E-mail vs.hard copy newsletter-was <VV>Membership dues

[Kevin Spargur]

Gentlemen (and whoever else),

Some would refer to me as a "lurker", one who just sits and garners from 
what is posted, simply because I have not made many (if any post) to the 
list.  I am new to this list and learned a long time ago that it is 
better to observe for a while and learn from what is going on then state 
your piece.  Further, I am not as yet a paying member of CORSA.  I want 
to join but recent circumstances with the hurricane and such are 
pre-empting my doing so at this point in time.  As such, what I have say 
on this subject may be fruitless and fall on deaf ears (blind eyes, if 
you will) but I have watched this thread with interested and baited 
breath from it's onset a couple of days ago.  Here is my take on the 
subject.

First, to qualify my following comments, I feel I must give a little 
background of myself.  My name is Kevin Spargur and I have more than 15 
years of experience with computers, mostly internet and network related. 
I am also a member of a Heritage & Genealogy organization called the 
"Sons of Confederate Veterans".  We boast an international membership of 
~35,000+ and we have a bi-monthly magazine publication called the 
"Confederate Veteran".  Currently, I serve as the International 
Organization's Technology Committee Chairman on the Technology Committee 
and I am also a member of the Internet Services Committee.  Our 
organization is comprised of local chapters referred to as "Camps".  
Each State is referred to as a "Division" and every entity of the SCV, 
from the local level up, has a newsletter.  I am also the "Camp 
Commander" (chapter president) of one of the local Camps here in 
Jacksonville and currently also serving as the Camp's newsletter 
editor.  Attached to this e-mail is a sample of our Camp Newsletter 
entitled "Dixie!" for your viewing.  The entire newsletter is available 
in PDF format and is available to anyone desiring a copy.  Now, having 
said that...

There are pros and cons for providing either an e-zine, hard copy or both.

Both have cost benefits as well as draw backs.  For example, in my own 
Camp, we have local members as well as those who live in Alaska and 
Barbados-West Indies.  Sending the local members (the "lower 48" for the 
purpose of this e-mail) a hardcopy is not that bad and cost is 
approximately $1.06/ea.  The flip side of this however is that the cost 
to Alaska and Barbados is triple domestic mail (Barbados: $3.87).  In 
every situation, first class postage has been cheaper than media mail.  
For e-mailing the same, there is no cost save my (our) monthly internet 
service provider's fees.  There was also the initial cost of the Adobe 
software that would enable us to convert the original file into PDF 
format.  There are other less expensive programs which can create PDF 
documents ("PDF Creator" by Borderbund being one) but Adobe is 
considered the standard and is the main reason why we went with it.  
Then you have to either learn the software yourself or find someone 
within your organization who would be willing to take on that 
responsibility.  Since there are PDF files already on the website, I 
will assume that the Organization already has some program capable of 
creating the files and that there is someone skilled in the use of the 
same.  I may be making an errant assumption here and it may well be that 
the webhosting company maintaining the site is doing everything.  
Another consideration of the e-zine versus the hardcopy is that, even 
though it is more affordable now, not everyone has broadband.  and 
e-zine can easily accede 2mb in file size.  For those not using 
broadband, it can provide for a lengthy and painful download.

Hardcopy is and will always be a more expensive route simply because of 
the time and materials required in the creation of the finished 
product.  As such, the bottom line is going to be either to increase 
membership dues or open subscriptions to non-members and increase the 
subscription rate to the non-members.  Other cost-cutting considerations 
or options may be to further limit the publications frequency (if 
bi-monthly, switch to quarterly of semi-annually), run all hardcopy as 
black & white with the exception of one issue annually, or make the 
publication strictly subscription only and separate it from the 
membership dues.

Here are a few of the ways we have resolved this issue:

A)  We give the membership the option of whether they receive the 
newsletter, e-zine, hardcopy or both.  If a member subscribes to the 
e-zine, we try to subtly encourage them to utilize only the e-zine and 
not both.  Since there is no added cost for e-mailing, adding their 
e-mail address to the mailing list is a matter of making the time to do 
so and the member has the benefit of receiving both a digital and a 
hardcopy if that is their ultimate decision.

B)  Where possible, we encourage overseas members, to use the e-zine 
subscription to eliminate the added postage cost.

C)  Non-members desiring a hardcopy, with the exception of certain 
government officials, must pay a subscription.

D)  We sell advertising in our local newsletter to local businesses.  
The National Organization also sells advertising in our bi-monthly 
newsletter.  We provide free classifieds to members in our local 
newsletter where the National Organization charges $1.07/line for a 
classified add in the bi-monthly magazine.

E)  We push for membership.  Although membership is based on genealogy 
and whether you are descended from someone who honorably served in the 
Confederate military, we provide other kinds of memberships at various 
levels of the Organization.  One such category is called an "Associate" 
membership while another is referred to as a "Legionaire's" membership.  
These are memberships provided to individuals who either have a 
Confederate ancestor but cannot document it at the time or they do not 
have a Confederate ancestor but desire membership in the Organization.  
Regardless, our big push is for members.  Members translates to numbers 
and numbers converts to dollars.  People (Organizations) understand 
dollars; politicians understand dollars.  Dollars translates, many 
times, into security.

There are a number of ways to cut cost and save the Organization and 
membership money if one truly wants to do so.  I can tell you that any 
increase in dues at this time will prohibit my joining in the near 
future.  I am not saying that this will effect others in joining or 
maintaining their membership but I cannot be the only one in this situation.

Please reconsider all of the options available before making the 
decision to increase dues.

Kevin
(hopefully, a future CORSA member and new to Virtual Vairs)

Kevin Spargur
Jacksonville, Florida

Mike Ioanes wrote:

> Subject: Re: <VV>Membership dues
>
>> OK..here's my take on newsletters and dues....just in case someone
>> cares ;)
>
> I would have to differentiate between a newsletter and a magazine, 
> which I consider the Communique to be.  The Dayton Corvair Club and 
> probably most other local clubs, put out a newsletter-3 to 4 pages, 
> seldom any pictures,mailed in an envelope or folded to make one.  THIS 
> I wouldn't mind getting in e-mail form.  The Communique, which I 
> consider worth "the price of admission" or my annual dues, is another 
> story.  I think I have every one I've ever got...occasionally catch my 
> wife trying to throw them away and give her h*ll.  I'd gladly pay a 
> little more to get it in hard copy instead of e-mail form.
> Mike Ioanes
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