[QCWA] Fw: QCWA Digest, Vol 25, Issue 21

Sat May 27 19:48:52 EDT 2006

Hi Rik

Thanks for the insight on incorporating. I am in the process of trying to 
form
a QCWA Chapter on the southern coast of Oregon, because it is a 7-hour
round trip to our nearest chapter on the Oregon north coast. That's a long
drive and a big expense just to have lunch.

I did not know that we would have to incorporate.   I was planning to have
a no-dues, no-bylaws, just-have-fun luncheon once a month for QCWA
members and their spouses.

I understand  that QCWA requires a President, a Treasurer and a total of
five members to form a chapter. Also that record keeping and an annual
report to the QCWAis required.

I guess we will have to do it informally. I know our local club and our 
repeater
association is incorporated, but I want to avoid "big brothers" paperwork.

Any other advice that you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Please reply directly to:
w7vu at arrl.net

Thanks, once again.

Ron W7VU
Myrtle Point, OR

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "B Roske" <broske at hutchtel.net>
To: "QCWA - Reflector" <qcwa at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2006 3:10 PM
Subject: [QCWA] Fw: QCWA Digest, Vol 25, Issue 21

>> Hello Gene, Bob and other QCWA friends from Corpus Christi, Texas.  I can 
>> tell
>> you what happened to the South Texas QCWA Chapter.  I was president 
>> during
>> the period of the mid 1980s to 1990, more or less.  We saw our membership
>> dwindling rapidly as members went SK.  It was obvious that we needed to 
>> do a
>> bit of awareness raising of the younger radio amateur ranks.
>>
>> By attending meetings of the area amateur radio clubs and presenting 
>> programs
>> about the QCWA and our area members history in amateur radio plus some 
>> direct
>> mail, we were able to build the membership up to about thirty regular 
>> members
>> I think.  Our membership was spread all over South Texas with a few 
>> driving
>> almost a hundred miles for the meetings held in Corpus Christi every 
>> other
>> month.  We had interesting programs, a good meal and wonderful 
>> comradship.
>> Most brought their spouse or significant other.
>>
>> Not long after I was president we discovered the State of Texas had 
>> launched a
>> blitzkreg assault against corporations that were "evading" their tax
>> obligations.  Our club secretary received a very nasty letter from the
>> Secretary of State's office informing that we were in violation of this 
>> state
>> requirement for filing quarterly returns showing our financial papers and
>> paying a tax.  It seemed that no amount of communication could make the
>> bureaucrats get the picture that we were a not-for-profit corporation and 
>> had
>> no income at all, but merely were incorporated because twenty five years
>> prior public service organizations were supported by the state.  Well 
>> that
>> changed and they were not too friendly about it.  There were also some
>> wrangles with a requireed annual IRS information report that had to be 
>> filed.
>>
>> So our QCWA chapter was insensed with this governmental stiff arm 
>> treatment
>> and we decided we did not need to put up with that.  Shortly thereafter 
>> we
>> submitted our state corporation charter to the Secretary of State with a
>> final accounting [no assets, no revenue, no tax due].  With that we put 
>> the
>> South Texas Chapter of the QCWA to bed formally.
>>
>> However, the members continued their memberships in the national 
>> organization
>> and we continued with our meetings just as always, but now it was just a
>> bunch of amateur radio Old Timers having a good time.  That group has now
>> ceased to exist as without the formality of the QCWA banner there was no
>> cohesiveness.  As the OM and YL's went SK one by one the group reduced to
>> just a few and they decided there wasn't much use in meeting any longer.
>>
>> So that is the story of the end of one QCWA chapter.  My suggestion is to 
>> not
>> incorporate the QCWA unless there is some reason to protect the members 
>> from
>> some kind of liability risk arrising out of public or group outdoor
>> activities and such [i.e. fielday].  As an alternative it might be 
>> feasible
>> to form the QCWA Chapter as an unincorporated sub-group within the area
>> amateur radio club, be it a special "board of directors" a committie or
>> something similar.  In other words, it would be possible to create a 
>> shelter
>> for the group within the charter of another amateur radio charter run by 
>> an
>> active and more robust group of more youthful radio amateurs who are 
>> already
>> doing all the corporate paperwork compliance.
>>
>> Just a few passing thoughts for consideration.  It would be useful to 
>> take a
>> look at all the reasons why chapters have gone under and why they must be
>> incorporated in the first place.  If there is a pattern and if chapter
>> retention is important then it would be useful information for the 
>> national
>> board to have regarding policy decision making purposes.
>>
>> 73,
>> Rik
>> K5SittingBullsUncle
>>
>>
>>
>>> From: "Gene A. Nailon" <k5dle at juno.com>
>>> Subject: [QCWA] INTERESTING QCWA FACTS:
>>>
>>> ACTIVE CHAPTERS 1998    140
>>> ACTIVE CHAPTERS 2006   -123
>>>                        ----
>>>                          18 LOST CHAPTERS or SK CHAPTERS.
>>>
>>> HOWEVER: This is not the full story.  15 NEW CHAPTERS were
>>> added, (2) of which have dissapeared.
>>>
>>> What this means: 31 Chapters have dissapeared, been lost or
>>> became SK.
>>>
>>> WHY?
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Posted for Rik, K5SBU
>
> 73,
> Bob, N0UF
> QCWA Reflector Administrator
>
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