As sad as that sounds, you're probably right. I've seen organizations go under due to lack of participation, lack of income, being forced out of their location just to name a few reasons. I've never seen an organization with the membership and financial solvency of the AMA have the same kind of problems the AMA is putting upon itself. I said, in another thread, ways in which the AMA could help itself out, financially. In a nutshell, make these changes and the AMA could be around for a long time:
1) Eliminate the EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. An elected president, treasurer(or hired accountant) and area VPs could handle any issue that needed to be taken care of
2) Eliminate the retail, historical and publication departments. I don't see where these areas really need to exist and, with the historical part, someone that works in the office could probably handle that fairly easily
3) Cut down on the legal staff. It obviously isn't doing it's job anyway so eliminate the excess positions
4) Contract out the grounds and building maintenance. It would be cheaper to have a crew come out and take care of the grounds every four weeks or so than to pay to have a crew that really isn't doing anything most of the time anyway
5) Contract out the web site maintenance. The paid staff isn't doing their job and since the web site rarely changes, why pay for a staff that doesn't do anything most of the time.
6) ELIMINATE THE AMA FOUNDATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is just a way for the EC to circumvent the rules to spend money as it wishes rather than have to get approval for things
7) Cut down the number of people in the office staff. When you really look at it, the staff could get by with three or four at most. Cut it back to an office manager, one that handles insurance claims and one that handles new member applications and renewals would be all that is really needed for most of the year. When there is a need for more people, such as during the renewal period at the beginning of the year, add some help from a temp agency rather than hire a bunch of people that are not really needed most of the time.
8) Eliminate the requirement of leader membership to be an officer. Leader members are like NCOs in the military. Instead of having the EC appoint them, make up a list of requirements needed to become leader member as well as a list of requirements needed to be an area VP or president.
Gee, I just solved the AMA's problem of going into the red every year with a two minute period of hitting computer keys. AM I GOOD OR WHAT???
