can you sign up for USFA at tournaments?

[argonis]

sorry if this has been asked before, but is it possible to become a member of USFA at a tournament location instead than doing the mail in application beforehand? I ask because I think it's going to be too late to get my card by the tournament date if i mail it out now, so, can i just sign up at a local USFA tournament?

any info appreciated - thanks!

[Peach]

It's a routine way of joining in my division--I would suggest you call the club where the tournament is being held to make sure they have the forms, though.

[daveappr]

I'll second what Peach has said. Our division (Harrisburg) does this regularly also.
Just , on the side of caution, be sure to have a copy of the correct form and a check for the correct amount

[mrbiggs]

Make sure to get a receipt when you fill out the form at the tournament. Otherwise, you won't be able to go to any more tournaments until your card comes (which can be a few months sometimes.)

[argonis]

awesome, thanks guys!

[esskreemr]

Standard procedure in most divisions. Get a receipt. If your card hasn't came after a few weeks, you can usually contact the USFA to send you proof. If you're just going to fence in your division, probably won't be a problem. This is probably a fairly heavy join period.

[Larrison]

I'll echo this -- my check has been at the USFA since about the 2nd of October, and according to my bank it hasn't been cashed yet (on line banking...). I've got a tournament in 2 weeks, so I hope my membership comes before then. Get a receipt -- stuff a postcard in the envelope or something.

The USFA will let me have a letter stating they have received my membership, if I need to show something at the door -- which is very nice of them. But next year I'm not going to register through the mail to national, I'm going to do it at a tournament, so the local division has a record that I'm a member.

But ... a month to cash a check and mail back a computer generated membership card? From a cash flow management perspective, if everyone is like this, that's a month's worth of interest forgone from what, 10,000 fencers? At $50 per person, thats 500,000 at float for a month, and 4 % annual interest, thats almost $1700 in lost potential interest... As the USFA grows, they need to give some thought to improving their office systems. Imagine the problems if they grow 4x, which is possible within 10 years.

[KD5MDK]

Be sure you do it at a good tournament. Some of them, well, the organizing committees aren't so expedious about everything.

[cfaustus]

Again, why don't they have online membership registration/payment? Sheesh! I could set this up for them in an afternoon. Heck, a relatively savy teenager could probably do it and they could just call it an internship! Even the USFCA has online registration/payment. If they could gain so much on interest if they got the money sooner, maybe they wouldn't feel the need to increase dues so much...

[tbryan]

Originally Posted by Larrison

But next year I'm not going to register through the mail to national, I'm going to do it at a tournament, so the local division has a record that I'm a member.

But ... a month to cash a check and mail back a computer generated membership card? From a cash flow management perspective, if everyone is like this,

My experience. I sent my renewal in to the national office in late July. I had my card 2 or 3 weeks after I mailed the check. Perhaps it helps to renew during the "dead period" just after Nationals.

YMMV.

[DHCJr]

Originally Posted by KD5MDK

Be sure you do it at a good tournament. Some of them, well, the organizing committees aren't so expedious about everything.

To add to this, it is good when you get a new rating to get a receipt for that also. Orange Coast gives out a Change-of-Rating card when someone gets a new rating. I am sure you all know how expedious Orange Coast is. Look at the results from LBI, they were up the night of the tournament. We send out the membership forms we get on Monday the day after every tournament.

I reiterate, what has been said above, GET A RECEIPT.

[oso97]

Originally Posted by DHCJr

To add to this, it is good when you get a new rating to get a receipt for that also. Orange Coast gives out a Change-of-Rating card when someone gets a new rating. I am sure you all know how expedious Orange Coast is. Look at the results from LBI, they were up the night of the tournament. We send out the membership forms we get on Monday the day after every tournament.

I reiterate, what has been said above, GET A RECEIPT.

We do similar stuff in North Texas as well.

[Rapier_wit]

As everyone else has said, yes you can. I just went to my first tournament yesterday and was able to sign up for membership (besides, they won't let you fence without it). By the way, how long should it take for the membership card, magazine, etc. to arrive?

Uh oh....I don't think I got a reciept Sunday. That could be bad.

[RITFencing]

RW, you can call the USFA to see if they recieved the form. Also, if you paid by check or credit card, you can take a look at your statements to see if the money was paid. If you paid by cash, just pray the people running the tournament were both ethical and prompt.

On a related note, never pay cash to join the USFA at a tournament, especially if you don't know the people running it. It's way to easy for that money and form to be "lost."

[KD5MDK]

Originally Posted by oso97

We do similar stuff in North Texas as well.

I rely on my results being on Fred...


Be careful about paying with credit card. On the membership, where it says address it means billing address, not mailing address. My girlfriend put down our apartment, rather than her parent's address, and got a phone call from the national office because her card wouldn't go through.