MEPRA - an exclusive club?

MEPRA sounds like a very essential association that has an important role to play in the industry. However, Sadri Barrage's suggestions of creating a standard pricing scheme for payment by the hour for PR consultation is borderline insane.

It is one thing to recommend that PR should be paid for by the hour and another to publish a 'rate card' for all members to follow. Speaking of members, does anyone know what it takes to be a member of MEPRA? Let's see. The applicant must provide:

1. Recommendation letters from 2 clients
2. Introduction letter from a MEPRA member

The first is understandable enough, but getting an introduction letter from a MEPRA member is a blatant attempt to keep MEPRA an exclusive elitist club that will not allow others to join. Wouldn't it make more sense to impose a fee on new applicants as opposed to this so-called introduction letter? At the very least, those fees could be put to use to further help MEPRA become an actual active member in the industry?

MEPRA should perhaps learn a bit from the IAA Congress.