Originally Posted by
Luchnia
I don't quite agree with this assessment. I don't know how we can judge what is reasonable based on a golf club or hunt club for that matter. How does one determine what is reasonable? To me it is what is relative to the area and associated costs. Some only need enough for maintenance, field rent, and AMA fees and in some cases that is a minimal cost. I know one club that gets by very cheap.
Rent for one field may be 2000 a year and another 200 a year, so membership fees should be relevant to the associated cost. In my neck of the woods I would consider 150 somewhat unreasonable for a club with 50-100 members and field rent 200 a year but would not consider 50-75 unreasonable at all.
You are right in that there is no "one size fits all" in either Club Dues or Initiation Fees.
At the club I usually fly at the rent for the land is $6,000 a year and is very reasonable for acreage in Central Florida. Add year around mowing costs, gas, repairs and depreciation on the mower and that is another $2,000. Add other expenses such as maintenance on the shade structure, electricity, water, fences, starting benches and it all adds up to just about $9,000 a year. With 75 members we have dues at $150 a year and that leaves about $30 per member to the capital improvements / field fund. The initiation fee is $100 and that goes to the capital improvements / field fund.
A given here in Central Florida is that unless you are way way out in the rural countryside some "do-gooder" neighbor (probably moved to Florida from New Jersey) will think that RC is both noisy and unsafe and it will end up with the club losing it's field. Don't ask me how I know.......................... The set up of a new field, grass runway, electricity, water and structures will run at least $5,000 so we try to keep at least that in the capital improvements / field fund.
Anyway that's all based on experience .................................................. ....
Brad