Fee.  There is no physical or electronic "bond" or formal commitment to re-pay the member similar to what a corporation would issue to a "bond-holder" who loaned them money.  While the BSR By-Laws describe the method of transferring membership fees to retiring members (minus a transfer fee), the By-Laws only compel the Club to perform this accounting exchange in the case of a "transfer".  If a member wishes to simply resign their membership and the Club is not at the maximum limit of 750 Families and has no waiting list of prospective members, the club is unable to "transfer" the membership and thus unable to refund any part of the original Membership Fee.

    When a member wishes to leave the pool they may "sell" (transfer) their membership themselves to the person purchasing their home, a neighbor, or by advertising it in the local Penny Saver or Bowie Blade.  Members can transfer their memberships for whatever amount they can get from a buyer.  In recent years that has ranged from $300 - $500.  When a member conducts a private transfer of their membership, the Club will not impose an additional Transfer Fee as permitted by the By-Laws.  When the Club is involved in a transfer, a transfer fee of up to 5% of the membership fee is levied.

*While this Membership Fee has not even doubled in 40 years, not surprisingly the annual dues have increased from $45 in 1965 to $420 today.  The largest share of our cost increases over the years have been with the pool's management company (lifeguards), liability insurance, utilities (water, electric, gas), landscaping, and real estate taxes.  There are certainly also a host of services offered today that were not offered back in 1965 (specifically free swim and tennis lessons, swim team, many more social events with a DJ, and lighted tennis, basketball, volleyball, and horse-shoes, etc.).

**The assessed tax value of the club is $1M, but as many of you know our 7 acres alone is likely worth more than that on the open market....fortunately we only have to pay property taxes on $1M - a hefty enough bill at over $16,000 per year.   Clearly 1/750th of BSR's market value is more than three times the Membership Fee of $600.   While there are no plans to sell the Club, if it ever were sold, each member would receive an equal share of the proceeds after all debts and obligations are paid (in accordance with the By-Laws).

BSR Guest Policy:  the Membership Handbook provides details on the Guest Rates and Policy.  Any member planning to bring in 10 or more guests must complete a Group Reservation Form and give it to the Pool Manager or Assistant Manager at least 5 days prior to the event.  Groups of greater than 20 guests must also be approved by the President of the Board of Directors.

Family Unit Definition:   In accordance with our By-Laws, all persons in the Family Unit that holds the membership must “permanently and continuously reside in the member’s household.”  If you have sons and daughters who are now adults and not living at your home please do not put their names on the enclosed Membership Information Request Form.  

Guest Policy:  In 2005 we eliminated “Bowie Days” as part of our Guest Policies and we will continue to sell guest passes each day without geographical residency restrictions.  The Board has set a maximum of 10 visits per season for Guests who live in the Bowie-Crofton-Davidsonville area.  Monthly passes ($60) and Seasonal and Babysitter Passes ($150) have been increased for the first time in over ten years and are available for purchase with your membership dues or at the pool office.  Guests must always be escorted into the Club by a Member and only Babysitter Pass holders may enter the facility without the host member.  Guests are admitted free of charge if they are 3 and under or 60 years of age or older.  The Grandparents not living at your residence should not be listed on your membership, but they may accompany you for free as your guests if over 60 years of age.  Members are responsible for their guests and you must be at least 13 years of age to escort a guest into the Club.

Registration Forms and Member’s Handbook:  In order to save on mailing costs, we have continued the practice of not mailing out a Member’s Handbook or Registration forms to every member.   All of the forms for Lesson/Team registration are available at the download page of our web site www.bsrbarracudas.com.  Blank forms and the Member’s Handbook (containing all Rules and Regulations) are available at Open House and in the Pool Office during the summer.   All forms and fees should be mailed directly to the address indicated at the bottom of the respective form or dropped off at the Pool Office for the responsible Board member (with a check to BSR if required).