Focus on Benefits: RGD Emeritus and Emeritus+ Membership
Written by Ruth Farrugia RGD, City of Côte Saint-Luc
RGD Membership has its privileges! As co-chair of the Membership Committee, I want to share some of the amazing resources and benefits that Membership provides and encourage all RGD Members to take advantage of them. If you’re not an RGD Member yet, now’s the time to join!
Are you a Certified RGD Member who’s thinking about retirement? You can still benefit from being part of the RGD community. It’s not a goodbye, but an au revoir!
The RGD offers retired Certified RGD Members two options: RGD Emeritus and RGD Emeritus+. If you’ve been a Certified RGD for 10 or more years and are fully retired from active practice (with a signed verification letter), you can transition to either type of Membership. RGD Emeritus Membership is free. For Emeritus+ Membership, you need to pay a one-time fee. The rate depends on your age ranging from $200 if you're 65 or older, $250 if you're 56 to 64 or $300 for RGDs 55 or younger.
The RGD Emeritus and Emeritus+ Membership initiative came out of a study on how other professional organizations approach Membership after retirement. It was researched and developed by Noah Ortmann RGD and Rod Nash, who is now an RGD Emeritus+ Member:
“As an RGD Emeritus+ Member, I am able to serve on the RGD's Membership Committee. As one of the Founders of the RGD, I’m pleased to still be actively involved. It gives me more of an insider view: the evolution of the Association. At the same time, I get a better glimpse of the industry itself – which seems to be changing so quickly.
I enjoy being able to meet with other RGD Emeritus Members from time to time. I also like learning about the creative and other pursuits of RGD Emeritus Members. Their painting, writing, photography etc. and community work. Some of this creative and other work I’ve accessed from their contact pages in the RGD Directory. These include Michel Viau, Peter Gabany and Bob Hambly. There are also archive sites listed, including by Robin Honey and yours truly.” says Rod Nash RGD.
I look forward to seeing more RGD Emeritus Members adding links to their personal websites and seeing the creative and other projects they are doing in retirement when they realize they can add these links to their on the RGD site. I encourage them to do this.
RGD Emeritus and RGD Emeritus+ are not just labels. Once you’ve established your RGD Emeritus Membership, you have access to benefits. Not only will you be able to use the designation "RGD Emeritus," you will receive a nifty RGD Emeritus Sticker that you can affix to your favourite travel mug, because now you can take your time drinking that morning coffee and you’ll want to keep it hot. Switching to RGD Emeritus means you won’t lose access to Member discounts and the RGD’s amazing video library. You also have a listing in the RGD directory.
If you choose RGD Emeritus+, you’ll receive additional benefits. You’ll still have free access to RGD's amazing webinars. To stay connected to the community you know and love, you can participate in the RGD Slack and get the lowest Member rates to RGD conferences and events. It’s a great time to volunteer, and you have the chance to sit on RGD Committees, to help shape the organization and make things better for your fellow Members. You also get discounted rates on RGD award submissions (as appropriate).
If you’re finding a new outlet for your creativity, link to your website and social media on your RGD directory listing and show people that there is life and creative freedom after retirement. Discontinuing your design practice doesn’t mean you have to disconnect from this supportive design community. The RGD connects designers…and that doesn’t stop after you retire.
Ruth Farrugia RGD
City of Côte Saint-Luc
Ruth uses her creative talents to inform and delight at the City of Côte Saint-Luc (a municipality in the West End of Montreal), where she has worked for over 20 years as their in-house graphic designer with a special passion for print design. Fishtank Communications, her independent studio, focuses on clients within the arts and non-profit sectors. She is co-chair of RGD’s Membership Committee—where she helped to kick-start the Virtual Communities initiative, serves on the RGD Board, and has been a member of the Events Committee and judged student competitions.
