Membership categories

A I T C
International Association of Conference Translators
Translators, Revisers, Précis-Writers, Editors and Terminologists

Route des Morillons 15, CH 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland
Telephone (+41 22) 791 06 66 ? Fax (+41 22) 788 56 44
E-mail: Secretariat@aitc.ch

AITC membership categories

The following information is provided for the benefit of those considering joining the International Association of Conference Translators (AITC). For the Association’s purposes the term “translator” is defined broadly, encompassing not only translators per se but also revisers, précis-writers, report-writers, editors and terminologists; and it refers to all translators who work for international organizations and conferences, whether they are regular (“permanent”) staff members of an international organization or work on a freelance (contractual or short-term) basis.
In the descriptions that follow, a day’s worth of professional experience is understood to be either a day of work in house on an employment contract with an international organization or an international conference or 1 650 words of translation work for an international organization or an international conference under a contract where the translator is paid by the word.
The Association has three membership categories:
? Active Member
This is the standard category for working translators, and confers full membership rights. An Active Member can vote in the General Assembly of AITC members held every year and can be elected to the Executive Committee. Detailed professional information on each Active Member is listed in the Association’s membership directory, which is kept continually up to date at the Association’s website. The directory is also published once a year in paper form and circulated not only to AITC members but also to international organizations around the world that employ conference translators.
To qualify for Active Member status, a translator must possess over 300 days’ professional experience working for international organizations or international conferences, including 100 days’ experience gained during the two years prior to applying for membership. An Active Member may be a regular (“permanent”) staff member of an international organization or may work on a freelance basis, whether as a contractual translator (paid by the word) or a short-term translator (paid by the day or month). Once someone has been admitted as an Active Member, that person may continue as an Active Member by paying the annual subscription.
For 2009/2010, the annual subscription for an Active Member is 350 Swiss francs or 230 euros (or, for convenience, 195 pounds sterling or 330 US dollars if payment is made by cheque drawn on a UK or US bank). The first year only, new members are also asked to pay an admission fee of 30 Swiss francs or 20 euros (or, for convenience, 17 pounds sterling or 29 US dollars if payment is made by cheque drawn on a UK or US bank).
? Candidate Member
This category is intended for those who are entering the profession of conference translator at the international level, and confers most of the membership rights of an Active Member. A Candidate Member can vote in the General Assembly of AITC members and can be elected to the Executive Committee, but cannot serve as an officer of the Association (i.e., as President, Vice-President, Treasurer or Executive Secretary). Detailed professional information on each Candidate Member is listed in the Association’s membership directory.
To be eligible for Candidate Member status, a translator must possess at least 100 days’ professional experience working for international organizations or international conferences. Each new Candidate Member who joins the Association can remain a Candidate Member for no more than three years. During that time he or she must gain the additional days of experience necessary to fulfil the requirement of 300 days’ experience to become an Active Member, and upon attaining the full 300 days’ experience must convert to Active Member status.
For 2009/2010, the annual subscription for a Candidate Member is 115 Swiss francs or 75 euros (or, for convenience, 64 pounds sterling or 108 US dollars if payment is made by cheque drawn on a UK or US bank). The first year only, new members are also asked to pay an admission fee of 30 Swiss francs or 20 euros (or, for convenience, 17 pounds sterling or 29 US dollars if payment is made by cheque drawn on a UK or US bank).
? Associate Member
This category is an option available only to someone who qualifies to be an Active Member and who either (i) has ceased to work as a translator, whether by taking a mid-career hiatus or by withdrawing from professional activity altogether at the end of his or her career, or (ii) is employed as a regular (“permanent”) staff member of an international organization and does not engage in translation work on a freelance (contractual or short-term) basis. An Associate Member has no voting rights and cannot be elected to the Executive Committee. Associate Members are listed in the Association’s membership directory, but without detailed professional information because they are not available for recruitment by potential employers.
If an Associate Member engages in any translation work other than as a regular (“permanent”) staff member of an international organization, he or she must convert to Active Member status.
For 2009/2010, the annual subscription for an Associate Member is 115 Swiss francs or 75 euros (or, for convenience, 64 pounds sterling or 108 US dollars if payment is made by cheque drawn on a UK or US bank). The first year only, new members are also asked to pay an admission fee of 30 Swiss francs or 20 euros (or, for convenience, 17 pounds sterling or 29 US dollars if payment is made by cheque drawn on a UK or US bank).

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AITC membership categories at a glance

Published on: 2008-10-03 (1030 reads)