APLD Membership Frequently Asked Questions

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• I’m a member. How does APLD protect my privacy?

  The APLD and APLDCA web sites publish basic contact information for each member, specifically your name, company name, city, business phone, email address and web site. APLDCA does not sell or provide your personal information to anyone. In addition, you may opt out of receiving the APLDCA Chapter Newsletter, sent out monthly via email, by clicking the Opt Out link at the bottom of any newsletter you have received, or by emailing the Administrator here.

• I’m a member, but my [address, phone number, etc.] has changed. What do I do?

  If you have changes in your personal membership data, please send those changes to APLD Headquarters at admin@apld.org.  Your changes will be registered in the central database and will then be sent to ours.  To expedite your changes at the Chapter level, please copy membership@apldca.org when you submit your changes.

• I’m thinking of joining; when should I pay my dues?

  Dues for new APLD and APLD California Chapter memberships can be paid at any time.  However, membership is based on a calendar year, and dues are not prorated, so joining later in the year will only give you a few months of membership benefits.  To accommodate this, new members can join as early as September 15 for the following calendar year, and thus enjoy over 15 months of benefits for their first year of paid dues.

• I just paid my dues. When will I get a confirmation?

  It takes about three weeks for APLD to process new member applications and send out your New Member Packet. If you also joined the California Chapter, you should receive an email confirmation and monthly newsletter within five weeks of joining. As soon as you have paid your dues, you are welcome to attend any District meeting or event throughout the state. A current Events Calendar is available on this web site.

• How are my dues allocated?

  Basic membership in APLD is $200. This entire amount goes to support APLD activities on a national and international level. The California Chapter and your local District receive none of these funds. All Chapter and District activities are supported solely by your California Chapter dues. When you join the California Chapter, your $40 dues payment is divided as follows: 15% to International APLD, 15% to the California Chapter, and the remaining 70% to your local District. Membership in the California Chapter is required if you wish to attend your local District’s events, as well as Chapter and District-sponsored events throughout the state.

• How are my dues used to support local APLD programs and meetings?

  Your California Chapter dues are used to fund the website, newsletter, and Chapter board activities, along with all local educational programs. Each District chooses what types of programs to offer, how often, and where programs are held. The Districts’ main functions are to provide opportunities for local members to meet for networking, continuing education, and ongoing professional development.

• What programs are available in my District?

  Most APLD California Chapter Districts offer monthly meetings for their members. Additional programs are offered by some of the more established Districts, including mentoring programs, informal design salons where members gather to review their designs and exchange ideas, garden tours featuring member-designed gardens, member surveys, and workshops featuring internationally renowned landscape designers.

  All Chapter members are also welcome to join the APLD California Chapter Yahoo Group. Click here to register and join the group. After your Chapter membership has been confirmed, you will be able to participate in the ongoing exchange of professional tips and experience by Chapter members.

• How do I find out about all these District meetings and events?

  This website includes a regularly updated Events Calendar. In addition, a monthly newsletter is emailed to each current Chapter member, with informative articles, upcoming events, a members’ section, and a list of achievements and awards received by APLD California Chapter members. Click here to see archived newsletters.

• How does my District publicize events?

  Each District has a Communications officer who posts District events to the Events Calendar available from this website. In addition, members may submit information about non-APLD events to this Calendar. These submissions are then edited and posted to the Events Calendar and/or included in the newsletter.

  Click here to submit an event listing.

  If you experience difficulties submitting an event, please contact the News and Events Administrator.

• How can I submit articles and announcements to the Chapter Newsletter?

  Newsletter items are submitted by email. Please click here for instructions on emailing newsletter items to the Newsletter Editor.

  If you experience difficulties emailing your items, please contact the News and Events Administrator.

• I’m not getting my newsletter. Why not?

  The monthly newsletter is emailed to each current Chapter member. If you are a member of the Chapter, and you’re not receiving your newsletter, there may be a number of reasons. First, some spam or junk filters block our mailings. To ensure you get your newsletter, please add “newsletter@apldca.org” to your address book, safe list, or white list. If you are a new member, or believe you are not on the mailing list, please email our Chapter Membership Chair to let them know you’re not getting your newsletter. If you are an APLD member who resides in California, but are not a member of the Chapter, you will not automatically be included in the newsletter mailing list, but may receive special mailings from time-to-time to encourage you to join the Chapter.

• Why aren't there more events in my area?

  Each District board is responsible for scheduling regular meetings of members. The District board is comprised entirely of volunteers from the local District, with support from the California Chapter—also a volunteer board. The number and diversity of programs in each District are directly correlated with the volunteer time and energy available for developing such educational opportunities. As Districts become better established, they are better able to attract larger numbers of volunteers for program development and production of regular events and meetings.

• How are the local programs chosen?

  Each District must have a minimum of four general membership meetings per year. Some of the larger Districts have a program committee that works together to produce an event each month. Some of the smaller Districts assign responsibility for programs to a different board or District member each month or quarter. Some Districts use a combination of these approaches. The District maintains a treasury to support financial obligations associated with event and meeting production, such as meeting room expenses, speaker fees, copying costs, etc. Each year the District board works together to create a budget for the coming year, based on dues and sponsorship income.

  Additional, special programs are also developed on a District level. These have included mentoring programs, special workshops (sometimes in conjunction with other Districts), garden tours, field trips, member surveys, holiday parties, summer picnics, as well as designer forums and salons. Some Districts have also successfully coordinated with allied professional organizations like CLCA, ASID, and CANGC to produce joint events.

  If your District is looking for program ideas or ways to promote membership, assistance and advice is available from the Chapter board and other Districts.

• What if I want to start a District in my area?

  Any geographic region not already served by a local District may create a new District. Some larger Districts have already split into smaller Districts in order to reduce driving time to meetings and serve a smaller, more local population. The District board must consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The same person may fill the Secretary and Treasurer roles. The board must also designate a representative to the California Chapter Board, as well as membership and communications liaisons.

  District boards can function with as few as three people, but it is preferable for the responsibilities to be shared by as many people as possible in order to avoid overburdening the District board and to ensure leadership succession. Each District has financial, calendar, and minutes reporting requirements, and each District board must meet a minimum of one time per year and offer a minimum of four general meetings or events to their local District membership. If you are interested in starting a new District, please contact the California Chapter President.

• How does the California Chapter support my District?

  The California Chapter board is comprised of former and current District board members who work together to support the efforts of our Districts to deliver interesting and valuable programs to members throughout the state. The Chapter:

  • Acts as the clearinghouse for information and finances for the Districts by collecting and distributing dues and sponsorship funds,
  • Coordinates the financial, calendar, and minutes reporting required of the Districts as part of a non-profit professional association,
  • Acts as a liaison between the Districts and APLD, and
  • Manages the newsletter and website in order to remove administrative burdens from the Districts, enabling them to focus their time and energy on delivering programs to their members.

• How are the board members chosen?

  Once a Chapter or District has been established, the immediate past president of that body is responsible for convening a nominating committee in order to nominate the board for the coming year. This is usually done in September or October. The membership is then polled, either via email or at a regular meeting, to elect the board.

• I would like to become a board member. What are the qualifications?

  If you have an interest in serving on a board at the District or Chapter level, please let one of the board members know so that your name can be considered for nomination.  Everyone has unique talents to bring to board or committee service, and your participation is needed and welcome at any level.  Even if you haven’t been a member for long, your willingness to serve will help make your District and the Chapter stronger.