How Do I Bring a Guest to OGCA?
Members may bring up to 4 guests per meeting and may copy or reprint this form. Cost is $15.00 per guest (fee waived for guests under the age of 18. Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult.) Each individual guest is strictly limited to 5 visits per life. Guest Pass Registration Forms can be found in the newsletter, at the Guest Pass desk at a meeting, and can also be downloaded and printed here. Guests can be registered online, in person and via mail/fax as follows:
Online: members may visit www.ogca.com and select “Member’s Only” and Member Guest Registration” Register your guest online at least 2 days prior to meeting. (You will need guest’s date of birth.) Pay the $15.00 Guest Pass fee via Visa, MC, or Discover. Guest Passes for those registered 10 days prior will be processed and mailed to the sponsor or guest as selected online. Forms arriving less than 10 days prior will be processed and held for convenient pick up at the “Will Call” Business Office Desk in the Registration Area.
In Person: present the Guest Pass Registration form Saturday or Sunday at the meeting after it has been completed and signed by both the Guest and the Sponsor, along with the $15.00 fee, at the Guest Pass Desk located in the Registration Area of the meeting hall.
Via Mail: the completed form may be mailed to the Business Office address with a check for $15.00 per guest payable to “OGCA.” Guest Registration Forms arriving 10 days prior will be processed and mailed to the sponsor unless clearly marked to mail to guest. Forms arriving less than 10 days prior will be processed and held for convenient pick up at the Business Office Desk in the Registration room of the meeting hall. Address: OGCA PO Box 607406, Sagamore Hills OH 44067.
For more in-depth information visit Important Information for Guests and How to Join
Q: How many guests can I bring per meeting?
A: Four guests per meeting. (Contact OGCA in advance to request more than 4.)
Q: Why is my friend limited on the number of visits as a guest?
A: The “5 Guest Visit Per Life Policy” is a security protocol to avoid a person making repeat visits without going through the screening process that an applicant must agree to.
Q: Does my spouse require a Guest Pass?
A: No, See How do I Obtain Family Badges?
How Do I Obtain Family Badges
Members: your spouse, minor children, and minor grandchildren are eligible for their free Family Badge. Simply escort them to the Member Service/Dues desk the first time they attend an OGCA meeting/show. They will be given a White Badge with red lettering and an insert with their name and the year through which your dues are paid. When you renew your dues an updated dues insert will automatically print for all your eligible family members.
Q: What if a Family Badge is lost?
A: You may obtain a replacement badge for a $5 fee at the Member Service/Dues desk in person at the meeting. They cannot be mailed.
How Do I Sponsor a Friend for Membership?
To sponsor an individual for OGCA Membership you must be a member in good standing for at least one year. This is typically one year and one show from when you applied for membership. Simply bring him/her as your guest. While your friend is there as a guest, they may apply in person. Instructions can be found on the back of the Membership Application and at How to Join.
Q: Does my friend need a Guest Pass if they are applying for membership?
A: Yes. The applicant must be wearing a Guest Pass to have their application processed. The Guest Pass is also needed for admission to the meeting. When they apply, they will receive credentials to enter the next meeting at which they will be voted on for membership.
Q: But what if my guest has already come as a guest and now wants to join?
A: They will need another Guest Pass in order to apply.
Q: How does my friend obtain an Application for Membership?
A: Guests (with Guest Badge on) may pick up an application at the meeting at the Applications or Guest Pass Desks. Or, if you submitted a Guest Pass Registration Form that arrived at least 10 days prior to the meeting, we will mail a Membership Application to you to give to your guest along with the processed Guest Pass.
Q: Can those with less than one year of membership sponsor others?
A: No, probationary members (less than 1 year) have all the privileges and responsibilities of membership except sponsorship of new members, Life Membership and candidacy for directorship. (Note that probationary members may rent table space, bring guests, vote, obtain Family Badges, etc.)
Q: I have a Probationary Badge (Blue with white lettering) but have been a member many years. May I sponsor my friend?
A: Yes – but please first exchange your Blue Badge for a White Badge at the Membership Services/Dues desk. Your probationary period ended one year from date of acceptance.
Q: Can I get a Membership Application for my guest?
A: If you obtain an advance Guest Pass for your friend a Membership Application will be mailed to you along with the Guest Pass to give to your guest. Otherwise, your guest will need to obtain the Membership Application in person when at the Guest Pass or Applications Desk.
Q: How many sponsors does an applicant need?
A: Either two sponsors in good standing for over one year, or one sponsor and evidence of a Concealed Carry Permit (CCW) Curios & Relics license (C&R) or Federal Firearm License (FFL). Either way, the guest must turn in the Membership Application at the Applications Desk at the meeting. Applications are not accepted by mail.
Q: Can a member less than one year sponsor someone for membership?
A: No. Both members who sign the application must have been members not less than one year.
Q: Are applications accepted by Mail?
A: No. applications are not accepted by mail.
Q: What is the cost of applying?
A: The application fee consists of a one-time $10.00 processing fee and a portion of annual membership dues. The application fee can be found on the back of the current application form and is subject to change. At the time of this posting the application fee is as follows:
- January – March: $40.00 which includes the $10.00 processing fee and dues thru the current year.
- April – July: $30.00 which includes the $10.00 fee and dues thru the end of the current year.
- August – December: $40.00 which includes the $10.00 fee and dues thru the end of the NEXT year.
Q: What does my friend receive at the time of applying?
A: An Applicant Guest Badge for the next meeting, receipt, a one-page summary of helpful instructions and most importantly, a copy of the Bylaws/Constitution/ Rule book. Please read and know this book and encourage those you sponsor to do the same.
Q: What can my friend expect after applying?
A: Their application will be reviewed by the Screening and Enforcement Committee and Board of Directors, and his/her name will be included on the OGCA Applicant List for members to review. The list is posted on the Member’s only portal, mailed, faxed or emailed upon request to the Business Office and available at the next show. Applicants will be voted in by the membership at the NEXT meeting (about 2 months from applying) at 10 AM on Saturday. When the vote has been completed it will be announced over the sound system.
Q: How does he/she get in the hall before they are voted in?
A: Applicants are given an “Applicant Guest Badge” at the time of applying in order to attend the next meeting prior to the 10 AM vote. If he/she needs one for their spouse, it will be provided at no cost.
Q: How does my friend receive his membership credentials?
A: Once he/she is voted in, their BLUE Probationary Membership Badge, wallet card and badge insert may be picked up at the MEMBER SERVICES desk in the Registration Room at approximately 10:05 AM, Saturday of the next meeting. (They may show photo I.D. if they misplaced their Applicant Guest Pass.) If he/she is unable to attend, their credentials will simply be mailed directly to him/her 5-15 days after being voted in. (The new member does not have to pick up their credentials.)
Q: When will he/she receive mailings from OGCA?
A: After acceptance as a new member, your friend will begin receiving the newsletter/meeting announcement including registration forms for tables/guests. This time period can be roughly 3 months from the time of applying depending on the meeting dates. For example, an applicant at the November meeting will be voted-in in January and will begin receiving the newsletter mailing approximately mid-February.