<VV> too bits on society dues increase.

[cfm]

So according to Tim Mahler's post:
"...2004 saw a 500 profit
2005 the loss was just under $3,000
2006 the loss was over $16,000
2007 operating loss was around $10,000.
2008 deficit will be over $20,000..."

Looks like a pretty serious trend to me. But let me back up a second.
I'm 35 years old, run my own company, have three kids and love my Corvair's dearly. If I ran my company like the above quoted, I would not be in business for myself, that is for sure. I have all the respect in the world for the achievements that all the society members have contributed over the years. I think the balance of power between local and national is pretty damn good too. I think that CORSA management is run very well.
But let me be frank; raising dues NOW? to cover deficits that started back in 2005???!!! If anything is defunct is the BoD. I look at those numbers and I see a society that is its death march.
Specifically, YOUNG members are the future of the club. And these new people are ones that cannot afford OTHER CLUBS or other OLD CARS in the first place. So some of you are saying, "well, lets be like other clubs."
I have to pay more?? NO WAY. Screw that. I'm barely getting by now, gas food, insurance, mortgage, school, etc etc. All I need then is a Clark's catalog and I'll go it alone. And when my Corvair blows up I'll just goto craigslist or ebay. Who in the hell needs CORSA anyway.
Reason? Well we sit around and praise the Communique like its a temple or something. Its award winning! Big deal how old is that? Then you turn around and see the bill to make it happen. And then you, "ah, well, yeah I guess I'll have to pay more to have that."
Others say, "All I get from national is the Communique and I don't think its worth $50 a year." As a point of contrast, I see most chapters, working on a shoe string budget and printing their newsletter on 8 1/2 x 11 in black and white and tossing it into the mailbox. And more often than not the "filler" in the newsletter are clips of past tech topics from the Communique.
Require local members to be apart of CORSA? Forcing people, oh that's great.
And then this argument about the less Communiques printed cost more, or the more circulation the less the bulk rate on postage. No matter how you slice it, it still sucks.
Why in hell can't the Communique be quarterly, and be just be longer with several articles every quarter. Why do I have to look at the same events calender be reprinted every month in the Communique. The ads in the back are fewer and fewer every month. Back in 1988, the ads used to cover almost three to four pages! Seriously, I know the Communique is a pride thing, but far crying out loud, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever that the rag could not be quarterly and just be more of it when it arrives every four months. Think of it as four Communiques in one.
Merchandise. This portion alone should be the backbone of revenue, NOT membership dues. For crying out loud, pay somebody to update the logo, get something trendy and cool. It needs to be updated BAD. If I bought any apparel from CORSA I'd be embarrassed to where it. This stuff belongs on a golf course in Sun City. UPDATE THE LOOK MEN. If you really care about the car, and I mean car enough past your death, then PLEASE, loosen up a little bit and allow the younger members a chance to revitalize the club. This stoic conservative crap is going to strangle the society and the noose is only going to get tighter on your necks.
BoD members, you guys better hold the line, grow some balls, and cut the budget, invest in new graphics and logos, get some apparel that we can wear and sell, and double, no, triple the price of the NEW TECH GUIDE, and CUT the communique to a quarterly or semi monthly gig, and make focus on the paperless internet age to communicate and encourage the hobby. The CORSA website is so awesome and new features are endless in reaching out to existing and new members.
Raise dues on me, NOW? I'm out.
And it will mean even less for the rest of you later.
Wake up people. I want CORSA to succeed and APPEAL to a new generation, but acting like this will just cause its untimely death.
-Respectfully,
Chris "aka cfm" Mann
69 monza coupe 140/4
69 monza convertible 110/pg