14. CFC Life Membership - Evaluation

[Stuart Brammall]

The selling of life memberships should continue.

Why? We do not need the capital. I worked it out a while ago and it seemed to me that in order to break even on the life memberships (as compared to those individuals buying a regular membership) the fund would need to be making 5%... and this does not take into account costs associated with maintaining the fund. I imagine right now it maybe makes 2.5% - 3% ?

I would understand if we were trying to raise money to make an expensive purchase (website, building, that sort of thing) but that is not the case...

The fact that there are life members makes it difficult to make any changes to the antiquated fee structure... It makes the organisation highly inflexible. And, not that it matters to me personally, but the life memberships make it difficult for the provincial bodies to collect fees.

[Valer Eugen Demian]

Why? We do not need the capital. I worked it out a while ago and it seemed to me that in order to break even on the life memberships (as compared to those individuals buying a regular membership) the fund would need to be making 5%... and this does not take into account costs associated with maintaining the fund. I imagine right now it maybe makes 2.5% - 3% ?

I would understand if we were trying to raise money to make an expensive purchase (website, building, that sort of thing) but that is not the case...

The fact that there are life members makes it difficult to make any changes to the antiquated fee structure... It makes the organisation highly inflexible. And, not that it matters to me personally, but the life memberships make it difficult for the provincial bodies to collect fees.

Actually I do agree with Stuart on this one: life membership is detrimental to CFC. Those wishing to help could always pay their membership annualy regardless if they play or not (like I do). THAT would help CFC more than life membership!

[Ken Craft]

You need to factor in the individuals who are Life Members and no longer pay rated events or play infrequently.

[Michael von Keitz]

Another question is whether the life membership is set to adjust with inflation, or has ever been adjusted at all. As far as I am aware, the fee structure in this category has not changed in well over a decade.

I do feel that the provincial portion should be collected at the same time as the national, but, as I said before, if the Foundation simply informs the affected province of the purchase of a life membership, then that would greatly assist in the collection of those dues.

[Lyle Craver]

Caveat: besides being CFC Secretary I am BCCF Secretary / Treasurer

I support Life Memberships and am both a CFC and a BCCF life member. These were purchased separately with separate cheques written for each.

At the time of our membership restructuring 2 years ago, the BCCF stopped selling life memberships.

To the best of my knowledge the CFC has NEVER collected funds for provincial life memberships and this has meant a small but significant shortfall for the provinces. I'm going from memory here but believe it is something like 65 CFC life members and 25 BCCF life members so that's a shortfall of 40. How active these folks are in 2011 I can't say.

I would speculate that the situation is similar in other provinces but don't have stats to back me up.

[Fred McKim]

Another question is whether the life membership is set to adjust with inflation, or has ever been adjusted at all. As far as I am aware, the fee structure in this category has not changed in well over a decade.

The price of a life membership depends on your age bracket and the price of a regular CFC Membership.

So yes, the life membership increases every time we increase the annual dues.

[Christopher Mallon]

I'm sort of on both sides of the fence on the question of should we be selling Life Memberships.

However, absolutely 100 percent the CFC should be collecting the provincial portions on top of what they charge, just as they do with regular memberships. I believe in Ontario that is 15%.

If the OCA or any other province wants to simply let that go into general funds and vanish, rather than saving in something like the foundation, that's up to them, but at the CFC level, this is what must be done.

[Fred McKim]

However, absolutely 100 percent the CFC should be collecting the provincial portions on top of what they charge, just as they do with regular memberships. I believe in Ontario that is 15%.

Chris:

At present, there are no rules in place to accommodate this, and no Provincial Associations have life memberships.

However, I think somebody (either the business office or the foundation) needs to notify the respective provincial associations when they collect a new membership.

[Christopher Mallon]

Fred, we've been over this. The provinces in general do not have an office to call and collect money, they do not have a database to keep track of their members, and TDs do not check each province to make sure that all their players are current on provincial as well as CFC dues!

Why would the rule be any different for Life Memberships? If the province tells the CFC to collect a fee on memberships, the CFC has to do so. This is just another membership type.

[Stuart Brammall]

It is a lot more in Ontario... 169 according to the website. So that is $1176 (not including Bob A.) that the OCA has lost out on.