Membership Info / Application OLD

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

NOTE: THIS IS NOT REGISTRATION FOR THE DIPLOMA PROGRAM. For the Diploma Program website and Getting Started information, click here.

Welcome to the MDHSA Local Support Group!

Please read the Membership Information (below) completely before submitting the Membership Application! You can find the “Membership Application” link at the bottom of this page.

***YEARLY MEMBERSHIP FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE***

We hope you will join MDHSA and reap the benefits of partnering with others who are committed to home education! See below for:

  1. Membership Types – This must be read before completing the Membership Application
  2. Before You Join – This must be read before completing the Membership Application
  3. Photos of Children Policy – This must be read before completing the Membership Application
  4. Membership Dues
  5. Membership Approval and Member Portal Password
  6. Grandparents Joining MDHSA / Assisting with Homeschooling
  7. Receiving Your Newsletters
  8. Co-Ops
  1. Membership Types:

There are two types of Membership in MDHSA: Full Membership and Associate Membership.

The type of Membership that you will have is based on whether you agree with the excerpt of our Bylaws, Statement of Faith, and Purpose. You can read these items here. There is no difference in how each type of Member is treated, and they are both welcome to participate fully in all activities. However, Associate Members may not serve as officers, vote on policy matters, or be members of the Co-Op Committees.

To become a Member of MDHSA, both husband and wife (or the custodial parent or legal guardian) must read the Statement of Purpose and check the appropriate box on the Membership Application for “Membership Type”. GRANDPARENTS JOINING MDHSA – SEE #6, BELOW.

  1. Before You Join:

On the Membership Application, you will be asked to “CHECK” the statement: I/we are affirming that I/we have read the “Before You Join” section in the Membership Info tab for the current year’s Membership. (Please do not just check the box if you have read it in the past! Read this information each year to confirm that there are no changes that are important to you!)

As much as we love to have folks join and support MDHSA, we want you to be sure that the Organization is right for you.  Here are some important things you should know about MDHSA before joining.  You do not have to agree with all the information listed. However, these are non-negotiable items, and it is important to be aware of how MDHSA stands on certain issues.

  1. Photos of Children – Policy:

MDHSA families sometimes submit photos of their children and other children at MDHSA activities to one of our public venues, such as Facebook, the MDHSA website or an MDHSA newsletter. Rarely, there may be a professional photographer taking photos. Since it is impossible for everyone in MDHSA to know your child personally, if you do not wish to have your child’s photo on a public MDHSA venue, you must make sure your child walks away from any photo taking at an MDHSA activity by anyone, professional or otherwise, and make your wishes known to anyone who inadvertently takes a photo of your child. If you do not do so, other parents or photographers and MDHSA will assume that you are giving permission for your children’s unidentified photos to be used publicly, and the photographers and MDHSA are released from any responsibility. Anyone submitting a photo with a child’s name must obtain permission from the parent. If a photo with a name is submitted to MDHSA, it will be assumed that the parent gave permission. If you do see a photo of your child on an MDHSA public venue that you want removed, please contact the person who took the photo and/or the venue (FB coordinator, webmaster) to have it removed.

  1. Membership Dues:

The MDHSA Membership Year runs from June 1 through May 31 of each year. Dues are paid per year. If you are a RENEWING MEMBER experiencing financial difficulties, payment plans may be available to you. Contact the MDHSA office at mdhsaadmin@pa.net for details. Membership fees are the same for new and renewing members.

Full Year Enrollment Drive begins on April 1 for the NEXT school year, which will become effective on June 1.

Membership Fees (dues):  A Full Year Membership fee is $45.  All members automatically receive the newsletter by e-mail.  If you check on the Membership Application that you wish to receive the newsletter by mail in addition to receiving it automatically by e-mail, the cost of the yearly dues is $55.00.  MDHSA encourages members to receive the newsletter by e-mail only, as mailing hard copies incurs more expense and requires more effort on the part of our VOLUNTEER newsletter editor to print, label, and mail the newsletters.

