Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

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  • Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

    This is a poll to see if respondents would like to change the current price of an Ordinary (adult) annual CFC membership fee.

    There is some justification, perhaps, for raising the fee, given that the CFC now produces a monthly email newsletter. In the past, when the CFC had a print magazine, issues were produced every two months, at the most.

    I believe the current price of a CFC membership is $36, plus the applicable provincial association fee. In Ontario, for example, the total cost to be an Ordinary CFC member is $43.
    38
    Increase fee by more than $3
    23.68%
    9
    Increase fee by $3
    2.63%
    1
    Increase fee by $2
    2.63%
    1
    Increase fee by $1
    2.63%
    1
    Would not change fee
    18.42%
    7
    Decrease fee by $1
    0.00%
    0
    Decrease fee by $2
    0.00%
    0
    Decrease fee by $3
    0.00%
    0
    Decrease fee by more than $3
    50.00%
    19
    Last edited by Kevin Pacey; Tuesday, 23rd February, 2010, 11:29 AM.
    Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
    Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer

  • #2
    Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

    Originally posted by Kevin Pacey View Post
    There is some justification, perhaps, for raising the fee, given that the CFC now produces a monthly email newsletter. In the past, when the CFC had a print magazine, issues were produced every two months, at the most.
    This is NO justification. The magazine was the justification for raising the fees in the early 70's. I was at the meeting and recall the discussion. The email newsletter simply reinstates something which was discontinued.

    A better poll would be if people think it's time for the CFC to dismantle the foundation and start to spend the members money on chess instead of investing it.
    Gary Ruben
    CC - IA and SIM

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

      Originally posted by Gary Ruben View Post
      This is NO justification. The magazine was the justification for raising the fees in the early 70's. I was at the meeting and recall the discussion. The email newsletter simply reinstates something which was discontinued.
      Hi Gary

      So, you think that having a magazine issued more often (once a month) adds nothing to the value of that service? In the early 70s, I don't recall the magazine came once a month. When I joined in the mid 70s it came bi-monthly, as it did for several decades.
      Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
      Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

        Originally posted by Gary Ruben View Post
        The email newsletter simply reinstates something which was discontinued.
        If you mean by discontinued the magazine service in the new millenium (as opposed to the discontinuing of the thinking that the publication of magazine justified a fee increase, back in the 70s), then I would argue that at that time members were not getting anything near value for their membership, and many did quit around that time.

        The webzine was an earlier attempt at 'reinstating' the magazine, but it was a failure in terms of both content and delivery.

        The monthly newsletter is a much better reinstatement of magazine service, and it is monthly, not bi-monthly.
        Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
        Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

          Originally posted by Kevin Pacey View Post
          If you mean by discontinued the magazine service in the new millenium (as opposed to the discontinuing of the thinking that the publication of magazine justified a fee increase, back in the 70s), then I would argue that at that time members were not getting anything near value for their membership, and many did quit around that time.

          The webzine was an earlier attempt at 'reinstating' the magazine, but it was a failure in terms of both content and delivery.

          The monthly newsletter is a much better reinstatement of magazine service, and it is monthly, not bi-monthly.
          Kevin,

          I don't think the reinstatement of a newsletter warrants an increase in membership fees. Normally raising fees would be to help cover costs and make the organization break even. However, this organizations appears to be "comfortable". The last update I saw on the CFC forum has the investments at $240,000.00. Frankly, it boggles my mind that an organization with a foundation that large has to beg the members for money to send an Olympic team. The money should be used to the benefit of the players and not saved for some future generations.

          Chess in Canada sucks.

          I hope nobody donates to the Olympic fund so the CFC has to decide if they will send at team or sit on their money. We have to know the priorities.
          Gary Ruben
          CC - IA and SIM

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

            I'm a Life Member. I think more people should support their national sporting Federation in this manner.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

              Gary, I don't look at the assets in the Foundation as the "CFC's money". I consider it to be the members' money, contributed over many years by ordinary members. I think I can speak for them when I say that they made those contributions for the very long term benefit of chess in Canada, not to be depleted because the CFC cannot balance it's books.
              Having said that, the Foundation came to the rescue of the CFC last year with a very large emergency loan, now repaid in full. Was it not fortuitous that there was a Foundation to provide a lifeline when needed?
              Paul Leblanc
              Treasurer Chess Foundation of Canada

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

                As I wrote in a much older thread, my view is that the Chess Foundation was a noble, but extravagant, idea. If funds donated or contributed to it to it had been donated or contributed to the CFC directly, there would have been no cash flow crisis, at least not for many more years. That cash flow crisis at least in part cost the CFC it's print magazine, and business office (& equipment business), which had to be sold in exchange for badly needed funds.
                Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
                Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

                  as much as an improvement as the email mag is over the webzine or over having no magazine at all:

                  - something like 30% of the population does not have internet access. (and yes, there are members of the Victoria Chess Club who do not have internet access)

                  - last I heard, the CFC was emailing the magazine to something like 900+ people out of a membership of ~1800. Nearly half the membership is not getting it.

