7th Step Society of Canada

Membership

1.	Each member shall pay the annual fee of $5.00
2.	All members who have paid the annual fee shall be deemed Members in Good Standing and shall have one vote at General Meetings of the Seventh Step Society of Canada, provided they are personally in attendance at such meetings. There shall be no proxy votes.
3.	Members who fail to pay the annual membership fee shall be deemed to be associate members and shall not be entitled to vote on the business of the Seventh Step Society of Canada.
4.	Membership is open to all adult persons willing to adhere to the philosophy and bylaws of the Society.
5.	Groups may exclude certain classes of individuals from membership, where their inclusion would be detrimental to the purpose and function of the Chapter, an in particular would impair the ability of the Chapter to relate to the primary target group of offender members; the hard core "solid con".
6.	Members, at all times, shall conduct themselves in a fashion that adds credence to the Seventh Step Society of Canada.

Conditions of Membership

1.	Individual membership in the corporation shall be limited to persons interested in furthering the objects of the corporation, who are at least eighteen years of age and residents of Canada.
2.	The membership fee shall be five dollars ($5.00) per annum.
3.	Any member may withdraw from the corporation by delivering to the corporation a written resignation and lodging a copy of the same with the secretary of the corporation.
4.	Any member may be required to resign by a majority vote of the Board of Directors.

Group Membership

1.	Any individual who desires to get out of the criminal justice system and stay out and is willing to adhere to the ideals of the Seventh Step philosophy is eligible for group membership.
2.	Individuals shall be accepted into the group by a unanimous vote of the members.
3.	A negative vote shall reflect group standards and not personal bias or opinion; the validity of a negative vote shall be determined by a majority vote of the members and is subject to appeal to the local Agency Director.
4.	Groups may be limited in size in accordance with local restrictions.
5.	Notwithstanding Article 12.4, where a member in good standing of any group enters an institution, he shall be accepted into that group if he complies with that group's standards.
6.	The group may consider first offenders for membership, but shall recognize that the recidivist is the prime candidate.
7.	The group shall not include any individual as a member if that membership would in any way deter the participation of the primary target group, the hard core "solid con" from involvement.
8.	Group members shall at all times strive to follow the SEVEN CONVENTIONS: Make an honest effort to change Refrain from committing an illegal act Maintain the confidentiality of the group by never repeating by word or action, what occurs at a group meeting, to a non-member. Be completely honest with all members at all times. Accept responsibility for their actions and be realistic about their situation. Accept the involvement of the non-offender as a positive influence. Conduct themselves in a fashion that will bring credence and respect to the group.

Membership Definitions:

1.	General Member: Member in good standing, who has paid the yearly membership fee of ($5.00), which entitles him/her to vote on the general business of the Seventh Step Society of Canada.
2.	Sponsoring Member: Any person donating time and monies or the use of their name to the Society, but does not wish to make the attendance commitments.
3.	Corporate Member: A financially contributing member of the business community. ($100.00)
4.	Honorary Member: Appointed by the Board of Directors to help in some aspect of the Society's work.
5.	Founding Member: Involved in the founding of the organization in Canada.
6.	Charter Member: Involved with the organization when the Society itself was formed in Canada
7.	Core Member: Member involved in the therapy group sessions who has come through the process of inception and received the 100% vote. Not a General Member and cannot vote on Society policy.

Membership Eligibility:

1.	Any person who is eighteen years of age is eligible for paid membership in the Society.
2.	Any person who meets the criteria is eligible to apply for membership of a core group, with the following exception:

The Core Group shall not include any individual as a member, if that membership would in any way deter the participation of the primary target group, the hard-core, "solid con" from involvement.

*Non payment of the yearly dues ($5.00) will result in suspension of voting privileges. All members must follow the direction of their Provincial Society.

Responsibilities of Member to the Seventh Step:

The member shall at all times conduct himself/herself in such a manner as adds credence to the 7th Step Society. All members are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that will not discredit their group. Members who incur institutional offences, or who return to the institution as an inmate, after having been released, have damaged the credibility of Seventh Step. They should be confronted and dealt with in a responsible manner by the inside membership.

It is important that the members of inside groups make a commitment to attend outside group meetings on a regular basis after they are released.

The Seventh Step member shall strive to abide by all rules of the institution and the law. Members experiencing difficulty with rules should discuss it in a group session. This responsibility is extremely important because of the nature of our organization; involvement by the recidivist.

It is the obligation of each member to exert his best efforts towards motivating his fellow members to be honest and responsible, utilising confrontation (hot seats), counselling and positive peer pressure.

Confidentiality must be maintained. Any discussion of hot seats with a non-member is a violation of trust and the Seventh Step rules.

The Seventh Step believes that each member is responsible for his/her own actions.

A member who is expelled by a group must have that group's approval prior to making application for reinstatement to the organization.

It is the responsibility of each individual group member to make a sincere effort to change negative attitudes and institutional behaviour. Many potential members are drawn to the group because they see it as a means to enhance the opportunity of early release. These individuals must be confronted by the membership if they do not exhibit a sincere desire to change for the better after they have attained membership status.