Membership, benefits and genealogy

Members of The Society of Indiana Pioneers receive a number of tangible and intangible benefits from being part of a recognized history organization:

• Members receive a free copy of the Society Yearbook each year. The Yearbook includes a listing of all members, along with their pioneer ancestors; a review of the Society's activities during the previous year; information on the Society's current and past officers and members of the board of governors; and a listing of all deceased members, plus other pertinent information.
• Members have first priority on reservations for the Society's travel outings, known as "Pilgrimages."
• Members can make personal, genealogical and business connections through discovering common backgrounds at Society events, including the Annual Meeting and Luncheon in November of each year.

There are four membership classes available in the Society of Indiana Pioneers: Regular, Junior, Associate and Honorary. Requirements for each membership class are detailed below.

Regular Membership is open to men and women eighteen (18) years of age or older, who prove one or more of his or her ancestors meets the qualifications of an Indiana Pioneer. An Indiana Pioneer is one who lived within the present boundary of an Indiana county on or before December 31, 1840, unless that county is one of the following: Adams, Benton, Blackford, DeKalb, Fulton, Howard, Jasper, Jay, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte, Marshall, Newton, Noble, Porter, Pulaski, Starke, Steuben, Tipton, Wells, White, or Whitley; in which case the Pioneer must have lived within the present boundary of that county on or before December 31, 1850.

Junior Membership is available to persons under eighteen (18) years of age who would be otherwise eligible for Regular Membership but are excluded due to their age. All other requirements for Regular Membership must be met. Junior members are not eligible for service on the Board of Governors or as an officer of the Society.

Our application may be downloaded in either PDF or Microsoft Word format, or requested from the office at the address shown at the top of this page. A separate file is also available, containing the instructions for completing the application.

We have a video that describes in detail how to complete the application, hosted by the Society's genealogist, Michele Kerr.

The membership application may be printed and filled it out in black pen or you can fill out the form in either Adobe Acrobat Reader (PDF version) or Microsoft Word (Word version) and then print the document. When completed, mail it to the Society at the address shown in the page header.

If you prefer, you may also request application materials through the mail from the same address.

PLEASE NOTE: The application (PDF or Word versions) must be downloaded to your computer before beginning to work on the application. If given a choice by your browser, choose to "Save" the document on your hard drive first, then open the document. Otherwise you may lose your work when you try to save the application.

Proof of lineage, (birth, death, marriage and the connection between the generations), must be submitted with the application. Also note that unless you advise us in writing to the contrary, your application may be photocopied for the use of other members or prospective members.

MEMBERSHIP PAYMENTS: To ensure that your membership request is handled in the most efficient manner possible, please include a check or money order, payable to "Society of Indiana Pioneers," for the Annual Membership Dues and Application fee indicated below when sending your application to the Society. Currently, this is $50.00 for regular members and $35.00 for junior members (17 and younger). This eliminates the need for the Society to invoice you separately for your dues and application fee. Thank you.

Associate Membership is available to persons who are dedicated to the object of the Society and who have an interest in the pioneer era of the state of Indiana. Associate Members are not eligible for service on the Board of Governors or as an officer of the Society, but may serve in other capacities, including service on any committee except the Nominating and Eligibility Committees.

Associate Members please print and complete this form to apply for membership: Associate Member application (PDF format).

Honorary Membership is conferred on persons recommended by three Regular Members of the Society, and given unanimous approval by the Board of Governors.