Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

This makes for an interesting topic. We certainly are re-defining "Pay it forward." From some of the posts I get the thoughts that basically we should charge a fee to "deal" with new folks. What is wrong with the cost of club membership covering the cost of operating the club? New folks should actually get a discount for joining.

So how is that fee applied to those of us that are actually dealing with the new folks when they come out? It appears that most of the folks that initiated the fee and benefit most from the fee are never around when new folks come out and the rest of us wind up helping them.

In my observation, I don't recall any of that money every making it into the hands of those that help new members. Trainers are donated, time is donated, supplies are donated, what happened to that new member fee? Did it ever even buy fuel for the instructor that took his time out to help the new guy? Sort of takes the friendly helpful relationship aspect out of the equation doesn't it?

I am currently in two clubs, one charges the new member fee the other does not. The one that charges the fee operates more by the modern "business" model and the other more by the "golden rule". Guess which club has the fewest issues?

bradpaul

One of the largest false assumptions being made here is that new club members are beginners and need assistance.

Propworn

My Feedback: (3)

I am not aware of any club compensating the executive or instructors. Every club I am familiar with have a hard enough time maintaining the facilities with maybe in a good year having enough left over for a few improvements. The last riding mower we purchased was near $8000 used in good shape. It takes over $800 a year just in minor maintenance such as oil and filter and blade changes along with fuel. We bought a porta potty (handicap accessible) and it costs about $300 per season to pump it out once a week. A long way from the days of a couple of push mowers attempting to keep the grass cut short enough to fly off of. We have built a secure shed, a shelter, installed fencing, improved the state of the lane in and parking lot, installed petro mat for runways, built elevated starting stands so you don’t have to work on your plane on the ground. The list goes on all for the benefit of every member if you choose to use the facilities. The cost, $35 initiation fee and $75 a year dues. This also includes an indoor venue for the winter months with the use of a quad gym in a brand new high school. Don’t want to pay up your welcome to join a different club we do just fine with around 80 to 100 members.
Dennis

bradpaul

CP you have it right again.........................

"It's a free country"-

Get five AMA Members together and pay $30.00. then go out and do what the established clubs did. Find a field, negotiate a lease, pay AMA another $60.00 for site insurance, clear and level a runway, build any other structures you want, keep it mowed, carry out the trash, grow your membership

and

"It's a free country"

Established clubs have the freedom to establish local rules and what it costs to be a member of the club.

I see over and over again liberals justifying increased regulation and control over us by the justification "It's for the children" ............... well here we have the RC equivalent "It's for the beginner".............. Helping another person should be an individual choice not a regulated or mandated choice................. I guess I will always be a Libertarian.

Who is John Gault?

bruceal

My club charges $75.00 a year for dues, and a $75.00 initiation fee. Over 65 the dues are $50.00 with the same initiation. Under 18 it's $5.00 to join. We are not the cheapest nor the most expensive club in the area. The porta potty takes $1000.00 per year alone. The other big hit is mowers and the upkeep of them. Also being on a landfill, we can't penetrate the ground so tents are another big concern. It's tough to mount them without digging down. A lot of times they end up being disposable. Having 75 members we are able to do what we need to, but the club isn't wealthy. But we have a great place to fly and if we did need a new mower in a pinch, the membership would have no problem with an assessment if it was needed. I think the key is to put the needs of the club first. Flying sites are in short supply around here and we do our best to keep ours in good shape.

Hemikiller

My Feedback: (125)

As the treasurer of our club, I can tell you we are not "swimming in it" by any means. We sock away 10% of our yearly dues income in a CD as an emergency fund in case of flood, damage to the field or the ultimate end, loss of our flying site. It gives us tha ability to handle a situation without holding the membership hostage with an assessment. None of our officers get any sort of compensation or consideration for the work they do, not even a free or reduced membership. We all pay just like everyone else.


We get about 50/50 these days. In years past, it was mostly newbies. The most difficult part of the new guys is getting someone to organize the training program. Lots will train, no one wants to do the organizational side.

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Give the man a cigar! Spot on observation.

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Training program...organize...oversight is fun...for some...Have you volunteered???

