[Sca-cooks] OT- Input request from SCA BoD
Philippa Alderton
phlip_u at yahoo.com
Mon Feb 4 11:51:01 PST 2002
I know some of us on this List aren't SCA members, but
since most of us seem to be, I'm passing this along.
Please don't drive poor Gunthar crazy by arguing the
options here, just do as the BoD requests and make
sure it gets discussed in your local groups, and send
the BoD your feedback.
Phlip
**********************************************************
>
> Greetings to the Membership of the Society for
Creative Anachronism from
> the Board of Directors:
>
> We come before you for consultation concerning
the issue of a possible
> membership rate increase for the SCA.
>
> The SCA's membership rates have not changed
since 1994. During the
> intervening years, many of the costs associated
with operations of the
> Society have increased. For example, rents,
printing, postage, and paper
> expenses are up, and this trend is likely to
continue. Our insurance costs
> will rise by 17% in 2002. The stipend for
newsletter production was raised
> 14% three years ago with no corresponding
increase in revenue; the postage
> portion of the stipend has been increased
several times in response to
> increases in postage rates. (Note that stipends
are intended to cover the
> costs of producing and mailing a two-ounce,
simple newsletter, produced
> largely with volunteer labor. Kingdoms that
desire a fancier or larger
> publication, or want to have the binding done
professionally, need to
raise
> funds to cover the increased costs of those
improvements.) The Directors
> and officers have done their best to hold down
the expenses they can
> directly control, often by donating the
expenses involved in performing
> their duties, but that is a small percentage of
the budget, and of course
> items like those mentioned above are to a large
degree outside of our
> control. Membership numbers have not kept pace
with these increases in
> costs, especially sustaining memberships, as
can be seen from the fact
> that, while membership numbers are up,
membership revenue is down.
> Membership fees are the Corporation's primary
source of revenue. The
number
> of paid members of the Society has remained
fairly constant over the past
> several years. It is easy to see that when
revenue remains constant and
> expenses increase, the financial picture is not
good. Following is a
> summary of revenue and expenses for the past
five years (all figures below
> rounded to nearest dollar; % change compares
1997 to 2001):
>
> REVENUE 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 % chg
> Number of Members 23,814 23,832 23,802 24,400
24,988 + 5%
> (includes all membership categories; annual
average)
> Membership Revenue $790,246 $621,768 $744,279
$761,633 $750,701 - 5%
> Other revenue $145,932 $104,462 $94,277 $98,606
$87,741 - 40%
> (includes Stock Clerk income, interest and
dividends, TI advertising
> revenue)
> TOTAL REVENUE $936,178 $726,230 $838,556
$860,240 $838,442 - 10%
> EXPENSES 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 % chg
> Kingdom Newsletters $187,409 $189,421 $213,750
$209,789 $198,985 + 6%
> Staff Salaries $172,693 $194,087 $219,253
$201,695 $221,680 + 28%
> (includes cost of benefits and payroll taxes)
> Corp Office Expenses $143,437 $115,817 $141,355
$134,165 $155,835 + 9%
> Meetings/conferences $36,996 $44,566 $46,625
$37,176 $42,822 + 10%
> Board member expenses $4,230 $1,644 $2,625 $841
$355 - 92%
> Officer expenses $18,610 $9,717 $12,195 $10,671
$13,747 - 26%
> Other Expenses $267,794 $265,971 $255,808
$257,638 $206,230 - 23%
> (includes stock clerk costs, insurance,
professional services, other
> publications, and capital expenditures)
> TOTAL EXPENSES $831,168 $812,222 $891,611
$851,976 $839,654 + 1%
> NET INCOME(LOSS) $105,010 ($85,992) ($53,055)
$8,264 ($1,212)
> 2001's final revenue figures are skewed because
of a very generous,
> one-time, unbudgeted donation of $40,000, which
was earmarked by the donor
> for a specific purpose (so it is not general
revenue). The 2002 budget
> projects a loss of approximately $66,000.
