FAQ
Where do you meet?
We meet on the 3rd Wednesday of each month from 8:45-10:30am at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center, 600 Acacia Lane, Santa Rosa, CA
What does SOA do?
“The Sonoma County Section on Aging is a coalition of agencies, organizations and individuals concerned with the well-being of older adults and the education of our members. As a network alliance, we advocate for and promote the development, coordination, and implementation of older adult services in Sonoma County.”
Is membership on an individual or a company basis?
You may have as many people as you like attend the meeting from your company. However, companies with attendees from multiple locations must have multiple memberships (one membership for each building in your organization). Stated another way, if you have branch offices in both Santa Rosa and Petaluma and you have representatives from both offices attend you will need to have 2 memberships. An individual membership, paid for by the member, is transferable if the member changes companies. A company membership is paid by the company/organization. The membership stays with the organization and can be reassigned to a new employee if the current employee leaves the company.
How do I pay my dues?
You can send your $60 payment through paypal to admin@sonomacountysoa.org OR you have the option of mailing a check payable to:
Sonoma County Section on Aging
PO Box 5725
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Are the memberships transferrable to other employees within my organization?
In most cases, yes. Memberships that are paid by the company are transferrable within the organization. If you have a change in staff the new staff person is welcome to attend as a paid member. Sometimes individuals purchase individual memberships. These can be transfered to a new organization. In the case of individual memberships, no additional members can join on their membership and the company they work for must purchase a new membership if that individual changes companies.
Who is eligible to attend the meetings?
Anyone who provides senior services or works for a senior services provider is welcome to attend. You are also welcome if you are interested in serving the senior community or are interested in learning more about services that are available to seniors. People who work for profit or non-profit agencies, small business owners, partnerships, corportations and public sector employees are all welcome. Did we miss anyone?
Will you prorate the membership dues if I join mid-year?
No, we don’t prorate the dues. However, during the last quarter of the year we are able to accept partial year membership dues if the applicant pays for the upcoming year with the same check. The remaining months are calculated at $10 per month. For instance, if you submitted your membership application prior to the October meeting, dues would be $90 and would be paid up through December of the following year. (3 months x $10 plus $60 annual fee)
Is there plenty of parking at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center?
Yes. They have approximately 120 spaces available. The only restricted parking spaces are the 8-10 spaces located in the downhill corner of the lot near the preschool.
Can I bring literature and business cards to distribute to the group?
Yes, we offer a literature table for the distribution of items of interest. Please remove any remaining literature at the end of the meeting. All abandoned literature will be discarded.
Can I announce a special event or opportunity that is coming up in the near future?
Unfortunately there is not sufficient time to make announcements during the introduction moment that each attendee receives. However, members are welcome to post announcements and notifications of upcoming events on our home page. Upload a Flyer.
Can I use the membership list for marketing to our members?
Use of our membership list by individual members for lead generation (spam) emails is prohibited. The purpose of sharing the list with our members is to enable easy communication between members who have a common wish to communicate. It is not to be used as a cold calling lead source or as a source for your newsletter mailing list.
Why do we meet?
The primary focus of the meetings are to share resources that are helpful for all and to educate ourselves on the common challenges we face. Our meetings are a great opportunity to meet and network with others in the senior community. To this end, we allow time both before and after the meeting for networking and for the distribution of literature.
Can I attend if I am not a member?
Yes, you are welcome to attend up to 2 meetings before becoming a member. However, due to the number of people that attend the meetings and the meeting room capacity, we need to reserve seating for paid members.
Do you have speakers at the meeting and what type of topics do you cover?
Yes, we have guest speakers nearly every month.
How do I add my listing to the Membership Directory?
You can submit the information to the membership directory by logging in at Log In. To add your logo and a photo to an existing listing please email the graphic to Bob Cheal.
I don't remember my user name and password. What should I do?
Using the Log In Form click the Forgot Password link to receive your password via email. Your user name is your email address.
How can I get a user name?
Using the Application Form submit your application for membership. If your organization already has a Company Membership for the location that you work out of you can join for free. Simply sign up under your organization name. If they do not have a membership, or it is an Individual membership purchased by one of your co-workers you will have to sign-up and pay for your own membership.