Membership

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This year’s badge was designed by Life member and artist Martin Dornisch.
Membership is valid from from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 for the calendar year purchased.

Click here for Membership Application

The Opossum

Scientific name – Didelphis virginiana

The name “opossum” is derived from an Algonquian Indian word “apasum” meaning white animal.

While there are over 65 species of opossums,only one,the Didelphis virginiana. more commonly known as the Virginia opossum, is native to North America. Didelphis means double womb and refers to the pouch as a secondary place of development for the infant opossums. Virginiana refers to to the state of Virginia where the opossum was first observed by early English colonists.Opossums can be found throughout most of the United States and portions of Canada and Mexico.

Opossums are born after 11-13 day gestation period. The pink, embryonic-looking infants are so small at birth that 20 could fit into a teaspoon. The infants continue to develop inside the pouch. As the grow and the pouch becomes full , the juveniles then ride on the mothers’s back until they are old enough to go on their own.

The average life span of 1-2 years. The short life span is due to predation, road kills. Sometimes the opossum is able to escape death by “playing possum.” The opossum has many interesting features. It has 50 teeth, hairless tail is prehensile and used for grasping branches and carrying nesting material. The opossum has opposable thumbs on its hind feet for holding onto branches.Their diet includes all types of bugs and insects including cockroaches, crickets, beetles and ticks. They love snails. They also eat mice and rats.They are noctunal and earned the title “Natures Little Sanatation Engineer.”

Credit to the :
Opossum Society of the United States (OSUS)

Classes:
The membership of the club shall be divided into eight classes known as Active, Senior, Life, Senior Life, Patron, Benefactor, Endowment, and Junior.

  • An Active member of the club shall be any individual over 16 years of age or a life member who has paid dues for the current year, and has attended three meetings.
  • A Life member is anyone donating $500.00 or more to the club, or a person who has performed exceptional service to the club and who has been recommended by the Board of Directors and voted by the membership of the club at any regular meeting.
  • A Junior member of the club is one who is under 16 years of age.
  • A Senior member is a person who is 16 years of age or over.
  • A Senior Life member is anyone 65 years of age or older that contributes $250.00.
  • A Patron member is anyone who contributes $750.00.
  • A Benefactor member is anyone who contributes $1000.00
  • An Endowment member is anyone who contributes $1250.00 or higher.

Members who select Patron, Benefactor, or Endowment membership shall have their names placed on a special plaque which will be displayed at the Club.

Only Active members shall be entitled to participate in the governmental regulations and control of the affairs of the club.

A member in good standing of the club is a member who is not indebted to the club in any manner whatsoever.

Privileges:
A member shall have the full privileges of using the available facilities of the club with out further assessment. It shall be understood, however, that a fee may be charged for the attendance at any dance, parties or any other form of entertainment or for meals or beverages served in the operation of the club.

These privileges may be temporarily removed, in part or in whole, during each time when the grounds are leased for public or private affairs.

Any member who is found guilty, by legal authority, of violating game, fish, conservation or civil laws on the club premises shall be suspended at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

Any former member of the club who is indebted to the club in any manner whatsoever shall not be permitted the privileges of the club as a guest of another or in any other manner until such time that all indebtedness to the club shall be paid in full.

Dues:
In addition to any Government taxes, the annual dues for all classes of membership shall be set by the Board of Directors at the first meeting of each year. If in any year, the Board of Directors fail or for any reason the first meeting is delayed and the dues are not established, the dues for the previous year shall prevail until such time as the Board of Directors set a new sum or approve the amount previously designated.