Club Dues

[dixieoutlaw]

As the time approaches for the payment of 2013 club dues, I think we need to have a discussion of club dues. In the past, it has been stated that approximately 90% of the club dues went for the printing and mailing of the club newsletter. In January 2012, we voted to go with a electronic newsletter - publishing one final hardcopy in January 2012. My question is "What are our plans for using the accumulated club dues and future dues, now that we don't have the expense of printing and mailing the newsletter?"
I think we have several options. I am sure others will have valid thoughts on this subject.
1. We could make a significant contribution to one or more worthy charities - Wounded Warrior comes to mind.
2. We could reduce future annual dues - we would still have to decide what to do with the monies from the 2012 dues and future dues.
3. We could place a moritorium on next years dues - say for those who were members in good standing as of January 2012 and paid their 2012 dues.
For several years we also had the expense of printing the ABEES booklet, and we did not do that in 2012. Don't know what the plans for this are in 2013.

As I understand it, we are a non-profit organization, and as such we are only allowed to accumulated so much in a treasury - may be wrong on this.

To shift gears, after the next and last Chicken Rally, we will have to decide what we are going to do with the seed money that use we buy the supplies for the rally.

Gary

[Bikebum]

Gary, this has been the topic of discussion at several of the board meetings this year. I think you will see one solution very soon.

[Barbara Little]

In reference to your last sentence, it has not been decided that the 2013 rally will be the last one. That will be voted on in the January planning meeting and if the majority of members there vote to continue the rally, it will go on. I hope that everyone is giving some thought to this very important issue and that those wishing to continue the rally will also plan to be at the rally and sign up to work for a significant period of time.

[bikertaz]

I for one want the rally to continue. The Chicken Rally is how I met the wonderful people in club and why I finally joined the club. I've worked the rally and enjoyed the work. As part of the Cajun Contingent we've worked breakfast at the last three rallies and I've also helped in registration. Lots of attendees that I've spoken to have told me how much they enjoy the rally.

[Vance]

After hearing a few references to this ending the rally and thinking about it since I first heard it after this year's rally...I have to say that I am disappointed that we would even consider ending the GREAT Chicken Rally. The heritage that this club has built over the last 40 years and it's reputation for the Chicken Rally would be valuable and admired among any enthusiast club and is especially among the BMW clubs nationwide. In my opinion, it makes no sense to abandon it! It is true that it seems that the same group of people come together to pull off the Chicken Rally and no doubt they are getting tired and running out of steam to continue. That tells me that we are not doing enough to recruit and encourage new members to begin to take on these tasks. I admit it, that recruiting is work and it takes a lot of it. But wouldn't it make sense to take a hard look at the Chicken Rally model as it exists today and make some changes to decrease this burden? Maybe it IS too much work. Maybe it is too cheap. Maybe we need to cap the attendance in order to better plan the finances. There are many things that can be done. And the even deeper question is are we just going to end the Chicken Rally? What about the club as a whole? I am not at all in favor of dividing up the money or giving it away and calling it quits. To me that would be a real tragedy. That bank exists due to the extreme care and concern for the finances of this club by its care takers for many, many years. Rather than folding the tents shouldn't we consider doing something for the greater good of the sport and have some fun doing it? Wouldn't that serve to shine a positive light on motorcycles in general as well as our club? I am very concerned that we have fallen into a pattern of just doing the same old thing. I understand that is easy to do. The same old thing however will in my opinion lead to our demise...in short order. My sincere hope is that we will choose not head any further in this direction.

[dixieoutlaw]

I apologize if I have mislead folks on the Chicken Rally. I thought where I read where 2013 would be the last Chciken Rally, maybe I misunderstood. Obviously, there needs to be a thread about the future of the Chicken Rally.
This thread was intended to discuss club dues not the pros and cons of continuing the Chicken Rally.
Jamie, thanks for your answer, but I would like to think the subject of dues would be decided by a vote of the members and not a vote at a board meeting.
Gary

[Bikebum]

Gary, now I am at the disadvantage; I do not believe I said that the board would set the dues, but may decide what to do with any dues collected that may be in excess of expenses. Certainly if the annual dues are to be re-assessed, then a vote by the membership will be in order to make that change.