I guess our club is different...have some need for help, ask around a little and you'll find it. So far no one has billed the club for any of those "extras".

flycatch

My Feedback: (26)

Clubs provide two things. #1-A place to fly and #2-A place to BS.

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

I think you got it right...but some clubs BSing is #1 LOL

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

Amen and also some do a lot of whining along the way.

If I remember the last treasury report at one of the clubs I am in was around 8000 cash on hand and I think membership is around 70-80. This club is in an area that is not super "high-end" on operational costs and has many well abled folks to help with things. Both clubs have been around for a very long time and are well established.

Not too long ago at one of the meetings of the club that charges a "new member fee" they discussed dropping the membership fee from 100 down to 75. It was voted to keep it at 100 just because.

As far as helping newbies, I think most will extend a helping hand if they can, yet some simply won't for whatever reasons. If there is one thing I have learned that seems to go accross many boundaries is that 20% of the people do 80% of the work and RC clubs fit that mold quite well.

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

..

sounds like a pretty good club...a vote was taken and the club spoke. infinitely better than a board of dictators making the call LOL

bchapman

My club doesn't charge new members any "initiation fee." Our dues are $80/year and we seem to get along just fine. There are five or six people that volunteer to be club instructors, so newcomers can just call them and arrange to have them help them. We also have a few club trainers, so people can get a feel for flying for a few times before they have to make the investment to the hobby.

We had problems with helicopter flyers in the past, stuff like hovering over the runway, interfering with landing aircraft, ect, but they eventually got out of the club and formed their own club and found their own flying site. It was a win-win for everyone I think.

I think it all depends on the club, but in my club everyone pitches in to help when needed and we always work things out democratically. It's a really nice club, with a great group of guys.

Brian

Marty79

Our Club did charge an initiation fee of $50, but at the last club meeting this was voted out.

littlecrankshaf

My Feedback: (58)

Thumbs up for your club! Sounds like a club that really understands what it is all about.

ira d

All the clubs I have belonged to over the last twenty years have had a initiation fee Currently I belong to two clubs one has I think a $50.00 fee and the other
a $200.00 fee but they just lowered it to I think $50.00 . I do think High initiation fees can hurt club growth but anything under a hundred dollars is ok IMO.

BarracudaHockey

My Feedback: (11)

I've seen it used as a tool to "keep out the riff raff" by raising it to 3 or 400 dollars, that irritates me no end. I don't see a problem with a modest fee going towards capital improvements and such.

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

WOW...400 - and I thought 25 to 50 was bad! That must be an elite club of RC jocks. Do they get the pee-ons to carry their planes out to the runway?

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

I agree with the democracy part, just think the ones voting are off the mark a bit - yet, I do respect their decisions like them or not

zx32tt

My Feedback: (9)

Our club initiation fee is only $10.00 but I think that it's used mostly just to get folks to pay their yearly dues on time. We always have a few stragglers late who have to pay the fee a 2nd time.

OzMo

My Feedback: (3)

$100.00 the first year $50.00 after the first year. Lot of guys "passed the hat" for the huge riding mower, industrial grade picnic tables etc.
being friendly and good with new fliers keeps the numbers up just fine. Loose rule on renewals but officially if your late with dues the 100 deal kicks back in. $25.00 for kids all the time.

Hemikiller

My Feedback: (125)

Nope, I simply do not have and cannot devote the time to another position in the club, being the treasurer and food organizer/cook at the picnics and events is enough for me.

JKEpps

My Feedback: (1)

Our club is exactly like this, except we do enforce the "Late fee" if you don't renew by Feb 28th.

StevL

That is exactly what we do. For a while we had members drop out at the end of the year, then they would join in the spring when the weather was getting good and received a prorated membership. Now everyone joins for the full amount ($150. of which $50 is the initiation fee) and the second year you are prorated. You drop out it's $150 again.

This has helped our club financially, and stops all the horse play.

I never understood why people complain over membership fees anyway... most are extremely reasonable. Try joining a golf club, hunt club, etc.

Steve

Luchnia

My Feedback: (21)

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.