# How do I recover my charter member status?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [July 10, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564 "2009-07-10T15:21:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/1 "2009-07-10T15:21:18Z")
I’m not the most prolific of posters, but in a couple of months I’ll have been here for 10 years. If the fee is nominal, I’ll pay it. What’s the proceege?
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2009, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/2 "2009-07-10T15:30:34Z")
Once you lose your charter member status you can’t get it back. You can be a “member” (see the stickies in ATMB for details on how to pay) or you can not pay and be a “guest”. Guests are able to search now. Members don’t see ads.
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### Author:  [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/3 "2009-07-10T15:35:40Z")
Moving from GQ to ATMB.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/4 "2009-07-10T18:40:41Z")
Since the OP has been answered, I have a related question. Has the issue of a Charter Member sponsoring a regular member been resolved yet? There are at least two people whom I would like to sponsor, but can’t.
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### Author:  [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/5 "2009-07-10T20:06:55Z")
I’ll ask Ed again. Jerry’s been too booked and our new part time tech person has been unavailable.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/6 "2009-07-10T20:57:20Z")
Thanks for the timely response, Tuba. I do understand how hectic things are.
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### Author:  [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/7 "2009-07-10T21:23:05Z")
Question - How would one become a charter member in the first place? I’ve been around for almost 10 years too but never really knew or cared to find out.
What does it mean anyway?
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [July 10, 2009, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/8 "2009-07-10T21:45:49Z")
> [@Sparky812](#):
>
> Question - How would one become a charter member in the first place? I’ve been around for almost 10 years too but never really knew or cared to find out.
> What does it mean anyway?
It was a deal offered when the board went to paid subscriptions way back when. If you joined up before the deadline, and kept your membership current, you got to re-subscribe at half price and keep the Charter Member label.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/9 "2009-07-11T01:29:31Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> It was a deal offered when the board went to paid subscriptions way back when. If you joined up before the deadline, and kept your membership current, you got to re-subscribe at half price and keep the Charter Member label.
Reiterating what Telemark said, and adding that it was an effort, really, by those who became Charter Members, to help the board. That was the reason we did sign up (or at least the reason I signed up) and paid. The administration, for whatever faults it may be perceived to have, has, to their credit, honored the commitment they made regarding Charter Membership status. It doesn’t mean we’re better than anyone else; it just means that we were aware of the offer and stepped up to help the board stay afloat.
Personally, I wouldn’t mind if the price of Charter Membership were increased to that of regular membership, so long as the recognition of the risk we all took — the board owners and we payers — remains in the form of the title. I think what so many of us came together and did at that time should be memorialized. That’s why I’ve always opposed the elimination of Charter Member status. It isn’t the price; it’s just the fact that we paid the price when it was needed. And we stay current. It deserves recognition, even if it’s just a special title. It isn’t too much to ask, and it says that the administration appreciates what we did.
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### Author:  [@raindog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raindog)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2009, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/10 "2009-07-11T02:05:19Z")
> [@Liberal](#):
>
> Reiterating what Telemark said, and adding that it was an effort, really, by those who became Charter Members, to help the board. That was the reason we did sign up (or at least the reason I signed up) and paid. The administration, for whatever faults it may be perceived to have, has, to their credit, honored the commitment they made regarding Charter Membership status. It doesn’t mean we’re better than anyone else; it just means that we were aware of the offer and stepped up to help the board stay afloat.
>
> \*\*Personally, I wouldn’t mind if the price of Charter Membership were increased to that of regular membership, so long as the recognition of the risk we all took — the board owners and we payers — remains in the form of the title. \*\*I think what so many of us came together and did at that time should be memorialized. That’s why I’ve always opposed the elimination of Charter Member status. It isn’t the price; it’s just the fact that we paid the price when it was needed. And we stay current. It deserves recognition, even if it’s just a special title. It isn’t too much to ask, and it says that the administration appreciates what we did.
**bolding mine**
**+1**
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### Author:  [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/11 "2009-07-11T02:16:58Z")
While I understand the perspective of **raindog** and **Liberal** , I gotta say that our “Stepping up to the plate” as it were doesn’t merit indefinite commemoration or monument, IMHO. So with due respect “-1”.
But heck, I’m a glutton for punishment. If there was box to invoke google ads I would check it (though .gif and flash ads are another matter).
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2009, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/12 "2009-07-11T09:55:17Z")
> [@Liberal](#):
>
> Reiterating what Telemark said, and adding that it was an effort, really, by those who became Charter Members, to help the board. That was the reason we did sign up (or at least the reason I signed up) and paid. The administration, for whatever faults it may be perceived to have, has, to their credit, honored the commitment they made regarding Charter Membership status. It doesn’t mean we’re better than anyone else; it just means that we were aware of the offer and stepped up to help the board stay afloat.
>
> Personally, I wouldn’t mind if the price of Charter Membership were increased to that of regular membership, so long as the recognition of the risk we all took — the board owners and we payers — remains in the form of the title. I think what so many of us came together and did at that time should be memorialized. That’s why I’ve always opposed the elimination of Charter Member status. It isn’t the price; it’s just the fact that we paid the price when it was needed. And we stay current. It deserves recognition, even if it’s just a special title. It isn’t too much to ask, and it says that the administration appreciates what we did.
IIRC, the mods/admins once discussed allowing lapsed Charter Members the ability to get back their title, while still paying full price. What was the result of that discussion?
It seems to me that the only reason not to give back the title is economics.
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### Author:  [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/13 "2009-07-11T19:12:40Z")
> [@Telemark](#):
>
> It was a deal offered when the board went to paid subscriptions way back when. If you joined up before the deadline, and kept your membership current, you got to re-subscribe at half price and keep the Charter Member label.
Thank you!
You know, I seem to remember that now! I think I might have even paid for a subscription back then but sadly I have allowed my membership to lapse and haven’t renewed…it is something I really must remedy.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2009, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-recover-my-charter-member-status/502564/14 "2009-07-11T19:21:59Z")
> [@BigT](#):
>
> IIRC, the mods/admins once discussed allowing lapsed Charter Members the ability to get back their title, while still paying full price. What was the result of that discussion?
>
> It seems to me that the only reason not to give back the title is economics.
Hmm… it seems to me that it would be in CLM, Inc.'s best economic interest if they opened this new channel of revenue.