​Since its formation in 1973, the Colonial Region has been an officially sanctioned region of the Automobile License Plate Collectors Assn. (“ALPCA,” or the “parent club”) that encompasses the New England states and New York. Long Island residents are members of both the Long Island and Colonial Regions because both include this portion of New York.  

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Responsibility for the region’s operations is vested in a Board comprised of three directors that serve two-year terms. Terms of all three directors run concurrently. The directors are elected through a balloting process (in accordance with parent club guidance) undertaken at the region’s fall meet in even-numbered years. Only Colonial Region members are eligible to vote in the  region’s bi-annual election and serve as a director. Responsibility for the administration of each election is vested in the directors whose current terms will end when results of an election are declared by them to be final. The directors must allow members to observe the election process  including, whenever possible, the preparation, distribution, control, and counting of ballots. 

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Membership Policy

 

The Colonial Region does not have a membership program or structure separate from the parent club. Any ALPCA member whose permanent address is within New England or New York is  automatically a member of the region. There are no region membership forms or dues. 

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Meet Attendance Policy​

 

The region holds several meets each year, all of which are closed to the public. Only members and their guests are permitted to attend Colonial Region meets. Former members whose membership has been revoked cannot enter our meets as guests or under any other circumstances  unless and until the revocation is reversed. 

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The region’s attendance policy is supplemental to the parent club’s Regional and Independent Meet Affiliation Policy, approved by its board of directors on Aug. 26, 2010. Relevant provisions are as follows: 

• Only ALPCA members in good standing will be permitted to attend ALPCA regional events. (sec. I.G. 5.) 

• Regional meets are open to collectors who are members of the parent club or a guest or a prospective member. Former members who actively collect or deal in license plates should not be considered a guest and are instructed to pay current-year dues to the parent  club. (sec. 1.G.1.) 

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Members

 

Individuals that present themselves at the registration table at a Colonial Region meet for entry consent to having their membership status checked using the parent club’s online membership roster or the most recent printed roster. All attending members, including the region’s officers  and directors, are required to pay the applicable entry fee. 

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At Colonial Region meets members may not display nor offer for sale or trade license plates and related materials that belong to non-members. 

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Former members of the parent club may not attend Colonial Region meets as guests unless their interest in the hobby has lessened to the extent that they are appropriately considered non-hobbyist guests. Any former member of the parent club who appears at a Colonial Region meet will be required to pay their parent club dues at the meet registration table, in addition to the applicable meet registration fee, before they may enter.

a) Depending on the time of year and at the discretion of the region secretary or his/her  designee the former member’s dues collected for the parent club may be pro-rated.

b) Any former member that appears at a Colonial Region fall meet must pay pro-rated  membership dues for the current year and full-year dues for the following calendar year  (in addition to the applicable meet registration fee) to enter the meet.

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Guests

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All guests, hobbyist or non-hobbyist (as defined below), must be sponsored (i.e. invited) by a member in good standing who either is present at the meet that the guest attends or has notified  the region’s secretary in advance of the guest’s attendance. Unsponsored and unannounced guests may be denied entry at the secretary’s discretion. 

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Guests may not display, offer, sell, or trade plates and other items that they own at a Colonial  Region meet, and members that sponsor their attendance may not display, offer, sell, or trade plates and other items on their behalf (i.e. at their table or elsewhere in the meet). Guests may purchase plates and other items at our meets, however.

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Hobbyist Guests

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Hobbyist guests are individuals that wish to attend a Colonial Region meet primarily due to their  interest in license plates, be it as a collector, observer, dealer, or in any other context, as opposed to non-hobbyist guests (usually spouses and children of members). 

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Individuals may attend no more than two Colonial Region meets, at least two years apart, as a hobbyist guest. The purpose of admitting hobbyist guests to our meets is to generate interest in the parent club, ultimately to increase its membership, and therefore membership in our region. It  is not to help plate hobbyists that have decided not to join the parent club. Our meets are held for the benefit of our members, not everyone with an interest in license plates. 

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Hobbyist guests are required to pay the walk-in fee applicable to members.

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Non-Hobbyist Guests

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Non-hobbyists guests are individuals that wish to attend a Colonial Region meet primarily due to  their personal, non-hobby-related relationship to a member and that do not have more than a  passing interest in license plates. They are usually member spouses, children, or other relatives  but may also be friends or co-workers. There is no limit to the frequency with which non hobbyist guests may attend Colonial Region meets. Non-hobbyist guests are not required to pay  the walk-in fee applicable to members and hobbyist guests. 

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Policy Interpretation Disagreement Resolution

 

In instances in which there is disagreement over the application of any provision(s) of this policy, or if the policy is silent as to a particular matter, the majority decision of the directors will apply.