Group discount offered for joining HEN or HEA

[Janet]

Interested? I'll look into organising it if there's enough of us. :)

Bulk Membership for Homeschooling Groups

Groups joining the HEA altogether are eligible for a discount on their membership fee because of the time saved for our Members Secretary in handling and banking membership fees. The joining fee is waived for group memberships and that means the group membership rate is equal to the renewal fee. Eight new members is the minimum number required to take advantage of the HEA Group Membership fee, and the memberships must be handled in one mailing or email. If the group is very large a number of batches of memberships may need to be submitted.
Unfortunately we cannot offer this discount for less than eight new members. As new members join they should be directed to join individually by post or through the HEA website at the normal rate for joining.
Group Memberships are submitted using a spreadsheet (http://www.hea.asn.au/resources/group_membership.xls). The nominated organiser of the group should complete the spreadsheet.


There are two ways to submit a group membership:
Print and post the completed spreadsheet with one cheque or money order for the total to:

Home Education Association
4 Bruce St
Stanmore NSW 2048
Email the completed spreadsheet to secretary@hea.asn.au (secretary@hea.asn.au) with details of the funds transfer into the HEA account. HEA has a Commonwealth Bank account:

Name: Home Education Association
BSB: 062 262
Account No.: 10161154
HEA will send you an Organisers Kit if you wish but to save some postage and printing costs you may print most of these documents yourself. This kit includes:

Cover letter (http://www.hea.asn.au/resources/Letter_to_group_organisers.pdf)
HEA Group Membership spreadsheet (http://www.hea.asn.au/resources/group_membership.xls)
Insurance Information for Members (http://www.hea.asn.au/resources/Insurance_Info_for_Members.pdf). Also available here (http://www.hea.asn.au/insurance.asp)
Booking & Attendance Register (http://www.hea.asn.au/resources/Booking_Attendance_form.pdf)
Copies of the HEA leaflet for distribution which has information about the HEA - benefits of membership and application form.
Copies of the colour brochure introducing Home Education also for distribution
HEA Emergency Pack (http://www.hea.asn.au/resources/Emergency_Pack_leaflet.pdf) order form
Always Learning Books order form, also available from www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au (http://www.alwayslearningbooks.com.au/)
You can request the Organisers Kit or only copies of the leaflets and brochures from secretary@hea.asn.au (secretary@hea.asn.au).

[Anaed]

I don't know much about them, must look into it first I think!

[~*heket*~]

Assuming my child takes to this more I'll be in!

[Aurora]

I'm interested.

[Janet]

Admin can you change the title to "HEA"? I've done it but it didn't save my change. :bang Thanks!

[Quickening]

OOh, I am definitely interested. How much is the discount on individual memberships if we join as a group? We could also set up group joins for new JL members in the future and as soon as we have 8-10 we can send off the join request? That way newcomers won't miss out.

[esp]

yes I'd be interested too

[Izzát]

yep i am interested too

[Ceres]

I'm interested.

[~*heket*~]

How many of us is that?

[Ayla]

I'm interested too.

[Janet]

Someone PMed and said they thought HEN was better. Guess we should look there too. :)

[~*heket*~]

Can this someone detail why maybe :lol

[ThirdArmBabySlingProject]

Um...didn't want to be unsupportive of HEA hence the PM....

BUT:-

HEN (Home Education Network) membership includes

~ a superb, diverse magazine, Otherways, quarterly

~ free public liability insurance for any home ed gatherings you may host

~ a teen forum for those with older children

~ a membership link list as well as a long list of group contacts and activities (this part is primarily VIC based at the mo)

~ Their info is up-to-date and they're really supportive

~The HEN card works for home ed discounts.

HEA (Home Education Association) membership

~ no longer has its wonderful magazine Education Choices (unless there's anyone out there who wants to start editing, organizing & publishing it again!) :-(

~ only puts out a very occasional email newsletter (with info usually - always? - forwarded by HEN anyway)

~ has free insurance for home ed teens embarking on work experience - so is definitely worth looking at for those with teens likely to use this service

~ has HEA card for discounts and deals (but it has the same credibility and opportunities as the HEN card).

Without the magazine, I think HEA is an expensive option with little return.

I am a member to support them on principle (and do occasionally utilize the work experience insurance) but my main issue was that, if anyone's on a limited budget and had to chose between the two, HEN has a lot more to offer.

And, for me, Otherways magazine is a gem ~ did I already tell you that? ~ always arriving at just the right moment in my letter box to save my sanity ;-)

ETA: Both are politically active but personally I prefer HEN's approach...

[gemi_ny]

HEA = $50/year (don't need to pay the $10 joining fee if joining as a group)

HEN = $40/year

[Izzát]

Comparing the two on website and activity alone i am drawn more towards HEN now.

[~*heket*~]

Ok! I'm in! I like the idea of the mag :eager

[Asrathiel]

I'll be in too with the HEN one. Tho the work experience insurance would be useful, I don't think Malachi's quote up to doing in at 3 years old, LOL.
I'll have to look in to the public liability insurance thing, that could be really good, we were just talking about that today.

[Ayla]

Good point Raiwyn, the PLI would be good for any future JL gatherings.

So how many interested people do we have now? I'd love to join soon :eager

[Sarasvati]

After xmas?

[Ayla]

Okay, yes, good point :lol

[Sarasvati]

I'm just fkn skint :lol!

[Izzát]

yep i am in!

[Anarcostar]

bump...
Is this still open for takers? If so, i would love to jump on the boat!

[f1800229]

me too please for the HEN- have already joined HEA.

[Anaed]

Yup im in too :)

[Ceres]

Who is actually organising this? I am happy to co-ordinate it if need be.

