Since its creation, Fako America has always had an open-door policy with regards to membership that is in line with the diversity within its target community. Thus, membership is open not only to native born Fako elements, but also to their spouses, irrespective of their ethnic or national origins, and to their American-born children. All that is expected of all those who qualify for membership is that they duly acquit themselves of all financial obligations towards the organization. This open door policy has gone a long way to add color, vigor and dynamism to the association over the years - a dynamism that has kept it going strong in spite of all the obstacles it has faced thus far.
That said, much still has to be done to increase not just the participation of the Fako Diaspora at Conventions, but also the number of registered members. While convention turn out has been quite impressive thus far, with Chicago 2003 having over 300 participants, a huge segment of the Fako community in the US, particularly those in the West Coast, attend occasionally if at all.
In the same vien membership has almost always been directly linked to convention turn-out as those who don't attend these annual meetings rarely bother to pay their annual dues. Also, the majority of those who actually attend conventions fail to pay their registration dues. It is estimated that not more than 40 percent of convention participants actually bother to register. For example, in spite of the huge turn-out in Chicago in 2003, only 93 participants actually paid their annual dues. If this trend is not changed, then the conventions will end up being a money making venture for everyone else -hotels, airlines, car rental companies, etc.- except Fako America.
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