With apologies for the delay I can now confirm the rates and process for renewals of TMC membership subs this year. You will need to take action so please read what follows carefully.

In this note, which is being shared on our website, by email and on Facebook, I will also attempt to anticipate the most common questions related to the process and the rates.

MAIN MESSAGE

Please log on to your profile on the new website to renew your membership*. If you are unsure how to do this email MembershipSecretary@themagiccircle.co.uk.

EVERYONE* who pays subs will need to do this please as we are no longer using GoCardless or Paypal who previously processed direct debits for us. All payments that were being taken via GoCardless and Paypal are being cancelled.

*There are further notes below for anyone who helps fellow members who do not have computers or otherwise need help and support to renew.

DEBIT AND CREDIT CARDS

We are now using ‘Stripe’ to process all membership subs online as this gives us more flexibility, links directly to the website record, saves us money on transaction costs and retains the ability to establish direct debits. You can choose to use either a debit or credit card to pay your subs via Stripe.

SUBS RATES

All current subscriptions expire on 31 May and the new subscription year starts on 1 June. Council has decided to end the £1 quarterly subs option as at 31 May. We were pleased to be able to help so many members to remain part of the club over the last 15 months. We were also pleased that so many members felt able to continue paying their subs at the normal rates.  The cost to the club of the £1 facility has been around £100,000 of lost subs.

Going forwards Council has decided to simplify the old chart of subscriptions both for current and for new members. As a result, in future, we will have just one standard annual subscription and, for most people, just one discounted rate. We are also retaining, at least for now, a specially discounted rate for those aged 18-27.

This means some members will see an increase in their subs from those paid before the lockdown. We hope that those affected will consider that the addition of TMCTV and streamed lectures justifies the increase.

– The standard annual subscription will stay at £200 (or £50 every 3 months) as it was for the last two years.

– The discounted annual subscription will be £150 (or £37.50 every 3 months).

The discounted subs figure will be payable by members who are aged 65 and over, and by all those who live more than 40 miles from our HQ. This means we have removed what was, effectively, a double discount previously given to ‘Country’ and overseas members aged 65 and over.  If any members so affected feel unable to pay the new rate we do hope you will contact our Welfare Officer to seek support from the Benevolent Fund.

The specially discounted rate for those aged 18-27 will be £135 (or £33.75 every 3 months)

THE MAGIC CIRCULAR

Those based overseas and the 18-27s will be asked to pay extra if they want a hard copy of the magazine. But for everyone else this will be the norm (and covered by the standard and discounted subs). Of course anyone who prefers the digital version can choose this instead.

DONATIONS

Once the renewals season is over we will be running a campaign to secure donations, if you can afford to do so, to one or both of our sister charities, The Magic Circle Foundation and The Magic Circle Benevolent Fund.  We are doing this separately as we don’t want to risk any confusion between recurring direct debits for subs with one-off donations.

RECEIPTS

You may be pleased to note that receipts for subs should be issued automatically via the website.

BEYOND THE WEBSITE

If you or a member you know is unable to renew via the website and needs to do so over the phone please email membershipsecretary@themagiccircle.co.uk and wait for Mike to call you back. Or provide him with the relevant member’s number so he can call them. He will then take relevant details over the phone. These details will be the same as those that most members can themselves enter online.

If you are one of those fabulous members who assists an older or infirm member who does not have access to a computer or emails, please would you email Mike on their behalf.

CHEQUES

Please do not send cheques unless you absolutely have no other way to renew. None of us wants to have to visit a bank to deposit cheques and we do not have the facility to scan cheques into the TMC bank account. Also, cheques sent to our HQ may not be received and processed in time.

If you do need to send a cheque we hope to be able to use the details on your cheque to set up a direct debit to avoid the need to take the cheque to the bank.

MEMBERSHIP CARDS

New Membership cards for new members (not Apprentices) will be sent out in due course.

DEADLINE

We will allow a short period of grace after 1 June but the website will automatically pause and then cancel your membership if you do not renew asap. This will mean no access to the website, TMCTV, Streamed lectures, the Facebook group or the Circular.

SUPPORT

We aim to look after our members wherever possible so, if you are unable to pay your subs, even quarterly, please contact our Welfare Officer Robbie Macnab. He may be able to arrange for your subs to be covered by the Benevolent Fund.

Richard Forster Treasurer

Bob Gillard Membership Secretary

Please address any subs and renewals queries to : membershipsecretary@themagiccircle.co.uk