Masquers Terminology   >   Membership Overview   >   Classes of Membership   >   Regulations Governing Applications   >   Election


MEMBERSHIP OVERVIEW
Membership in the Masquers is by invitation only. Any member in good standing for at least one year may propose another person for membership in the Masquers and, upon the seconding of a proposal by at least one other such member, any proposed member(s) will be asked to fill-out a brief membership application, and be subsequently interviewed by a member of the Admissions Committee. Upon a successful interview, any proposed member(s) will be offered a Class of membership in the Masquers (see below) most fitting to her/him, and be asked to pay a membership fee as per the guidelines below (currently, dues for membership are paid annually at a mere $55.00, with a one-time $20.00 initiation fee).

Anyone seeking membership in the Masquers Club should make contact with someone who has been a member in good standing for at least one year to begin the consideration process.


CLASSES OF MEMBERSHIP
The members shall comprise nine classes, namely:
LIFE MEMBERS
(a.) Professional and Non-Professional members in good standing may purchase a life membership in the Club on the payment of the equivalent of ten years' current dues. The names of applicants for such membership shall be submitted to and passed upon by vote of the Jesterate(*). The Jesterate shall give the preference to the seniority of membership of the applicants, (b.) Members who have attained twenty-five years of dues-paying membership and in good standing shall be granted Life Memberships with all and full privileges. (c.) The Club may, by two-thirds vote, confer life memberships, with all privileges, for valuable services rendered to the Club, if recommended to do so by unanimous vote of the Jesterate. The vote taken by the Jesterate must be by ballot. The resolution of the Jesterate recommending the conferring of such life membership must be posted on the bulletin board for ten days before the Club meeting, and written notice must be sent of such resolution to all members ten days before the meeting. (d.) At the end of the tenure of office, past Harlequins shall be granted, by vote of the Jesterate, life membership with full privileges.


PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS
The Professional Members shall include such actors, authors, singers, musicians, stage and screen producers and technicians, accredited artists' representatives and persons practicing the graphic and plastic arts, as are strictly professional.


NON-PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS
Applicants residing within a radius of forty miles of the city limits of Los Angeles, who are not engaged in any of the professions specified above, or who are not members of the Armed Forces in active service or on the retired list, shall be classed as non-professional members. Any non-professional members moving beyond the forty-mile limit, may, if there is a vacancy in the non-resident membership, be placed on the non-resident list by giving notice to the Jesterate of such removal; but he shall not be entitled to any returns or rebate of his entrance fee.


NON-RESIDENT MEMBERS
Any applicant residing beyond the radius of forty miles of the city limits of Los Angeles, or who, for business or residence purposes, spends more than six (6) months of each year outside of Los Angeles County may be classified as a non-resident member. Any such member, who for a period of one year shall reside within said radius shall cease to be a non-resident. A non-resident member may become a member in another class on application to the Jesterate(*), and his name shall be posted and all other members notified in the usual manner, and he shall be balloted for, like other candidates. If transferred, he shall pay the full additional fee and full dues of the class to which he has been admitted.


JUNIOR MEMBERS
A special membership for those practicing the graphic and plastic arts or otherwise deemed eligible for membership, who are under the age of thirty years. Tenure as a Junior Member is limited to one year which shall be considered a probationary period.


ARMED FORCES MEMBERS
Officers and enlisted men in the military service of the United States, in active service or on the retired list, may become members by being elected in the manner governing the election of such members. They shall not vote nor hold office nor have voice at any meeting.


ASSOCIATE MEMBERS
Associate Members shall be persons who are deemed eligible by the Jesterate(*) because of certain qualifications. They shall neither vote nor hold office nor have voice at any meeting. Associate members shall be elected for a term of one year.


HONORARY MEMBERS
The Honorary Members may be elected to the Club by unanimous vote of the Jesterate(*). Their tenure in such membership shall be at the discretion of the Jesterate. Honorary members shall be exempt from the payment of dues and shall have all the rights and privileges of members except voting and eligibility to office.


HONORARY LIFE MEMBERS
Honorary Life Members shall be governed by the same rules and regulations as Honorary Members.



REGULATIONS GOVERNING APPLICATIONS
The name of every person proposed for membership, with his/her place of residence, occupation or profession, and the class to which her/his election is proposed shall be entered on a form provided by the Ponchinello(*); this application form must be signed by the applicant, his proposer and seconders and forwarded to the Ponchinello together with a check covering the full initiation fee and required dues. This application shall be preserved among the permanent records of the Club.

The proposer and seconders of an applicant must be of the Professional Class or Non-Professional Class, and each must have known said applicant at least one year, and have been a member of the Club in good standing for at least one year. Proposers must forward, in writing, to the Ponchinello the following information;

(1) Name of endorser. (2) length of time acquaintance has existed. (3) any other matters bearing on the fitness of the candidate. This information may be given on a form provided by the Ponchinello for that purpose. Further, the proposer and/or seconders when requested by the Admission's Committee, must appear before that body together with their candidate to furnish such additional information as may be required as to the eligibility of the candidate to membership.

The Ponchinello shall cause a transcript of the form to be entered in a Book of Candidates to be kept for this purpose in the Club House, which Book must at all times be accessible to members. The name of each applicant for membership shall be posted upon the bulletin board of the Club within twenty-four hours after receipt by the Club of said application. No application shall be acted upon by the Jesterate until the name of the applicant shall have been so posted, for at least fifteen (15) days.

No candidate may be balloted for unless reported upon by the Admissions Committee. In the event of the death of the sponsor of a candidate the surviving sponsors are to be notified that no action can be taken until an associate sponsor has been obtained.

Upon receipt of an application for membership there shall be issued to the candidate, in the name of the Ponchinello, a card extending to him the privileges of the Club House until the date of the Jesterate meeting at which his application shall be considered.


ELECTION
All election of members shall be by ballot of the Jesterate(*); two negative ballots shall exclude, and no rejected candidate shall again be proposed until after the expiration of six months from the date of such rejection.