The Society welcomes and actively seeks new members that meet the criteria relevant to its Objects. The process of recognising new members or reinterpreting their grades over time is one that deserves the greatest respect, for it involves conferring the public and formal respect of a distinguished — for so it wishes to be — learned society to a person. It also requires respect for the individuality of each applicant, recognising their personal distinctions on their own merits without regard to external factors. The Society’s policy on Variety applies.
Membership is for those who support the Objects of the Society and the Rules in general, which implies a reasonable interpretation and appreciation of the field of cybernetics and not merely its popular representations.
There are currently 5 types of Membership: Associate or Student Associate, Member, Fellow, Distinguished Life Member, and Honorary Fellow. At a certain age, a person can elect and pay for life membership rather than annual membership. Grades are characterisations of members engagement with cybernetics. As cybernetics is diverse and still developing, the distinctions between grades are sometimes fuzzy — the best possible judgement must be used and if necessary reviewed. The membership process is therefore conservative in cases where the evidence is not clear. An individual can always bring further evidence of capability to enable possible regrading.
The process depends on the possibility of knowing the individual and that individual’s own work (including in a team context). The process requires the applicant to provide suitable information. Our practice is guided by the following policies. A) We ask the individual to provide further information. B) We do a limited search online. C) We use any known associations for reference. D) We consider it the responsibility of the applicant to ensure we have sufficient knowledge to upgrade them but do limited investigation with goodwill.
New Rules
Society members agreed changes changes to the Rules during the 2021 AGM relating to Membership and the various types it offers. They add Life Member (paid life membership for those over 70), and clarify the position on others. The information below outlines these policies.
Associate & Student Associate
Rule: An Associate is a non-voting member joining to learn. The Council may at its absolute discretion elect such persons as it thinks fit to be Associates of the Society. The Council may at any time terminate the rights, privileges, and benefits of any Associate. All provisions with regard to Associates shall save as provided by these Rules be prescribed by the Bye-laws..
Associates benefit from all the services and facilities of the Society available to other members excepting only the right to vote in General Meetings (e.g. the AGM). The current annual subscription for Associates is £20. However, for bona fide students of courses approved for the purpose by the Council it is reduced to £10. The Council policy is to move towards a subscription that is lower than that for Members and Fellows.
Interpretation Guidance: An Associate is a non-voting member joining to learn.
Commentary: Whether early in their learning process, e.g. undergraduates, or advanced in practice or academic achievements, those still learning elementary cybernetic reasoning are Associates.
Anyone with a degree or equivalent interested enough in cybernetics to have informed themselves about its core working and concepts wishing to join in good faith is probably ready to be a Member, not Associate.
Member
Rule: The Council may at its absolute discretion elect any person who has demonstrated a good working engagement with significant aspects of cybernetics and its reasoning at the equivalent of degree-level ability, or above, to be a Member of the Society. Members (except those who are three months or more in arrears with their subscriptions) will be entitled to use the initials ‘MCybS’ after their names. The Council shall maintain Policy guidelines and requisite fair administration for such election.
The current annual subscription for Members is £20.
Interpretation Guidance: The Council may at its absolute discretion elect to the membership grade of Fellow of the Society any member whose knowledge and use of cybernetics has led them to produce useful innovation(s), invention(s), or novel insight(s) whether theoretical or practical in effect, which is considered equivalent to contemporary higher degree academic standards by any recognised method including any of our own published criteria.
Commentary: A Fellow should be able to extend, use in innovative ways, break the norms successfully in context, or teach others something new about cybernetics. Effects can be on fields outside cybernetics itself as well as within it.
Fellow
Rule: The Council may at its absolute discretion elect to the membership grade of Fellow of the Society any member whose knowledge and use of cybernetics has led them to produce useful innovation(s), invention(s), or novel insight(s) whether theoretical or practical in effect, which is considered at least equivalent to contemporary docotral degree standards by any recognised method including any of our own published criteria. Fellows (except those who are three months or more in arrears with their subscriptions) will be entitled to use the initials ‘FCybS’ after their names. The Council shall maintain Policy guidelines and requisite fair administration for such election.
The current annual subscription for Fellows is £20.
Interpretation Guidance: The Council may at its absolute discretion elect to the membership grade of Fellow of the Society any member whose knowledge and use of cybernetics has led them to produce useful innovation(s), invention(s), or novel insight(s) whether theoretical or practical in effect, which is considered equivalent to contemporary higher degree academic standards by any recognised method including any of our own published criteria.
Commentary: A Fellow should be able to extend, use in innovative ways, break the norms successfully in context, or teach others something new about cybernetics. Effects can be on fields outside cybernetics itself as well as within it.
Distinguished Life Member
The Council may exempt from future payment of subscriptions any member who has rendered distinguished services to the Society. Members so exempt shall retain all the rights, privileges and benefits of membership.
Honorary Fellow
Rule: The Council may recommend, for election by a General Meeting as Honorary Fellows of the Society, persons of distinction who have contributed to the advancement of cybernetics. Honorary Fellows will be entitled to all the rights, privileges and benefits of membership but shall not be required to pay any subscription.
Lifetime Membership
Any member over the age of 70 may transfer their existing membership to the equivalent Lifetime membership on payment of a one-time subscription of Ten times (10 times) the relevant member rate at the time of transfer. Lifetime members retain all the rights, privileges and benefits of membership applying to their status at the time of the transfer.