All members must by now be aware of coming changes to the Charter and the Byelaws of the Chartered Institute. Also, they will probably be aware that one of the principal effects of the change to the Charter will be the introduction of a Member grade, between the present grades of Associate and Fellow. At present, the bulk of the membership is at the Associate grade. This grade will remain as the entry grade for most new members with similar entry requirements as at present. Transition to Member grade will then be by further examination similar to elements of the present Fellowship requirements.

However, in recognition that in the future of the Member grade will be seen as the standard grade for the majority of the membership, as it is in many other institutions The Chartered Institute is providing transition arrangements to enable members currently at the Associate grade to transfer to the new Member grade with the minimum of difficulty. These arrangements are intended for Associates who have a continuing active interest in arbitration but will be available for a limited period only. Members wishing to remain as Associates will of course be free to do so and need take no further action.

Associates wishing to take advantage of these transition arrangements should note of the following:

They must have been elected Associate before 1 July 1999.

They will be required to demonstrate a continuing interest in arbitration; for details of this, see below.

On the present timescale, Associates will be required to make application and to have completed all the requirements by 31 December 1999; but again, see below for additional details.There will be a transfer fee of £40.

In all probability, the subscription for the Member grade will be higher than that for Associates. Members will not be entitled to use the title 'Chartered Arbitrator'.

In making the decision whether or not to take advantage of the transition arrangements, Associates must be aware that these arrangements are available for a limited period only and that, after this period, transfer to Membership grade will only be available on the normal basis and following the successful completion of the relevant Part II examinations. The above transition arrangements offer a greatly simplified approach for the transfer to the new Member grade and are therefore strongly recommended to any current Associate who is contemplating upgrading their membership sometime in the future.

In recognition that the new Member grade is intended for those with an active interest in arbitration, Associates applying for transfer under the transition arrangements will be required to demonstrate their current interest in arbitration in one of the following ways:

• To have attended an 'approved course' in the two years preceding application. The definition of the 'approved course' is complicated and generally refers to courses with at least six hours teaching time; it is best to refer to Headquarters to find out if any course you have attended qualifies as an 'approved course'.

• To attend one of the series of one-day transition courses currently being run by Headquarters. The next course to be run in London is on 19 June 1999 at a course fee of £235.00. These courses are well structured and provide comprehensive notes and are proving popular. It is likely that attendance at one of these transition courses will be the normal qualification for transfer to the Member grade.

• To have acted 'on a major basis' as an arbitrator, expert witness, advocate, adjudicator, mediator or conciliator in the two years preceding application. Guidelines on what is meant by 'a major basis' are published by Headquarters, it is best to refer to these if you think you may qualify.

• To have already passed the Part IIA and IIB examinations or already be an approved mediator or accredited adjudicator.

• Failing any of the above, to pass a new upgrading examination to be offered up to 31 June 2000. This examination will be of a similar standard to the present Part IIA and IIB examinations.

The above is only a summary of the transition arrangements; further details are given in the booklet 'Transition Arrangements and Criteria for Admission to Membership', dated August 1998, and available from Headquarters. Other transition arrangements also affect those Associates currently studying towards the Fellowship examinations; these arrangements are also set out in the booklet.

Currently, it is anticipated that the above arrangements for transfer to the member grade will expire on 31 December 1999 based on the assumption that the new Royal Charter will be granted by 1 July 1999. This still appears likely but is not certain and therefore the above dates may be subject to further revision; they may be delayed but they will not be brought forward.

The above arrangements look complicated, and possibly are. The temptation for Associates will be to ignore them. This will be a mistake if you are an Associate with an interest in arbitration and wishing possibly to develop that interest further. If you are, and have not already done so, I suggest that you consider the following action;

• Obtain a copy of 'Transition Arrangements and Criteria for Admission to Membership' and see if you qualify for transfer to Member.

• If you do not, consider enrolling on an approved transition course as run by Headquarters.

• Make application for transfer before 31 December 1999.

• Consider enrolling on a Part IIA or IIB course before 1 July 1999 which will entitle you to continue towards Fellowship under the 'old' route; otherwise, Fellowship will only be obtainable under the new and more stringent conditions. Again, see the above booklet for details.

The above is only a summary of the conditions as they apply at present; please check with Headquarters that the dates and arrangements have not changed before finally deciding on any course of action.

James Mumford