Membership Application (pdf)
Membership Overview
OPGA Members have the right to vote and to hold office. Any person, firm, corporation, or association engaged in the retail sale of propane is eligible to become an OPGA Member. OPGA Associate Members, also referred to as Supplier Members, include persons, firms, corporations, or associations which are not eligible for full membership but are nonetheless interested in the sale, management, manufacture, installation, etc., of propane equipment, appliances, etc. Associate/Supplier Members may not vote or hold office except two Associate Members may be appointed to voting positions on the Board of Directors to represent the Supplier side of the propane gas industry. Honorary Members are persons who do not qualify for Regular or Associate Membership but through personal effort have exemplified themselves by providing outstanding service to the propane gas industry.
Member dues are currently assessed at the rate of $200 for each bobtail truck registered with the Oklahoma LP Gas Administration. Dues are normally payable on January 1st of each year, and to remain current, dues should be remitted to OPGA no later than April 1st. Early payment of dues is, of course, encouraged as it provides the OPGA Board of Directors the financial flexibility it needs for effective budgeting. Associate Member (Supplier Member) dues are established by the OPGA Board of Directors. Currently, Associate/Supplier Member dues are $450 annually. The OPGA Board of Directors is very sensitive to each dealer’s cost of doing business. Your Board knows that the cumulative cost of association dues, permit renewals, and other fees can cut deeply into a company’s profitability and make membership/renewal decisions difficult. That’s why the OPGA Board of Directors declined to approve a dues increase for Members for more than 20 years. Likewise, it has now been more than 20 years since OPGA Associate/Supplier Member dues were increased. OPGA board members are in the same business as other OPGA Members. Board Members realize that the cost of doing business is high, and they are familiar with the economic decisions that small business owners must make each and every day.
OPGA maintains a small staff relying on efficiency rather than on sheer numbers. OPGA also appreciates the wealth of talent it has in its volunteers. OPGA depends heavily on its volunteers to help it hold the line on costs and to avoid dues increases whenever possible. In fact, OPGA volunteers are key contributors to OPGA’s highly successful legislative program, and to other programs and activities as well. Few, if any, associations in Oklahoma, can match OPGA’s long record of success, and few, if any, state propane gas associations can rival OPGA’s long history of efficient, conservative governance.
Member Benefits
OPGA’s Member Benefits, and their relative importance, change frequently. One Member Benefit that doesn’t change and which ranks consistently at the top of OPGA’s priorities is its Legislative Program. Nothing can affect a propane marketer’s business quicker than a legislative proposal that becomes law. In fact, elected officials in Oklahoma City and Washington DC, can affect your business almost immediately with the simple stroke of a pen. That’s why OPGA emphasizes its Legislative Affairs program. It’s also why OPGA is proud of its legislative record…particularly at the state capitol in Oklahoma City. For example, in 1994, OPGA threw its support behind efforts to create the Oklahoma LP Gas Research, Marketing and Safety Commission. Just a few months later, Oklahoma was hailed throughout this industry for being one of the first states to establish a state propane check off program. A year or so later, Oklahoma created the nation’s first Regulator Rebate Program, and now 20 (plus) years later, more than 40,000 faulty or out of date regulators have been replaced through this program making Oklahoma’s propane industry significantly safer for both consumers and marketers alike. In 2015, at the suggestion of the Governor and the State’s Energy Office, OPGA supported, and the Oklahoma Legislature approved, HB 1014 which privatized the Oklahoma LP Gas Research, Marketing and Safety Commission making Oklahoma’s propane gas industry the first to privatize a state propane agency and re-create it is a private, nonprofit association. The LP Gas Commission now has the increased flexibility it needs to budget effectively and to promote the propane gas industry, and its goods and services, as they should be. Over the past 25 years, OPGA has also successfully defended this industry’s separate, freestanding licensing agency, the Oklahoma LP Gas Administration, against a dozen or more efforts to merge, consolidate or eliminate this agency. When state money woes caused massive cuts in agency appropriations a few years ago, OPGA worked with legislative leaders to place the LP Gas Administration on a Revolving Fund…allowing the LP Gas Administration to self-fund its operations through the fees and fines it collects. This was the first time in more than 25 years that the LP Gas Administration was in control of its own finances. To assist, propane marketers generously agreed to pay higher fees for their permits…just to make sure the LP Gas Administration was adequately funded…for both the present and the future. In the early 2000’s, the Oklahoma Legislature announced that it would not consider any tort reform legislation after Oklahoma businesses found themselves caught in a battle between trial lawyers and pro business interests at the Capitol. Six legislative sessions later, no changes in Oklahoma’s tort laws had been approved UNTIL OPGA said enough was enough…propane marketers should not be held liable for problems in a propane system if the propane marketer wasn’t involved. OPGA asked that legislation be introduced to correct this problem, and OPGA and its members worked this legislation throughout the session. The legislature eventually adjourned but not before approving the first tort reform legislation in five or six years. All of this (and more) was possible because OPGA maintains a close, working relationship with legislative leaders and because many OPGA members maintain close working relationships with their own representatives as well. In fact, when legislation is introduced which could affect the propane gas industry, legislators from across the stateare encouraged to contact their local propane company and often do. It’s no secret why OPGA enjoys such success at the state capitol. It’s all based on a formula that includes trust and understanding. Plus, OPGA members have never forgotten that first and foremost, OPGA is their association and ultimately, they are responsible for making sure OPGA is successful.
While Legislative Services are often the most visible of OPGA’s Member Benefits, OPGA Members receive a variety of member services including:
Safety Schools…These safety training programs are conducted by the LP Gas Administration with the assistance of OPGA. Safety Schools are conducted throughout the state to continuously improve the safety standards of Oklahoma’s propane gas industry.
Management Safety Seminars…Management Safety Seminars are also conducted by the LP Gas Administration with the assistance of OPGA and the LP Gas Research, Marketing and Safety Commission. By involving all three organizations, the content of this safety training is improved as is the safety of tens of thousands of Oklahoma propane consumers.
Annual Conference/Trade Show…OPGA conducts an annual conference/trade show featuring informative speakers as well as state of the art propane exhibits. OPGA often meets with the Arkansas Propane Gas Association. Occasionally, OPGA also meets with the propane gas associations of Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. OPGA has also met with the Texas Propane Gas Association and as part of the former Southwest Trade Show. OPGA provides propane marketers the best possible programming in a convenient, family-oriented setting that is conducive to continuing education. AND, OPGA members receive a discount on registration fees.
Decal Service…Whether it’s stock decals you are looking for or custom made signs for your business, OPGA provides them at a discounted price for members.
Printed Materials…NFPA books, pamphlets, brochures, custom made meter tickets, etc., are all available from OPGA at a discounted price for members.
Communications…OPGA keeps its members informed through its E-Newsletter, through emails, through the U.S. Mail, etc. Whether it’s an urgent legislative update or a job posting from the LP Gas Administration, DOT, etc., you can count on OPGA to keep you informed.
Board Meetings…The OPGA Board of Directors meets six times a year on the second Thursday of alternating months beginning each January. Legislation, proposed rule changes, DOT initiatives, EPA proposals, alternative fuel advancements, etc., are all discussed/acted on by the OPGA Board of Directors, and OPGA members are welcome to attend. Proposed meeting dates are posted on this website. If you would like to attend a board meeting, please consult this schedule or contact OPGA at (405)424-1775 to make sure the weather or other matters haven’t caused the meeting to be moved or re-scheduled. All meetings are subject to change/rescheduling, and January meetings are particularly susceptible to change due to weather.