Y2K5SRT
Enthusiast
luc - Many thanks for the comments. I do indeed realize the heavy hand that can fall and also agree that it should not be so in all but the most dire of circumstances. Does anybody find it insanely ironic that one of the most criticized members here (MarkO) just won a FREE 42" plasma TV on another Viper website? Wow indeed.
Okay, you called me to the mat on this and I will confess: When I pay my dues I do so based 99% on the region and 1% to see what VIPER Magazine might feature that quarter. I don't pay it to support National. So where does that leave guys like Firecat who started this thread? Answer: Hopefully they are in an active region that offers tangible benefits to even those that can't attend every event. Paul Bilberry made some very valid points not too long ago, among them was this: Many Viper owners are in more remote areas where it is impractical to attend many, if any, regional VCA events. Is it worth $100 for a glossy marketing magazine that shows up four times a year and a chance to spend $100 more on a raffle ticket with which you are very unlikely to win? Hardly.
So the real key is for the VCA to offer some tangible benefits to even the most remote members. Certainly vendor discounts to VCA members can be a major factor to those that aren't broke like me. Of course, it is not the VCA offering this benefit, but the vendors themselves. The raffles are awesome and truly "members only", but they are also very profitable to the club as a whole. Not entirely magnanimous. Despite being classified as nonprofit, the VCA is profitable. Why not channel those profits directly back into the club and its members?
As I recently told our own regional members - my goal is to spend all of our income on member benefits with a small "contingency" fund left over (memorials, short-notice events, etc.). Of course this includes necessary expenses for newsletters, etc. - but those are also a benefit. We recently raised over $4,000 at our holiday auction, with half going directly to charity and the other half back into member benefits. You will note that the regional member benefits listed above will exceed the $55 we get from dues. Not one single penny of the region's money goes back to an officer that doesn't go back to ALL members. No travel budgets, no free shirts, nothing.
Anyway, I would implore you to consider the benefits the VCA can offer you as a whole. If it is found noticeably lacking at National, then look to your local club and consider the return at that level. And if you are that dissatisfied with the goings-on, join the club to vote your conscience when it comes time to do so. In this case, you really do have to be a member in order to cast a vote. Consider it your "citizenship papers" if you will...
Chris
PS. All of our regional members can buy embroidered oxford shirts for only $25 each:
http://kansascityvca.com/blackshirt.jpg
http://kansascityvca.com/whiteshirt.jpg
http://kansascityvca.com/redshirt.jpg
For you other slobs it is only $34.95 each plus shipping...
Okay, you called me to the mat on this and I will confess: When I pay my dues I do so based 99% on the region and 1% to see what VIPER Magazine might feature that quarter. I don't pay it to support National. So where does that leave guys like Firecat who started this thread? Answer: Hopefully they are in an active region that offers tangible benefits to even those that can't attend every event. Paul Bilberry made some very valid points not too long ago, among them was this: Many Viper owners are in more remote areas where it is impractical to attend many, if any, regional VCA events. Is it worth $100 for a glossy marketing magazine that shows up four times a year and a chance to spend $100 more on a raffle ticket with which you are very unlikely to win? Hardly.
So the real key is for the VCA to offer some tangible benefits to even the most remote members. Certainly vendor discounts to VCA members can be a major factor to those that aren't broke like me. Of course, it is not the VCA offering this benefit, but the vendors themselves. The raffles are awesome and truly "members only", but they are also very profitable to the club as a whole. Not entirely magnanimous. Despite being classified as nonprofit, the VCA is profitable. Why not channel those profits directly back into the club and its members?
As I recently told our own regional members - my goal is to spend all of our income on member benefits with a small "contingency" fund left over (memorials, short-notice events, etc.). Of course this includes necessary expenses for newsletters, etc. - but those are also a benefit. We recently raised over $4,000 at our holiday auction, with half going directly to charity and the other half back into member benefits. You will note that the regional member benefits listed above will exceed the $55 we get from dues. Not one single penny of the region's money goes back to an officer that doesn't go back to ALL members. No travel budgets, no free shirts, nothing.
Anyway, I would implore you to consider the benefits the VCA can offer you as a whole. If it is found noticeably lacking at National, then look to your local club and consider the return at that level. And if you are that dissatisfied with the goings-on, join the club to vote your conscience when it comes time to do so. In this case, you really do have to be a member in order to cast a vote. Consider it your "citizenship papers" if you will...
Chris
PS. All of our regional members can buy embroidered oxford shirts for only $25 each:
http://kansascityvca.com/blackshirt.jpg
http://kansascityvca.com/whiteshirt.jpg
http://kansascityvca.com/redshirt.jpg
For you other slobs it is only $34.95 each plus shipping...
