The British Sundial Society welcomes applications from people with an interest in any aspect of sundials. Benefits of being a member include our quarterly Bulletin with original articles on all aspects of dialling; they range from details of new dials, how dials are made, book reviews, history of sundials, and many other topics. The majority of the pieces are written by our members.
We hold an annual conference for members over two days in the spring; the venue changes each year. At this event there are a number of talks, normally illustrated, on dialling matters and there is a coach outing to dials of interest. An exhibition area is available for members to display any dials they have made and to discuss them with others; we also have a photographic display. It is a chance to socialise with other dialling enthusiasts.
In September there is an informal one day event near Newbury. This includes a number of short talks and displays of members' work and another chance to meet other members over a picnic lunch. We also have a number of publications.
The Sundial Register is a list of fixed dials in the UK, a subset of which is available online – see Bridol.
To become a member of the Society, simply print out this Membership Application Form (DOCX file, also available as a PDF), fill it in and then send it to the BSS Membership Secretary at the address shown on the form. Please read through this page with the subscription costs and the payment methods that we have set up for you. Please fill in the Gift Aid section of the form if you are a UK taxpayer, as this allows us to reclaim tax from the Inland Revenue at no cost to you. There are three subscription rates depending on where you live:
United Kingdom: £34 Europe: £40 Rest of World: £46
The higher rates for non-UK members are to assist with postal overheads.
How to pay your subscription:
Payment by Sterling Cheque on a UK Bank Please make out the cheque to "British Sundial Society" and send it to the BSS Membership Secretary.
Credit Card We can accept payment by Credit Cards and Debit Cards from Mastercard, Visa , Switch, Delta, Electron, JCB, Maestro and Fortoak. We cannot accept American Express (Amex) cards. To make payment please use our Card Payment Form on the membership form and return it by post to the BSS Membership Secretary. For your own security, the details, and especially the card number, must under no circumstances be put in an email.
Payment by Standing Order This is the preferred method for members with a UK Bank account. Please use our Standing Order Form (DOCX file, and also PDF version) and send it to the BSS Membership Secretary, together with your renewal form.
Bank Transfer from a UK bank Our account details are: Co-operative Bank, P.O. Box 250, Delf House, Southway, Skelmersdale, WN8 6WT Account Number: 65733095 Sort Code: 08 92 99
Please request your bank to use your name and initials as a reference on the transfer so that you can be identified by the Treasurer. If you use this method, it would be a great help if you could please inform the BSS Membership Secretary, membership@sundialsoc.org.uk.
Payment by Bank Draft on a UK bank, or International Postal Order Please ensure the Bank Draft or IPO is in Pounds Sterling. Charges can be excessive for small amounts, and you may wish to consider making two years' payment at one time to avoid paying double charges. Please send to the BSS Membership Secretary.
PayPal If you have a PayPal account, you can pay your subscription into our account: payments@sundialsoc.org.uk Please use your name as a reference.
Bank Transfer from an overseas bank If it is essential, an inter-bank transfer can be arranged by your local bank. However we are typically charged £10 for the use of this service, so we would ask you to add this amount to the BSS subscription. For details of the Society's bank account, please contact the Treasurer, treasurer@sundialsoc.org.uk.
MEMBERSHIP MISCELLANY
GIFTS Sometimes a subscription is taken out for someone else, e.g. as a birthday present. In such cases the Membership secretary will assume that further requests for subscription will be directed to the member concerned instead of the donor, unless he or she is notified otherwise.
INTEREST CODES The Society is grateful to those who complete the interest code survey on the application form.
PRIVACY Information on the application form may be made available to the membership as a means of encouraging the formation of local and special interest groups. If you prefer your name not to be included in circulated lists, please indicate this on the application form.