[SEL] Just how do you feel about your club?

[Germoamer at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/3/2005 8:03:58 AM Eastern Standard Time, 
jopeter at omninet.net.au writes:

<<  I along with some like 
 thinking fellow members raised our objections to this cheap and tawdry 
 excuse for a Club Badge. >>

Peter,

Welcome to the "joys" belonging to a club!!  

Recently our club had similar circumstances.  The board of directors held a 
meeting late last fall looking at the 2004 expenses and any 2005 year changes.  
Two items of interest were discussed at length, one being the present 
$10/year membership dues and the other was the $4 show admission fee.  The board 
decided to keep the $10 membership fee the same and to increase the show admission 
fee to $5.  When the board minutes were presented at the regular club 
meeting, a few raised great concerns about these fees, how it affected the budget, 
and how it might affect the number of club membership and spectators.  After 
much discussion it was decided to present the budget findings, and to have the 
members present at the next regular meeting vote on the dues and entrance fees.  
After presentation/discussions at the next meeting, the majority voted to 
keep the $10 membership fee and to increase the spectator entrance fee to $5 for 
2005, just as the board had voted to do themselves!  

So, one has to ask just what are the club "board of directors" 
duties/responsibilites?  Of course the "board" is not a club dictatorship and all members 
ideas and input are needed and appreciated.  Changes should be discussed when 
not agreed with.  But, if every thing voted and agreed upon by the board is 
challenged and must be presented to all club members, then what is the board for 
and would anything ever get done??

Of course as we all know, when club members are asked if the would serve on 
the board of directors the answer is they have "conflicts" (NO) and the same 
answer(NO) is given when they are asked to perform a specific job function for 
the show!  

Tom Schmutz
Concord, Va. USA
Germoamer at aol.com