Guild Governance & Operations

Setting Membership Dues for Your HEMA Club

By HILT Official · Apr 13, 2026 · 9 min read

Most HEMA clubs charge too little and wonder why they're always broke. Here's how to price your membership fees correctly.

The Pricing Conversation Nobody Wants to Have Ask a HEMA club leader what they charge for membership and you'll often get a sheepish answer. €20 a month. £15. $25. Numbers pulled from thin air, kept low out of guilt, and never revisited. Meanwhile the club is perpetually short on cash, the equipment is aging, the venue deposit came out of the founder's personal account, and nobody can afford to bring in a guest instructor. Setting membership dues is one of the most important decisions a club makes. Most clubs do it once, badly, and then avoid the topic for years. This article is about how to…

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