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This Membership Agreement (“Agreement”) is entered into by Aligned Cooperative (the “Club”) and the individual signing the membership agreement below (the “Member”), and comes into effect the day the agreement is submitted and upon receiving the membership fee.

1. Member Benefits

As of part of the membership with the Club, the Member will have the opportunity to order and receive high-quality, natural and organic products at competitive prices on a monthly basis for pick up at a designated location in Calgary. All of the products are from local or regional producers or natural/organic food distributors. As we grow, so will our relationships with different producers. This Agreement outlines the shared commitments to this relationship between the Member and the Club.​

2. Member Responsibility

The Member is responsible for submitting payment for their orders upon confirmation of the order from the Club. The Club will submit the Member’s order directly to the producer(s). The Member is also responsible for picking up their order at the pick up location on the designated pick up date(s) and is responsible for observing the pick-up site rules.

   Pick-Up Site Rules​

• Bring your own bag and leave the coolers/fridge/freezer closed tightly at the site;

• Pick up your order within the timeframe stated;

• Be respectful of the drop site hosts’ property (clean after yourself and take your packaging with you to discard;

• Follow additional rules posted at the pick-up site regarding parking/use of certain entrances/boxes, etc.

• If the Member cannot pick up their order on a designated pick up date, the Member must arrange for someone else to pick up their order or contact the Club by email at alignedcoop@proton.me at least 48 hours prior to the designated pick-up date in order to arrange alternate plans. The Member is responsible for explaining the pick  up location and procedures to their substitute.

• Orders not retrieved within the pick-up timeframe will be collected and distributed at the discretion of the Club. The Club takes food safety seriously.​

3. Membership Types

The Member agrees to pay a non-refundable membership fee to participate in the Club, which is due and payable by email to alignedcoop@proton.me upon becoming a member of the Club and prior to submitting any orders. The 2026 annual membership fee is based on two (2) membership types/ categories:

• $150 for an single household (an individual) or

• $200 for a multi household (couples and families)

The Annual Membership fee starts at the indicated price above and is pro-rated if the Member joins after March 2026 based on the schedule outlined below.  Joining in January essentially gives you two free months included and joining in February gives you one free month.  The maximum amount that can be ordered based on the membership type is $6,000 per single household membership and $8,000 per multi-person household membership, after which there will be an additional charge of 3.5% per order to help cover our extra costs incurred on additional orders.

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​​​​​​Fee Schedule (based on when you join)

1. January $150 for an Individual, $200 for a Family 

2. February $150 for Individual ,$200 for a Family

3. March $150 for Individual, $200 for a Family

4. April $135 for Individual, $180 for a Family

5. May $120 for Individual, $160 for a Family

6. June $105 for Individual, $140 for a Family

7. July $90 for Individual, $120 for a Family

8. August $75 for Individual, $100 for a Family

9. September $60 for Individual, $80 for a Family

10. October $45 for Individual, $60 for a Family

11. November $30 for Individual, $40 for a Family

12. December $15 for Individual, $20 for a Family

The annual membership fee begins for January 1st of each year thereafter and is due by January 2nd for the January order activation. The Club agrees to be transparent in managing the membership fees and reserves the right to adjust the annual membership fee from year to year as the Club sees fit.

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4. Volunteer - Sorters and Drivers

Volunteering is an essential part of the success of this community. The Member agrees to the following:

a) Sorters - A 5% volunteer fee will be added to the total of each order to help maintain volunteerism.  A portion of this volunteer fee (3.5% of the 5%) will be reimbursed to Members who fulfill their volunteer commitment, which is a minimum of four (4) 3-hour long sorting shifts, per year.  If the Member cannot fulfill their minimum volunteer commitment, they forgoe the reimbursement portion of their volunteer fee contribution.   The remaining funds collected for volunteer efforts that have not been reimbursed will be used to compensate Members who volunteered above and beyond the minimum commitment and cover any other remaining expenses.

b)Drivers - are also needed.  The Member will be reimbursed differently, after each shift at rate of 50 cents per kilometre - from pick-up at wholesalers to drop off at sorting location in Ramsay.  Driver pick-up is separate from the minimum 4-shifts required annually to qualify for the volunteer commitment fee reimbursement.

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5. Restrictions

​The Member agrees to only order for their household, based on their membership type (individual or family) and will remain honourable in this regard. Ordering for people outside your family violates the rules of a PMA (Private Members Association), as transactions are strictly for members only. 

The Member also agrees that they will not share order information (prices and distributor details etc) with non-members nor reproduce any of the information received as part of their membership and share it with non-members. As a private club our information is not for the public.  Inviting friends and family to become members is welcomed and should be discussed in generalities - a club providing natural and organic foods and services at competitive prices with the goal of supporting our local farmers and producers.

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6. Communications

The Club has two emails:

• alignedcoop@proton.me (for member communication with the club)

• thebuyingclub@proton.me (for non-member communication with the club, such as new invitees)

The Club will do its best to respond to all inquiries within 48 hours and will send all communications by email, including monthly orders and any other important information, such as necessary changes to the pick up dates or locations. Any material changes to this Agreement will be communicated to the Member in writing by email.

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7. Liability

The Member will not hold the Club liable for any tangible or intangible damage that might happen to them while participating in the membership.

The Member agrees that the Club cannot guarantee any results from their membership. Any negative or positive results that might occur during the membership are the result of the Member’s own personal choices.

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8. Privacy

The Member acknowledges and agrees that the Club will share the Member’s name and contact information with the producers if needed for the purpose of submitting the order and payment information. The Club will not share any contact or personal information about the Member with other members or non-members except for administrative and volunteer members who may need that information for directing the Club’s tasks.

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9. Membership Termination

If any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement are violated, the Club has a right to terminate the Member’s membership in writing by email. The Member can terminate their membership in writing by email at any point and for any reason and will not be charged for their next annual membership.

By submitting this form, the Member confirms that they have read, comprehend and agree to the terms and conditions outlined in this Agreement.

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