Shevet Halutz - Membership Policy
שבט חלוץ - נהלי רישום, תשלום וביטול
General:
As a non-profit organisation, we work hard to ensure that membership fees and additional costs are calculated fairly, equitably, and reasonably to support Tzofim's activities. We want parents to feel confident that their money is well-managed and that any refunds are handled appropriately.
Membership fees are due at the time of registration and must be paid before joining any activities.
The Tzofim's annual fee is calculated to cover all regular expenses, including:
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Rent
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Security
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Insurance
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Human resources
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Materials
Additionally, the fee includes free entry to our chapter’s activities, such as the Hanukkah Party, Purimon, Theatre Festival, and Yom Ha’atzmaut event. It also covers a new uniform tie (עניבה) and group patch (דרגה).
Please note that membership fees do not include the cost of trips and camps (see more details below).
Shevet Halutz - Activity Timings 2024/25:
The weekly activity schedule for the chapter is as follows:
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Year 3 - Year 10: Sunday, 16:00-18:00 (15:30-17:30 during winter months)
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Year 11 - Year 13: Sunday, 18:00-20:00 (17:30-19:30 during winter months)
Special events such as Tiyul or Purimon typically occur on weekends, but extended or different times may apply.
There are no regular weekly activities during Jewish holidays and school breaks.
Our dynamic calendar, which includes all planned weekly activity dates and events, is available on the Shevet Halutz Page.
Membership Fees:
Membership fees are designed to cover the full year of activities and consist of two components:
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Fixed Admin Fee - This fee of £55 per member is a basic registration and admin cost and is non-refundable (see the Cancellation Policy section below for more information).
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Activity Fee - This fee covers the weekly activity costs. Pro-rata refunds can be calculated in the event of cancellation (see our Cancellation Policy below for more information).
There are two membership types:
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Tzofim Member (school years 3-10)
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Shachbag Member, leaders’ group (school years 11-13)
Siblings Discount:
When registering more than one family member in school years 3-10, you are entitled to a sibling discount on the Activity Fee.
The sibling discount does not apply to year 11-13 members from the same family, as they already benefit from a discounted rate.
Fees for Shachbag, our leaders' group, are discounted. This discount takes into account the additional training sessions and seminars they are expected to attend, which will incur additional costs.
The discount is applied automatically when you pay online via the website by selecting the appropriate membership type at checkout.
Paying in Instalments:
Payment to Tzofim can be made in advance for the entire year - to do so, choose this option at check out when paying online.
Alternatively, you may choose to pay the yearly fee in three instalments.
The first instalment is payable when registering your child.
The table below outlines the available payment methods and applicable due dates for the second and third instalments.
Note that the first payment is higher than the others as it includes the non-refundable Membership Fee (£55).
Payments are made through the PAY section on this website.
Note:
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We do not accept cash or cheques.
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We no longer use PayPal for payments, so you will need to use a debit or credit card to complete the transactions.
Membership Payments Schedule is as follows:
Trial Sessions:
Eligibility:
New and returning members are welcome to attend two trial sessions under the following guidelines:
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Registration:
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Members must be registered using the signed-up form before attending the first trial session.
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Payment:
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The cost for two trial sessions is £35.
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If you choose to continue after the trial, this £35 will be applied toward the Activity Fee.
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If you do not continue, the £35 payment is non-refundable and non-adjustable.
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Session Timing:
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These two sessions must be attended consecutively.
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The trial sessions will begin on the Sunday following the payment.
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Please do not pay in advance if you are unsure of your child’s attendance, as this payment is non-refundable and non-adjustable.
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Cancellations and Rescheduling:
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Unless your child is unwell and can’t physically attend, sessions cannot be cancelled, postponed, or rescheduled—either in advance or retroactively.
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There are no make-up sessions if you cannot attend unless your child is unwell. If your child can't attend for this reason, please notify us beforehand.
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For Returning Members:
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Please pay for the first term in full.
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If your child decides not to continue after the trial sessions, you will receive a refund of the full term payment minus £35, which covers the cost of the trial sessions.
