Re: RC: RE: Trade Show Donation?

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 12/18/99 11:07:20 AM Pacific Standard Time, jlong@mti.net 
writes:

<< Yes, I agree, and lest I leave the wrong impression I do very much
 appreciate all of their hard work.  I think what happened here was
 that a decision was made "off the cuff," without much consideration
 ... it popped up at a Board meeting, sounded good, and was voted in
 before people had a chance to see the ramifications.  An all-too-easy
 thing to happen, especially with crowded agendas and limited meeting
 time.  Been there, done that.
 
 The thing to do now, of course, is to fix it. >>

Joe, you have summed up my feeling about the trade show fee.  (And let's be 
honest--as long as it's mandatory, it's a fee, not a donation.)  It isn't the 
$5.00, and it isn't any objection to augmenting the trail fund.  The 
objection is to having an employee setting policies and having those whisked 
right through at a Board meeting just because they "sound good."  Like Joe, I 
also spent many years on the Board, and I know that it is hard and often 
thankless work.  I also know that mistakes are easily made when there is no 
opportunity to think a suggestion over or to get input from one's 
constituents.  We've come a long way in terms of having any rule changes 
printed in advance, and that is progress.  But I also think that ANY issue 
involving our organization implementing new fees or changing existing fees 
upward also deserves time for thought and input.  There ARE fundraising 
efforts that have gone on (such as many of the things that Randy has done 
bringing in sponsors, etc.) that don't involve the organization actively 
charging fees, and those are a different matter--certainly that sort of thing 
does not require much pondering by the Board.

Secondly, Teddy DOES make a valid point (even if some are offended by her 
strong style and her exclamation points) that the vendors come to sell 
products.  When they signed their contracts, it was with the assumption that 
people who attended the convention but did not register for the lectures 
would have free access to the trade shows to peruse the vendors' wares.  
There are a large number of people who DO come to conventions only to attend 
the awards banquet and/or shop the trade show.  To impose a fee at the last 
minute is, in effect, changing the rules under which the vendors signed their 
contracts.  While I seriously doubt that any would back out because of the 
fee, it is, nonetheless, less than truthful to change the rules midstream for 
those vendors.  

The proper procedure for implementing such a fee would be to discuss it, 
evaluate its merits, and then (if it is passed) to have it go into effect for 
the FOLLOWING year when the vendors are aware that that is how the game will 
be played.  To implement such a fee this year is on par with changing the 
rules affecting competition in the middle of a season.

Heidi


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