Ridecamp: Re: [RC] [RC] non-member fees (was Director at Large)

On Wed, 02 Oct 2002 14:03:58 -0400, Deanna German
<finishis2win@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>Joe Long wrote:
>>That's just it, there are many good, POSITIVE reasons to join AERC, we
>>don't need to coerce people to join.  If we do, what does that say
>>about our organization?

>To me it says the organization understands human nature. :-)

Yeah ... greed.

>I'm looking at this from a business/marketing POV. It's not coercion to
>encourage people to have a financial stake in the organization that governs
>a particular activity. Either pay an annual membership fee or pay a
>temporary membership fee. (A non-member fee.)

As I keep pointing out, the non-members do pay, the same per-rider
sanction fee as all riders.

>I think it's pretty standard for a group to ask non-members participating in
>member activities to ante up more money. It's that way in every group,
>professional or recreational, that I belong to. It's no big deal.

It is not standard, although it is common in some fields.

>And then there's the logical, analytical argument: if I'm planning on
>attending even just two AERC rides next year, I might as well join, 'cause
>then I'm paying the same amount as I would if I paid non-member fees and
>subscribed to Endurance News. And I get to comment on the workings of AERC.
>:-) If I didn't care about AERC or the contents of Endurance News, I'd
>probably want to do 4 or 5 rides per year before joining.

So hey, let's make the non-member fee $500 and then we'll get even
more new members!

>The non-member fees are not out of line in terms of amount, are not out of
>line by their very existance. Non-member fees encourage membership. And they
>allow people who aren't yet convinced to join to enjoy a sanctioned ride a
>few times per year. Membership would decline if non-member fees went away.
>How much? Hard to tell. I'm one of those marginal members. I'd think long
>and hard about my membership since there are usually only 2 AERC rides in
>Ohio in any given year and I'm not in it for points or standings. $65/year
>vs. $0? Hmmmm... that's gas money. Do I care that much about AERC or do I
>want to be able to drive to an out-of-state ride?

>>When you cut through all the rhetoric, there is really only one reason
>>for the non-member fee:  to keep dues lower by putting some of the
>>burden of paying for member benefits onto non-members.

>And how is this unfair? Don't the non-members benefit simply by the
>existance of AERC? Should AERC members have to shoulder the costs of
>non-members who get to take part in rides?

Let me turn that around:  how in h*** is it fair to make non-members
pay for the members' benefits?  This is the "greed" I referred to
above, it is the members passing a non-member fee to get something for
nothing.  The members aren't shouldering any non-member costs, all
riders pay a per-rider sanction fee -- non-members are shouldering
part of the members' costs, and you're d***n right that's unfair.

>Non-members aren't excluded and members whose annaul dues pay for an
>organization aren't taken advantage of. Win-win. No reason to change.

Well, it's a cushy deal for the members, and they make the rules,
alas.



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