Types of membership

Ordinary

Any person interested in South African palaeontology may apply on the prescribed form for Ordinary Membership. Provided such application is supported by two members in good standing, and on payment of the prescribed membership fee, the applicant will be deemed to have been elected to membership. An Ordinary Member shall have all the rights and privileges of membership, and shall have the right to vote provided his membership is in good standing.

Student

This category of membership is open to bona fide full-time students who are not in employment. Application is made in the normal way on the prescribed form, to be submitted with suitable evidence of the applicant’s status as a full-time student (such as a letter from the applicant’s professor or supervisor, or from a Member to whom the student is known personally). Provided the Executive Committee accepts the evidence of student status, and provided the application is supported by two Members in good standing, and on payment of the appropriate membership fee, the applicant will be deemed to have been elected a Student Member. Student Members have all the rights and privileges of membership, including the right to vote providing their membership is in good standing.

Honorary

This constitutes the highest honour which the Society can bestow, and it is conferred for life. A candidate for Honorary Membership, who would normally be a prominent person who has made a distinguished contribution to palaeontology or a sister discipline, must be formally proposed by a Member in good standing and seconded by at least two other Members in good standing. The nomination, with a full motivation in support, must be submitted to the Hon. Secretary for consideration by the Executive Committee. If the Executive Committee supports the proposal, it will be put on the Members for approval either at a General Meeting of the Society or in a postal ballot. If no dissenting vote is cast against the nomination, and providing the affirmative vote represents at least two thirds of the paidup membership of the Society, the candidate will be declared by the President duly elected to Honorary Membership. If the nomination fails to attract two-thirds support form the Members, even though it might not have drawn a single dissenting vote, it will fall away. Honorary Members are not eligible for election to any office in the Society, but otherwise they enjoy all the rights and privileges of Ordinary Membership, including the right to vote. They will not be required to pay membership subscription fees

Associate

This category of membership is intended for individuals or representative of organisation with whom the Society wishes to maintain close contact, without requiring that the persons concerned should apply for Ordinary Membership. By virtue of his office in the body that has legal responsibility for fossils in South Africa, the Director of the National Monuments Council of South Africa (and his Deputy) will be invited to accept this category of membership so as to maintain close links between the Society and the Council Associate Members will not have voting rights, not will they ​be required to pay membership fees.