<VV> MandAtory membership ?

[Tony Underwood]

At 11:11 PM 9/8/2009, corvairs at pacifier.com wrote:
>     As the fellow once said..."and so it goes".
>
>
>     We can blame past Board members but we can't blame them too much, as
>many of us have been there and understand why things are the way they
>are. The issue of charging proper dues falls under the same spell.


This seems to be a bit of a trend... blame those from before.



>     Can we agree on one thing? That is that Corsa is under no moral
>obligation whatsoever to provide insurance coverage to non 100%
>chapters.


Nope.   It's always been a perk.


>So then, let's drop the coverage.

...or:


>     After this period the insurance could be offered again, but "free" to
>100% chapters (as it is now) and greatly increased to non-conforming
>chapters.


That's starting to sound reasonable.   If you wanna play, you gotta pay.


>     No one wants to pick on members and our chapters. But somewhere there
>has to be starting point. The current members (Including friends of
>mine) who are screaming about "I'll be damned if they'll force me and
>my chapter into compliance" need to quiet down and think.


And the BoD needs to step up.   Waiting to "see what happens" as a 
business plan usually accomplishes nothing.
Sure somebody's gonna get their feelings hurt or sensibilities rubbed 
sore, but that's gonna happen anyway no matter what's 
done.   Somebody somewhere ain't gonna like it.


>     Is it reasonable to expect an organization with shrinking revenue to
>continue to subsidize chapters who prefer not to pay their full fare?


Sure... the government's doing it.   Now:  If CORSA had the power to 
enforce its financing via gunpoint...


>To the irate - let's look at BOTH sides of the coin.
>
>     But then, I have been there and done that and for reasons I fully
>understand nothing like I suggest will probably happen - or if it does
>it will be meek and too little.


...which is why I mentioned that "step up" thing...


>     So without mutual cooperation and resolve Corsa will continue to lose
>members and money. But look on the bright side, the whole time we'll
>convince ourselves that we tried to make everyone happy.
>
>     I'd like to write a whole lot more on this but have work to do.


...know whatcha mean.     For me, here's how it is:


I let my CORSA membership lapse a while back, some years ago and for 
several years I was off the roster.   Life got in the way, Vairs 
kinda took a bit of a back seat, my employment was shaky after having 
two different jobs relocate and move out from under me, spent some 
time on unemployment and then working part-time to pay the bills, etc 
ad nauseam.   I had other things to worry about besides bucks for 
CORSA dues.   Not that I couldn't have afforded it, but because I 
just was more concerned about other more important things.

I'm sure others in here may (or maybe not) know what it's like to 
work this angle on a day to day basis.

After a while, beginning with my current employment which started the 
following Monday after the Carlisle convention (during which I 
"re-up'ed) my finances stabilized, sorta, and I've remained on the 
roster since then.   Likewise I always pay my chapter 
dues.   Whenever I attend a show, local or regional or nationals, I 
register and pay up.   I'll also stick some green into the 
hospitality room tip jar.

I recognize the merits in 100% CORSA membership for chapters even if 
some of their own membership does not.   It's their call.   I also 
realize that TANSTAAFL.   The piper won't be denied.   Sure, it's 
nice to get a freebie now and again, but somebody somewhere has to 
pay the tab.


I'd as soon see CORSA get leaner and maybe a bit meaner in order for 
it to remain solvent... and to have it stick around.

We as a group are better for its being there for us than if we were 
all no more than an assortment of individual local clubs.    Now, 
that in no way means that CORSA can sit around like Denny Hastert and 
do nothing, complacent in the mistaken assumption that things are 
gonna be ok if we just wait it out.    They won't...


The board is there for a purpose.    ;)    Let's see if they're gonna 
be Newts and not Dennys.   My votes for these people are hopefully 
going to go to good use.   By the way:   The comments of "if you 
wanna make a difference, run for the board" do not excuse the current 
board members from taking action.    Wasn't that why they were elected?

...and do NOT accuse me of senselessly criticizing.   I know it's not 
an easy job and nobody wants to piss off anybody.   Well, almost 
nobody...  but instead of arguing, why not do as some of the guys 
have done and ASK for suggestions, and those who have all the 
solutions but haven't offered any might consider posting a few.






tony..