Despite the budget shortfalls
> over three of the past five years, this is not
an emergency situation. At
> present there is enough money to cover our
subscription liability and the
> Society's immediate expenses. But, looking into
the future, clearly that
> situation will not continue forever. The Board
is strongly of the opinion
> that an adjustment is needed to cover increases
in operating expenses that
> will inevitably occur in the coming years. It
is our feeling that a single
> increase designed to last several years is
preferable to smaller, more
> frequent increases, though we are open to
argument on that point.
> As Directors, we have a fiduciary
responsibility to ensure that the
> corporation has resources adequate to continue
its operations. To that
end,
> the Board of several years ago instituted the
Non-Member Surcharge (NMS),
> which allowed the accumulation of an operating
reserve. Once that reserve
> was established, the Board repealed the NMS.
That operating reserve, which
> was fueled by the NMS, has been funding budget
shortfalls at the Corporate
> level for some years now. It would not be
financially prudent to spend all
> of the operating reserve with no plan to
replace those funds.
> We ask that members consider the following
suggestions on how to increase
> revenues so that expenses can be met into the
future. We realize that
these
> suggestions are by no means the only options
available. Please send us
your
> comments on these options and your alternative
suggestions. The Board is
> seeking a consensus from the membership on how
to proceed. At present no
> decisions have been made except that something
must be done. We request
> and highly encourage your suggestions and
assistance. Note that
> International memberships are not specifically
addressed here. Those rates
> may need to increase proportionately to any
other rate increases that
occur.
>
> OPTION 1 - Tournaments Illuminated optional
> Basic Membership: $35/year 3rd class; $42/year
1st class (Drachenwald and
> Ealdormere available 1st class only). Includes
member's own Kingdom
> newsletter.
> Dependent membership: $15/year (with a family
cap of $70/year) available
> only to immediate family members of a Basic
member
> Tournaments Illuminated: $10/year.
> Additional publications, including any
additional Kingdom newsletters and
> Compleat Anachronist (per publication):
$10/year 3rd class; $17/year 1st
> class
> Board Proceedings: $17/year (available 1st
class only; includes Board
> meeting minutes and Society Seneschal's report)
>
> OPTION 2 - all publications optional
> Basic membership: $25/year
> Dependent membership: $15/year (family cap of
$60/year) available only to
> immediate family members of a Basic member
> Publications, including all kingdom newsletters
and Compleat Anachronist
> (per publication): $10/year 3rd class; $17/year
1st class (Drachenwald and
> Ealdormere available 1st class only).
> Tournaments Illuminated: $10/year
> Board Proceedings: $17/year (available 1st
class only; includes Board
> meeting minutes and Society Seneschal's report)
> Alternate option for Board proceedings in both
Options 1 and 2: Board
> meeting minutes posted to the SCA web site. In
this case the option to
> subscribe to the Proceedings would be dropped.
The Society Seneschal's
> report would be dropped.
> Under either of the above options the
membership categories would be
> reduced to two: Basic and Dependent (aka
Family).
>
> OPTION 3 - A general increase in the price of
membership.
> Membership categories and included publications
would remain the same as
> they are today. The price of each type of
membership would increase by $5
> to $10.
>
> OPTION 4 A significant increase in the number
of paid Society members.
> We are NOT suggesting "pay to play". We would
be very interested in
> suggestions for ways to encourage more of our
participants to become paid
> members of the Society. Obviously, with more
paid members to share the
> costs, each member's share of those costs is
reduced.
>
> OTHER OPTIONS
> Other options that have been discussed include
reinstating the Non-Member
> Surcharge, or designating a percentage of the
gate from each event to go
to
> the Corporation. Undoubtedly there are many,
many other possibilities that
> have not yet been brought to the table.
> Again, the Board asks for your comments and
suggestions. "Unbundling" the
> publications from membership and/or increasing
the cost of memberships are
> undoubtedly not the only options. There may
well be other answers. Nothing
> will be done until after input from the members
and Kingdoms is received
> and carefully considered. The membership will
be kept informed on the
> status of this endeavor.
>
> Please send your comments no later than June
15, 2002 to:
> Society for Creative Anachronism, Inc.
> PO Box 360789
> Milpitas CA 95036-0789
> Or electronically to: comments at sca.org
> Sincerely yours,
> The SCA, Inc. Board of Directors
>
> ----------------------------------
=====
Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....
__________________________________________________
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