Editors Editorial on Club Dues
January 13, 2012 | 
Author The last few months, the club has been thinking about bringing back club dues. During the last two meetings, we took a vote and decided to charge $5.00 per member per year. Will – has the club editor and by default the middleman to most communications between members, have been getting email asking “Why Do We Need Dues”
So I have written a report or article if you will, on this subject. Do to the length of this article, I have put it into a PDF for your better viewing. here’s the link to Editors Editorial On Club Dues PDF.
Please Note – after reading this article, please come back to this page and leave your comments in the reply area of this post. It will be helpful to the clubs president and the board of directors to get your option to this matter and what would you do.
Posted in
Jim, I would like to personally thank you for taking the time to keep a web site for the club. It would be a shame to not have it. It is a great way to communicate and cheeeeeep at that!! I for one would gladly pay 5 dollars a year just to stay informed on who is doing what. Still hoping for some responses for my 3rd annual JUNE 30 YOUNG EAGLES event. I found out about helicycles from your web site and just got on the list for the #7 run. I would also like to know more about the simulator and if it is certified so anybody could log the time if needed. Even though I live some 5 hours or so away, I would be willing to put up a sizable donation for such a simulator. And if you could log time on it, I think there should be an annual fee for maintenance, I think most flight schools charge $50-$70 per hr for sims, so a low annual fee would not be out of line for the benefits our members could receive. I have no idea what the maintenance would be, though i would like to know. Take that number and divide it up and it is not going to be much that’s for sure. Everybody needs to step up and lets keep aviation strong together. I will be looking forward to meeting you and some of the members at the next meeting, just let me know when it is. An update on what up with me– I am taking my commercial written test on Sunday, and have my commercial check ride scheduled for the 27th of this month!! Once again, THANK YOU
-Parks-
John has a very good point about charges for simulator usage fee’s. Jim said just as I have said many times the simulator could have been done by now but every time it’s used there will be some sort of issue,then it sits unfixed for who knows how long and where.
I get the feeling no one has read the bylaws! The website is the clubs calling card and if it’s not covered in the bylaws then Jimmy should pull the plug and the club can try to find someone else to commit to the job he’s done the past 12yrs. Jim has spent lot’s of money out of pocket also.
Overall here’s the bottom line. “A club living in the past is going to have no future” I cleared this up (I hope) in a reply to Jim’s email he sent out and got a @&% chewing about.There is a big differentce between RE WRITING and UP DATING the bylaw people!
John,
Hope you passed the written and good luck on the check ride.
Bill
Mach .06
I’ve read the bylaws (helped write them) and there isn’t a direct requirement for a newsletter. Several items use a newsletter as a timing device.
The board has the latitude to diseminate information as necessary in any means.
A newsletter is the best way to do this and Jim has done a great job keeping things going.
The by-laws are being reviewed by the bylaws committee. They were originally set up so they wouldn’t have to be ammended every time something changes.
Personally we feel everyone should pay dues.
Lois & Ruffin
I have read the BY-LAWS many times. Club information is and has been offered in news letter form. Hard copy was used and now we use computers. Jim is and has been doing that job with great success (THANKS FROM ME JIM) I for one don’t remember Jim sending a statement to the club (AND HE SHOULD HAVE) for the expense of doing the great job he is doing. I think club dues is the answer.
Reading the statement ( PDF FILE) that Jim has posted brings thoughts to my OLD head and I don’t feel I’m by my self. I can think of at least three other people that did that Job. Orv Nathan and Steve I know it is not easy to do.
It looks as though the BOARD must think of a way to change the mined set by Jim’s ending date or plan on doing something else. I for one am hard pressed to come up with a fix except come up with dues and get Jim on the stick to turn in a statement each month. Len
I’m just an online “member”, but I think retaining membership in the PRA is worthy of soliciting dues. Of course other online members might not feel the same once the bill comes due.
One way of taking the workload off of the Editor might be to host the chapter website in a new format, like a blog or a google group. That way anyone in the group could post articles,events, links, pics…whatever. It could also keep the member list online, so a personal computer crash wouldn’t be so catastrophic. A lot of these sites are completely free.
A quick update on my commercial written test, I passed it with a 90%. Had hi hopes of a better score but this is still a pass. Now onto the check ride. My date for the 27th is not going to work for DPE, so hoping for a date in early Feb. Thank you for the kind words Bill, c u all soon
=Parks=
I have always been of the opinion that dues should be charged. It is a small price to pay to be a member and have the opportunity to participate in rotorcraft related activities and information. I recommend $12 – $24/year. Jimmy has done a great job of keeping the communications lines open and should be reimbursed for any and all out of pocket expenses in doing so. Thanks Jimmy for all your efforts on behalf of the club.
Just curious. On average, how many members attend meetings in person?
Also, about that group communication idea I mentioned above. One of the many nice things about it is that when you or others post, you can be notified by email so you can keep the conversation going. No searching required.
An even better solution would be to add a “forum” to this site. Members could post, carry on conversations, create different sub groups (ie. chapter news, helos, gyros, projects, etc.).
Here’s a great example you should enjoy http://www.rotaryforum.com/ On it I found a Chapter 58 thread started by Jim, about 5 years ago. Unfortunately there isn’t much activity. Again, I believe the software to do this can be found online for free.
It seems that if this group could create more communication amongst members and non-members alike, it could help it grow,collect more dues and support it’s mission.