[Anaed]

I'm happy for you to coordinate it! Lets get the ball rolling :D

[Ayla]

Yup, I'm happy for you to co-ordinate it :D

So the consensus is HEN membership?

[Ceres]

Alrighty then lets get this party started!
Anyone who wants to get HEN membership please PM me your name and address. I'll send you bank details for payment.

[Anaed]

Yup I'm wanting HEN :)

[Asrathiel]

How much is it?
Seeing that it's based in Victoria, most (all?) of the activities etc are in Vic... and seeing as my small people are only small, most of the membership benefits will pass us by at this stage. The Otherways mag would be good to have, but yeah... if it's affordable I'm still in.

[Asrathiel]

OK, just went back and found it, $40. Is there then a group discount, or is that it?

[Anarcostar]

woo hooo!! i'm in!! pming you now :eager

[Ceres]

I'm waiting to hear back from them on what the discounted rate is - $40 is the full price. It's still cheaper than HEA though.

[Ceres]

I still haven't heard back from them about the group discount. Sorry for the delay!

[~*heket*~]

Good grief! they're taking their time aren't they :shock

[Ceres]

Yairs might be time for a reminder email.

[Ayla]

I'm in no rush, payday is still a week away :lol

[Sarasvati]

:lol I'm with Ayla, even though we just had payday we're really not flush with money atm!

[Janet]

Any time's fine with me. :)

[Ceres]

I emailed them AGAIN - still no response. What would you all like me to do, keep pestering them, bail on the plan? I notice it seems quite easy to join individually by purchasing membership at the online shop.

[ThirdArmBabySlingProject]

Please be aware that a number of families have been affected or displaced by the bush fires, and one of the coordinators (not sure what role she has, but I had a recent telephone enquiry directed elsewhere as a result) lost her house, so this could well be impacting on the response time. The work is all voluntary. I know I'm finding day to day life challenging with the fire threat and needing to be ready to evacuate every couple of days...

[GreenGully]

I am interested if it isn't too late. I missed this thread...

[ThirdArmBabySlingProject]

I followed this up and....

Hi Emma,

That is odd. It was me who received and replied to both those messages. I was puzzled when I heard from her the second time but presumed my email may have fallen into her spam folder and so replied again.

My reply was that as we keep our price down to the minimum we can, we can’t really offer a bulk discount. I am sorry about that but hope it won’t discourage them from joining.

Would you be able to pass the message on with apologies?

Thanks,
Sue

[Ceres]

Thanks for following it up. I have no idea where the email ever got to.
Well that leads back to the original question.... do we want to join individually or go with the bulk discounted price for HEA?

[ThirdArmBabySlingProject]

HEN can't offer a bulk discounted price, as indicated in Sue's letter. The prices are already as low as possibly possible, not being a profit making organization, and all volunteers are unpaid in $$$.

As a member of both, and I think I may already have said this, can't recommend HEN highly enough for good value.

HEA is great for insurance if you have an older child participating in work experience. HEA cost $50 per year (with an initial extra $10 joining fee, hence $60 first year )

and HEN cost $40 with the 4 mags and access to regular camps, trips and gatherings (although both boating & canoeing and ice skating were postponed in last two weeks due to severe weather warnings and high alert fire issues), insurance for any home ed events/gatherings you may put on...


Both work actively on a political scale (although have differing approaches & opinions ), and both give advice & support.


I would venture to say that HEA is more conventional - homeschooling aproach; HEN more natural learning based.....


I believe HEA is trying to organize a magazine again soon...

All the best finding what's right for you....

[Ceres]

Have edited to get the right initials!!

[ThirdArmBabySlingProject]

Aha - feel free to edit my post/s then ;-)

[Anaed]

I think I'll join individually. I like the sound of HEN more :)

[~*heket*~]

HEN sounds good to me too. Thanx for the heads up Emma :D

[Anarcostar]

I think I'll join individually. I like the sound of HEN more :)

Same here.

[~*heket*~]

I'm going to join tomorrow :eager

Btw, thanx for trying to organise this K :D

[Asrathiel]

Yep, if there's no group advantage, I'll get around to joining HEN at some point :)

[Sarasvati]

Joining the chorus :lol.

[Mud]

I like the look of HEN too. A shame (for me) all the listed events seem to be in Victoria.

[Sarasvati]

Yes it's a bit frustrating. I've joined a local yahoo group that is a bulletin board, it lets members know of things coming up for home edders. That's probably the best way of getting event info really, as it's real time.

[rynalee]

Just to add a bit to this convo, the reason why almost all of the events listed at HEN or in Otherways are based in Victoria, is because it's a Victorian-based organisation. The HEA, on the other hand, is an Australia-wide organisation. The magazine that used to come with HEA membership (Education Choices) was not a HEA magazine; it was privately published by Eleanor Sparkes who is no longer doing this. (I personally have always prefered the Otherways mag anyway.) HEA are now producing a mag, as well as an annual Resource Directory etc. They also run courses about home education (one for beginners & one more advanced) and are actively involved in advocating for home ed at a political level (although sometimes cop flack from members for apparently not representing everyone's views - I don't envy the volunteers who put in so much effort & then get criticised for it by people who couldn't be bothered joining the committee & doing the work!)

Also, I just wanted to fix up some misinformation that has been posted here. In addition to the insurance for 12yo & over doing work experience, the HEA also offer public liability insurance, just the same as HEN does.

I do agree about the natural learning bent of HEN and love the Otherways magazine that comes with membership; I just wanted to make sure people realise the location basis of the two groups (Victoria vs Australia wide). If you check out the HEA website at www.hea.asn.au you'll find heaps of forums and info.

In an ideal world I'd be a member of both groups! I have never joined HEN (only borrowed the mags off other people) but I've always wanted to, simply to get the magazine!

Karen :)

[Ayla]

:bump