                  - the current membership structure offers no good options for people who play intermittently (either by inclination or because of no local cfc tournaments) and /or who do not value the magazine.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

                    Originally posted by Ken Craft View Post
                    I'm a Life Member. I think more people should support their national sporting Federation in this manner.
                    Ken, I'm trying for last two month to became Life Member and every time I click "add to cart" I receive response: "Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80004005'

                    [Microsoft][ODBC Microsoft Access Driver] Cannot update. Database or object is read-only.

                    /add.asp, line 27"
                    A computer beat me in chess, but it was no match when it came to kickboxing

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

                      LOL- Maybe you should email the Treasurer.;)

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

                        i think it should be no yearly membership fee and just a pay per use considering there is no magazine...up the tournament fee to $5 or $10 or whatever. if the only service we are paying for is ratings, a pay per use is reasonable.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

                          Originally posted by Craig Sadler View Post
                          i think it should be no yearly membership fee and just a pay per use considering there is no magazine...up the tournament fee to $5 or $10 or whatever. if the only service we are paying for is ratings, a pay per use is reasonable.
                          Craig, why something so easy can be so hard?
                          A computer beat me in chess, but it was no match when it came to kickboxing

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

                            Originally posted by Paul Leblanc View Post
                            Gary, I don't look at the assets in the Foundation as the "CFC's money". I consider it to be the members' money, contributed over many years by ordinary members. I think I can speak for them when I say that they made those contributions for the very long term benefit of chess in Canada, not to be depleted because the CFC cannot balance it's books.
                            Having said that, the Foundation came to the rescue of the CFC last year with a very large emergency loan, now repaid in full. Was it not fortuitous that there was a Foundation to provide a lifeline when needed?
                            As long as the Foundation has a hammer lock on the money, it's the foundations money.

                            As I recall, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, the CFC has donated money from suplus years to the foundation.

                            We are only a few months from the Olympics. How are the players being prepared? With a list of players on the CFC forum. There has been no statement a national team, much less a ladies team, will even be sent.

                            Players have to prepare themselves for such a challenging event. They have to prepare a repetoire, prepare themselves mentally and reach competition level by getting in some training.

                            So what have we got. We don't know who will be on the teams. We don't know if there will be a teams. We don't know the level of support. How in the world do you expect our finest players to perform under such circumstances?

                            Chess in Canada simply sucks!

                            It never entered my mind in the 70's the money would end up in the foundation and the CFC and players would end up in such a situation. It's well past time for a reality check.
                            Gary Ruben
                            CC - IA and SIM

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Would you change the CFC Ordinary Members' fee?

                              Originally posted by Roger Patterson View Post
                              as much as an improvement as the email mag is over the webzine or over having no magazine at all:

                              - something like 30% of the population does not have internet access. (and yes, there are members of the Victoria Chess Club who do not have internet access)

                              - last I heard, the CFC was emailing the magazine to something like 900+ people out of a membership of ~1800. Nearly half the membership is not getting it.

                              - the current membership structure offers no good options for people who play intermittently (either by inclination or because of no local cfc tournaments) and /or who do not value the magazine.
                              Hi Roger

                              -I'd heard the population had over 90% internet access, but I'll take your word for it. I know a couple of players here who use library computers for access, so I wonder if that kind of non-home computer access, including workplace access possibly, is being taken into account.

                              -As time goes by, more and more CFC members should get access/(the CFC newsletter). There may be a little short term injustice, if nearly half still don't get the newsletter.

                              -As I've stated in other threads, the CFC ought to strive to provide more services to the average Joe. If they play intermittently or they don't value the newsletter, they might not be so numerous (why should they join?). However if such already do have memberships, a CFC chess server, or a CFC deal with an established server like ICC, may be possible, which would cater to those denied good options as you claim they are.
                              Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.
                              Murphy's law, by Edward A. Murphy Jr., USAF, Aerospace Engineer

                              Comment

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