Policies

Membership Policies

Membership Cancellation

Members may terminate their payment authorization/membership at any time. Termination must occur by the last day of the month to avoid an additional monthly fee. All Terminations must occur in person at the Member Service Desk and a change/termination form must be completed with member signature and date.

Credit Card/Bank Draft

Payment by credit card/bank draft is a continuous membership plan. Members understand that their membership will remain in effect permanently until they initiate its termination. If members wish to terminate or change their membership in any way, they must do so in person at the Member Service Desk and complete a change/termination form. Membership fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable. The Y gives members 30-day written notice of any change in dues structure. If bank/credit card returns payment to the Y, members have 10 days from the return date to pay the balance. The Y will terminate memberships if we do not receive payment within 10 days of the return date.

Other Membership Policies

All new adult and family memberships are subject to a $20.00 joiners fee. Any membership expired for more than 6 months is considered a new membership and is subject to the $20.00 joiners fee. The joiner fee is waived for military personnel with service ID. Annual membership renewals are due on the expiration date. Membership cards should be carried at all times and swiped when entering the facility. All members are required to have a photo taken and kept on file with their account.

Membership cards remain the property of the Y and must be surrendered upon termination of my membership. There is a $5.00 fee to replace a lost membership card. Membership cards are nontransferable. Allowing anyone to use your membership card may result in termination of membership. The Y reserves the right to terminate a membership if conduct contradicts our policies and procedures. The Y reserves the right to deny or terminate a membership of anyone deemed a danger to the safety of themselves or others. The Y is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.

Membership policies and procedures are available at the Member Service Desk in the lobby of the Y, as well as on our website.

Member Use Policies

• Parents/guardians are responsible for the supervision of their children while using our facility unless the children are enrolled in a scheduled, supervised activity. Parents/guardians are expected to help enforce the Y’s expectations/rules.
• Group fitness classes are open to all full-facility members 14 and older.
• The safety of our youth members and guests is a priority. Children ages 11 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times while in the Y, unless participating in a supervised program.
• Youth 12 and older must have a membership card and photo taken if they are to attend the Y without an adult.
• Youth ages 11 to 13 can use the Wellness Center under the supervision of a parent/guardian and must complete a kid-friendly orientation.
• Youth 14 and older can use the Wellness Center unsupervised, but must sign in before each use and read and sign the youth/teen guidelines.

Facility Use Policy

Parking

The Y understands during certain times of the year finding a parking space can be challenging. However, it’s imperative we leave the sidewalk along Pine Street free of cars. This is an active sidewalk for our neighborhood and parking on any sidewalk is a violation of city ordinances and may result in a ticket or your car being towed.

Non-Staff Training/Coaching

The Greater Holyoke YMCA strongly encourages mutual support among its members in efforts to achieve their fitness and/or life goals. Additionally, the Y provides a wide variety of professional classes, programs, trainings and coaching opportunities to its members. However, in light of legal, insurance, liability, ethical, and other considerations, the Y cannot support the use of its facilities or equipment for provision of formalized third-party (non-staff) training or coaching. If you wish to rent the facility for other possible uses (i.e. sports leagues, special events, meeting space), please contact the Y.

Program Policies

Program Cancellation and Refund

• The YMCA reserves the right to cancel any class that does not meet the minimum enrollment. Registrants will receive a minimum of 24-hour notice of a class cancellation via phone or email.
• If the YMCA cancels a class/program, registrants will receive a program credit or refund.
• Registrants must provide a minimum of 48 hours notice of cancellation prior to the first class to be eligible for a refund or credit. Refunds require a minimum of $25; amounts less than $25 may be used as a program credit. Exception made for medical reasons only.
• Director-approved credits or refunds will first be applied to any outstanding account balances and the remainder will be made available to the registrant.

Late Registrations

Those registering late for the start of a program will not be given a prorated price. Registering after the first week of the session requires approval.

Class Cancellation and Class Make-Up

Classes cancelled due to inclement weather will not be made up, rescheduled or refunded. Weather cancellations will be announced on TV Channels 22 and 40 and the Y’s website and Facebook page.

When the Holyoke Public Schools are canceled due to inclement weather, all morning classes are canceled as well as Childwatch. Cancellation of evening classes will occur by 4:00 PM.

If the Y cancels a class due to instructor illness or some other unforeseen reason, the Y will do its best to offer a makeup class. If no makeup can be scheduled, a credit will be issued. There will be no credits issued if a participant misses a class. However, a make-up class may be scheduled (if possible) with approval from the Director.

Supervision of Youth

For all youth 11 years and younger, a parent/guardian must accompany their child until a Y staff person is present and ready to begin class.

Insurance Statement

Members and program members participate in programs and use the facility at their own risk, and are encouraged to have personal medical insurance coverage. The Y does not provide accident insurance for injuries sustained during Y activities

Special Needs

Every person, regardless of special need, is welcome to register for Y programs. At the time of registration, if a child’s particular needs appear not to be met by our standard program, a meeting will take place between the parents/guardian and the appropriate Director. At that meeting, the child’s needs must be detailed and a written plan generated indicating what changes in program, routine or setting would accommodate those needs. The plan will be reviewed by the associate executive director to determine if it would pose a hardship. Whenever possible, adaptations will be made, but if an undue hardship would be imposed to accommodate the special needs, the parents will be informed in writing within 1 week of the initial meeting. In such a case, the parents/guardian may appeal the decision directly to the appropriate governing body for other programs. Adults with special needs may bring care providers to attend to them in classes or exercise areas. Every attempt will be made to help everyone fit in.

Behavior Management

Y staff will do their best to work with participants to ensure a positive experience for all. In situations where behavior disrupts the general atmosphere, the Y staff will work with the participant and/or parent/guardian to discuss solutions. If the behavior continues or worsens, the director will speak with the parent/guardian about other behavior modifications or another choice of programming. Participation in a Y program is a privilege, and the Y reserves the right to remove/suspend a participant from any program if necessary. Additional behavior management policies are in place for before- and after-school programs and summer camp. These policies can be found in the Parent Handbook.

Social Media Policy

The Greater Holyoke YMCA does not tolerate discrimination in social media content (including age, sex, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability, or marital states or any other legally recognized, protected basis under federal or local laws, regulations or ordinances). The Y doesn’t allow content on its social media resources that are not aligned with our values of respect, responsibility, honesty and caring. We therefore delete hate speech, ethnic slurs, profanity, personal insults, or inflammatory comments. If Social Media content is topically relevant and doesn’t violate any of the unauthorized standards outlined above we don’t delete the comment, even if we disagree with it.