Classes of Membership

Membership in the Association shall consist of eight classes – active, honorary, life, retired, student, sustaining, industry representative, and district owned. Membership in the School Nutrition Association is required for membership in the Mississippi School Nutrition Association.

Eligibility criteria for Association honorary and sustaining members shall be set exclusively by the Association’s Executive Board.

1. Active Members

Active members of the Association shall consist of persons employed in eligible fields.

2. Retired Members

An active member of the Association who retires from eligible employment may become a retired member, provided he does not become employed in a non-eligible field. Periodic employment less than six months within each school year will not alter retired status.

3. Life Members

Any active member may become a life member after having been an active member for a period of ten (10) years.

4. Honorary Members

Individuals who have contributed to the advancement of food and nutrition programs or have rendered outstanding service to the Association may have conferred upon them the title of honorary member.

5. Sustaining Members

A sustaining member of the Association shall be an individual or organization who does not qualify for other types of membership and who is interested in furthering the programs of the Association.

6. Student Members

An individual, not currently employed in school food service, who is enrolled in a post high school education program, with curriculum emphasis on field service management, dietetics, nutrition, or other related areas of study, is eligible for student membership.

7. Industry Representative

An individual who is an independent contractor who provides expert advice to the school nutrition profession

8. School District Owned Membership

School District owned membership is owned by the school district; transferable in individual school building or school district.

Rev. 6/2014

Section B: Rights and Privileges of Members

1. All active, retired, and the members whose dues, if any, are currently paid shall be entitled to cast one vote by mail for the election of officers for the coming year and to cast one vote by mail upon any matter submitted to a vote by the voting membership of the Association.

2. Sustaining members shall have the right to identify their membership in their advertising or at exhibits at the state conference of the Association.

3. Honorary, sustaining and student members shall not have the right to serve as voting delegates, or to hold an elective office.

4. Retired members shall have all the rights and privileges of active members except they shall not be a candidate for an elective office.

5. Life members shall have all the rights and privileges of active members provided they are not employed in a non-eligible field. A life member who becomes employed in a non-eligible field shall forfeit the right to life membership and shall become an honorary member.

6. All members of the Association shall be eligible to attend the meetings of the House of Delegates as observers but shall not have the right to participate in floor debates.

7. All official mailings of the Association shall be distributed to all members.

8. Industry members shall be entitled to vote for the election of the industry representative to the Executive Board.

9. School District-owned membership shall have all the rights and privileges of active/individual members. Members who cease to be employed in an eligible field or in a school district-owned position relinquish membership on date of separation. They reserve the right to change to an individual membership at anytime and shall not hold individual membership concurrently.