 

Your Membership Fee can be paid online via PayPal or credit card, OR you may mail a check for your Membership Fees to the MDHSA Office. Please indicate in the “memo” area that it is for Membership Dues and the Membership Year (i.e. 2020-21).

Pro-Rated Membership Enrollment begins on December 1st.  The pro-rated membership fee is $30 for those joining between December 1 and March 31 of the current membership year.

  • Do NOT use PayPal to pay for a pro-rated membership. Pro-rated members should complete the online Membership Application, but must MAIL their payment of $30 payable to MDHSA to:  Pro-Rated MDHSA Membership, 32 W. Main Street, #5, Waynesboro, PA 17268
  • Pro-rated members will receive their newsletter by e-mail only. There is no postal mail option for pro-rated memberships.
  1. Membership Approval and Member Portal Password:

After submitting your Application online, you will receive an e-mail stating that you have signed-up to join MDHSA.

After your payment has been received by the MDHSA office, your Membership will be approved and you will receive a second e-mail providing you with the password to the Member Portal section of the website and the MDHSA Resource Center.  From within the Portal, you can access:

  • The Membership Directory and Membership Cards
  • The Resource Center
  • Co-Op Registration Forms
  • Current and past Newsletters
  • Forms and Policies
  • Activities Calendar
  • Graduation Ceremony Forms
  • Membership Information and Services
  • More!

New members will be unable to login to the MDHSA Member Portal until June 1.

 

  1. Grandparents Joining MDHSA / Assisting with Homeschooling:

IMPORTANT: Please review the GRANDPARENT CLAUSE to determine who the Grandparent Clause applies to and how Grandparents and/or Parents (in these situations) are to join MDHSA and complete the Membership Application.

  1. Receiving Your Newsletters:

The membership year runs from June 1 to May 31.  The first newsletter to be published in the new membership year will be in August. If you join before July 15th, you will receive the new membership year’s August Newsletter. If you join MDHSA any time after July 15th of the new membership year, your newsletters will not be sent to you until the month after you have joined. However, you will be able to access them by logging into the Member Portal.  Please do not share the newsletter, as this is one of the benefits of being a member of MDHSA and may contain personal information.

Although the Membership Year runs from June 1 to May 31, current members will receive their final newsletter for the year in June. New members who register before May 31 will receive the June newsletter by e-mail only, as a courtesy, in case there are upcoming summer activities. The newsletter is not published in July and January.

  1. Co-Ops:

Renewing Members:  Beginning April 1, once you have completed your Membership Application for the upcoming (new) school year and have been sent the approval email with the new passwords, you may access the Member Portal to retrieve and print the Co-Op Registration Forms for fall classes, once they become available. Use the outgoing (current) year passwords to get into the Portal until June 1, Once in the Portal, access the fall Co-Op forms by using the new membership year’s one-word password (found in the approval email).

New Members: As of June 1, once you are approved as a Member, you may log in to the Member Portal to retrieve and print the Co-Op Registration Forms. Even if you join before June 1, you will not be able to get into the Member Portal until June 1st.

Please DO NOT give any of the Co-Op forms to others. Violators may lose their Membership with no refund. All Members must go to the Member Portal section themselves to retrieve the Co-Op Registration Form with their own password. If members do not have internet access, they can sign up for membership at the library or at a friend’s computer, or contact the office and to retrieve the Co-Op registration form. Co-Op should be contacted as soon as you decide that you are interested in participating, as classes fill up quickly. Once a Co-Op has begun classes for that semester, no other Members may be accepted into Co-Op. If a Member invites you to visit a Co-Op once classes have begun, please be aware that you will not be allowed to join until the next Co-Op session begins. Currently, the sessions begin in the fall, ending in December, and begin again in the new year, ending in late spring. Please check the Co-Op pages for more information.

APPLY FOR MDHSA LOCAL SUPPORT GROUP MEMBERSHIP HERE

 

 

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