Example: For Year 3-10, if you pay £177 for the term, you will receive a refund of £142 if your child does not continue.
For New Members:
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Please pay only £35 to cover the two trial sessions before they begin.
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If your child chooses not to continue, no further payment or refund is required.
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If your child decides to continue, the remaining term fee must be paid before the third session.
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Example: For Year 3-10, this would be £142 (£135 for siblings, £125 for Year 11-13).
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Note: This option is not available to returning members.
Early Bird Registration:
For those registering before September 1st, 2024, we offer an Early Bird rate on the full yearly fee.
If you choose to pay in instalments, the Early Bird rate will apply only to the first instalment.
After that, the normal rate will apply to the second and third instalments (as shown in the table above):
Cancellation Policy:
If a member wishes to leave Tzofim for any reason, they will be entitled to a refund for any full unused terms paid for so far. For example, if a member leaves after the start of the second term but before it ends, they will be refunded for the third term's Activity Fees.
The Membership Fee (£55) is non-refundable, so refunds are calculated from the Activity Fees component only.
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If you cancel before the member’s third session, a refund will be issued as outlined in the Trial Sessions section.
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You must notify the Head of the Chapter, Manuela Rathaus-Alper, in writing if you wish to cancel your membership.
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The date of your notification will be used to calculate any refunds due.
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Retroactive notification will not be accepted, even if the member did not participate in activities.
Late Joining:
We welcome new and returning members throughout the year:
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Term 1: For late joining up to 10/11/2024, payments are calculated as if joining at the beginning of the term. Joining after this date will be permitted only from the start of Term 2.
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Term 2: For late joining up to 07/03/2025, payments are calculated as if joining at the beginning of Term 2. Joining after this date will be permitted only from the start of Term 3.
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Term 3: For late joining up to 13/06/2025, payments are calculated as if joining at the beginning of Term 3. Joining after this date is usually not permitted but may be allowed at the discretion of the Tzofim team.
When joining late, members are still entitled to two consecutive trial sessions under the same conditions outlined in the Trial Sessions section above.
Late registration cancellations will follow the same guidelines as noted in the Cancellation Policy section above.
Paying in Instalments - Late Joiners:
When joining in the second term, you will still be able to pay in two instalments under the same conditions outlined in the Paying in Instalments section above.
When joining in the third term, you will be asked to pay the full fee for the remaining part of the year.
Chapter's Special Activities:
Throughout the year, we organise two major chapter activities for all members:
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Beginning of Year Trip (Tiyul Patish) in November.
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Summer Machane in July.
Shachbag Leaders Group (Years 11-13) has two planned training seminars.
These are in addition to the activities of the younger members:
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Beginning of Year Seminar in September.
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Shachbag Leadership Machane in March.
Hadracha Course Year Groups (Years 9-10) have one planned training seminar.
This is in addition to the activities of the younger members:
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Hadracha & Leadership Seminar in January.
Additional special activities and seminars may be added throughout the year.
Information and fees for these will be advertised in advance.
The fees for these special activities are calculated and charged separately to the Membership & Activity fees.
Estimated fees for these events are outlined below:
Special Activities - Sibling Discounts:
Sibling discounts will be available for special activities.
Special Activities - Cancellation Policy:
Each special activity will have a registration closing date published in advance.
Cancellation and refunds may be permitted up until that date.
After the closing date, cancellation and partial refunds will only be allowed for those who cannot attend due to illness.
Note:
To participate in the chapter's special activities, the member must be a fully active, paying member of Tzofim with no outstanding membership fees.
For new members, we require that they have completed a minimum of three weekly group activities before joining any special activities.
Bursaries:
At Tzofim, our goal is to create a community that feels like an extended family and a home for any member who wishes to participate.
We do not want anyone to refrain from joining due to financial difficulties, whether temporary or permanent.
If you are facing financial challenges, we encourage you to reach out.
We are more than happy to assist, whether through an extended instalment plan or a further discount.
Please contact the Head of the Chapter, Manuela Rathaus-Alper, or the chapter’s treasurer, Ya’ara Letz, to discuss your situation.
