Re: What is a Member?
Re: What is a Member?
- Subject: Re: What is a Member?
- From: Barbara Passman <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 23:22:13 -0500
Gee, seems like many of us have similar concerns or questions.
The Rest of Us, or TRoU is just starting to mull over what to do with
the various layers of folks who are part of TRoU.
Frankly , some of this is financially driven. We do not currently pay
for meeting space since we now meet at our Apple Store and cut our
expenses by not publishing paper newsletter but we still feel the
monetary pinch as our financial base is low. We would love to see our
coffer expand so we can do more for the group,such as bring in well
known speakers on a more regular basis.
From a high of 350 paid members about ten years ago, at rates higher
than we now charge, we have seen our membership change.
We have approximately 90 paid members whom I have started referring
to as "supporting members" and these folks renew yearly whether or
not they can attend meetings or not. They relish the club, know they
can call or email with questions, take adavantage of discounts,etc.
Paid members are the only ones to whom we give out discount codes.
Members email and get the information: the basic offer is broadcast
on our web site or listserv but the pricing codes are only given out
to supporting members. ( what they do with the codes is beyond our
control)
A few years ago we moved from a BBS to a list which is hosted via
Yahoo.The list has numerous subscribers, maybe over one hundred who
are not dues paying members. ( and many of our supporting members are
not subscribed to the list). Many list members are former paying
members including folks moved away from Chicago but kept a tie with
TRoU via the list.
The board of directors is contemplating asking the listserv using
folks for a voluntary contribution or a set contribution,perhaps at a
lesser rate than our current membership rate. .Tied to this we have
upgraded our web site and hope to have a password protected member's
only area there .Special offers, our electronic newsletter edition(we
no longer publish a paper version) and additional support features
will be available there and the hope is that this feature will
trigger more memberships.
Added to this mix are the folks who attend meetings and are not
members.Our doors are open to all and especially now that we meet at
the highly open Apple Store, we will see more "guests"who are
shopping in the store and sit in on the meeting..
How to establish levels of membership and what to charge, especially
the list serv subscribers is something which our about to be
elected 2003-04 board of directors plans on addressing.
Barbara Passman
Soon to be Immediate Past President
The Rest of Us, Chicago's Macintosh User Group
.
At 11:58 PM -1000 9/26/03, Rick Ortiz wrote:
Over the years I have seen the definition of a UG member change. How does a
UG decide someone is a member of their group? Some say a members pays dues.
Others say its anyone who just shows up to a meeting. Others may say it's
anyone on the email list for the UG. Right now our group has "Pro Members"
who get UG discounts, door prizes and other cool benefits. Then there are
non-paying members who just attend meeting but receive no other benefits. I
am just curious to find out how other groups are defining a "UG Member" now
days.
Aloha,
Rick Ortiz
President, Maui Apple User Society
Home of the Mac(adamia) Nut and (pine)Apple
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