ANST - Kingdom membership

[Michael Tucker]

Greetings, all, from Michael Silverhands:

Genevieve de Courtanvaux wrote:
> 
> This thread is reminding me strongly of the "pay to play" days. In case you
> have forgotten this Kingdom led the way in saying NO! we won't pay to play.
> Genevieve de Courtanvaux
> 
> [snip]
> >
> >I would love to see Kingdom memberships increase...good luck Marguerite and
> >please continue to keep us posted.
> >
> >Gwyenth
> >

Actually, the way I remember it this Kingdom led the way in saying "You can't
make us pay to play, nor can you make us make others pay to play. If we choose
to be members, that's up to us, not up to you. If we choose to admit non-members
to our events, that's *also* up to us."

Thank goodness we belong to an organization in which you don't have to be a paid
member in order to participate. I certainly hope that the day never comes that
one cannot attend a populace meeting, or a fighter practice, or enter the gate
to an event without a membership card.

However, you may not realize that membership dues go, in part, to cover the
costs of insuring our activities against liability in cases of personal injury
or death. We cannot, in our modern, mundane, litigious world, have an event
without such insurance. If someone attends an event without a paid membership,
they are "riding on the coat-tails" of those who have paid. I'm not entirely
opposed to this. In effect, paid members sponsor non-member attendance at events
by covering the cost of their insurance. This allows non-members to attend our
events and participate fully in our activities before deciding whether they want
to be a member or not.

[I'm happy to do this for newcomers, and willing to do it for those who
temporarily can't come up with the $35 for a membership. I resent doing it for
someone who chooses to ride my coat-tails even though they could pay, and have
obviously decided to stay. I *really* resent doing it for someone who *says*
they can't afford a membership card, but they seem to be able to afford beer and cigarettes.]

I'm not saying that I think everyone should be *required* to pay for membership
in order to participate. But I *do* think that everyone who is able to, *ought*
to. Not because someone makes them do it, but because it is the right thing to do.

If local groups wish to encourage people to come paid members, I think that's a
Good Thing (tm). The more creative and fun, the better! Just so long as nobody
tells me that I *have* to be a member, or that I have to make *you* be a member.
Remember our battle cry: "You can't make me!" :-)

Cheerfully yours,
Michael
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