Membership

Any non-profit organization that has organized a multi-day walking event for at least 3 years may apply for membership of the IMLWalking Association.There can be more IML member organizations from the same country, as long as the distance between the events is of a reasonable distance and the topography or landscape in each location is different and an existing member has no reasonable objection. If an objection is reasonable will be decided by the GM when an objection is introduced. 

 There are two stages to the process of becoming an IML Walking Association member. The first stage is to be accepted by the IML Walking Association General Meeting as a 'Candidate Event' and the second stage is to be accepted as a 'Member Event'.

The first stage - to be accept as 'candidate event'.

Candidate members must submit a motivated request to the administration assistant of the IML Walking Association, at least 90 days before the General Meeting. The candidate member proves in this request that their walking event meets the following criteria:

• promote walking activity be a multi-day non-competitive walking event of two-days or more in duration
• offer trails with a minimum distance of 20 km on each day of the event
• have been held for at least three years prior to applying
• be well organized, financially sound (financial report of the last three years) and a not-for-profit legal entity
• provide proof of local support from the public and private sector (including sufficient local participation)

The General Meeting will take a decision, based on the information available, after hearing the organisers concerned (they should be present at the General Meeting and give a presentation of their march of about 10 minutes), either to take the candidacy into account or not.

It is also possible that the board can decide whether an organisation is to be granted IML candidate status with the option for a rejected organisation to request a decision by the General Meeting.

A majority vote of the members present at the General Meeting is required to accept the candidacy.

Second stage - the acceptance as 'Member event'

If the candidacy is accepted, a judging committee will be established, consisting of at least two persons, normally one representative of the Board and one from the region of the IML the new member will belong to. The candidate has to pay the travel expenses and has to arrange and pay for the hotel allowances.

The entrance fee for a new member of IML Walking Association is € 500,00.

The proposal for acceptance should be based on the different reports, and after hearing the organisers concerned (it is desirable they should be present at the General Meeting). The motivated decision could possibly be:

• definite acceptance
• postponement of the decision with designation of a patron organisation
• Non-acceptance

•  Acceptance as a member requires more than two thirds of the votes of the members present in the General Meeting being in favour.
• If the prospective member is not present at this General Meeting the decision for acceptance will be postponed.
• Appeal is not possible against the decision of the General Meeting.