Motion 2011-B - Single Annual CFC Membership & Fee
Moved: Aris Marghetis; Seconded : Chris Mallon
- that CFC replace the memberships for Adult, Family, and Junior, with a single new annual CFC membership, and the rate for the federal portion would be $30.
Note that Aris has subsequently declared that he no longer supports this motion.
This motion, brought at the Governors' Fall Meeting, was adjourned to the Winter Meeting ( January, 2011 ). The governors' have started to debate it on the Governors' Discussion Board. Next it will be debated and voted on at the Winter Meeting, unless the governors decide for some reason to adjourn it again. CFC President Bob Gillanders has indicated he wants it adjourned to the 2011 July Toronto AGM. The reason for this is that the motion is far-reaching, and affects CFC finances, and all ramifications should be thoroughly worked out before the motion is voted on.
One way to evaluate the worth of this motion is to focus on the validity of the current discounted CFC Junior Annual Membership ( it is cheaper than the comparable adult membership ). If the discount is justified, then perhaps the motion should be defeated, because the categories make sense. However, if for CFC, a discounted junior membership seems not justified, then the motion has merit. Different people are doing calculations on the appropriate amount of a new fee, so that CFC will not lose revenue should CFC move to a single membership, but at this point I would like to focus debate on the concept of one membership, not the fee calculations.
Here are some of the pro and con arguments re junior membership that have been raised so far:
For the Junior Discount:
1. Juniors get discounts on all kinds of things, and many other types of memberships, and CFC will look bad if it doesn't fall in line and give juniors a discounted annual membership.
2. Juniors are the future of chess - as such CFC should do all it can to encourage juniors to play, and one way of encouraging them is a lower membership fee.
3. Families with juniors often have tighter budgets, given the number of family members. So a discount increases the chance that scarce family revenue will be spent on a CFC Junior Membership.
4. Even in chess, Juniors are given discounts - for example there is often a junior registration fee for weekend tournaments; there are often junior memberships for chess clubs. CFC will be out of step with other aspects of chess if they discontinue the junior membership discount.
Against the Junior Membership Discount:
1. CFC membership cannot be compared to other situations where juniors get discounts. There may be good reaons in other situations, but not re an annual CFC membership. It is a different situation, and thus can be eliminated.
2. From a membership processing point of view, a junior takes up the same CFC resources as a regular adult - he has a place on the list like an adult, a membership number like an adult, etc.
3. From a tournament rating point of view, a junior in an adult tournament takes up the same CFC resources in maintaining their rating - it is processed the same way as any adult's rating calculation.
4. Juniors get the Canadian Chess News, the same as adults.
5. Administering one category of membership simplifies membership administration and will save some staff time and money.
What input do you have for the governors on this issue of one membership/one fee?
Do you have other arguments on either side?
What view do you support- Existing multiple category & fee or one membership/one fee?
Bob