[QCWA] Convention Expense

Mon Nov 21 17:26:04 EST 2011

Although there are not as many members in my family as there are in QCWA, we
have a reunion every year and it would never approach even $1,500 in cost.  We
usually have 30 to 50 members attend and have a whale of a good time.

Here is what we do to save money:

1. We don't reserve rooms as a group. Each family reserves and pays for their
own lodging and it doesn't have to be at the hotel we choose.

2. We reserve a meeting room at a hotel where we can meet, visit, make speeches
and have an auction to pay for the next year's reunion.  We reserve that room
for one day and evening.  We make no promise as to how many people will use the
room.

3. We never depend on the hotel for catering.  We pre-pay for the one dinner we
have scheduled at a restaurant that does catering. Some times we go to the
restaurant to eat and other times we have a buffet in the meeting room of the
hotel.

Conventions are nice but they cost a lot of money.  

When I read the part about one of our members having to pay that outrageous fee
I wondered why he would ever sign a document making him responsible for losses
to the hotel.  I sounds they wanted him to pay for the lost business caused by
the hurricane and if I were him I would get a good lawyer and get my money back.
Here's another suggestion for QCWA get-to-gethers.

Have state meetings where folks can meet other members and get to know them.
It's not necessary to have bands and ballroom dancing to have a good time with
your fellow QCWA members.  Follow the three rules above and see how much fun you
can have without the support of the QCWA treasury.

Do not fall prey to the temptation of allowing Associate Memberships!

73,
Tom
Amateur Radio Operator N5GE
ARRL Lifetime Member
QCWA Lifetime Member 35102

On Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:43:53 -0500, "Stephen Licht" <slicht at rochester.rr.com>
wrote:

>Fellow 25 yr and + Hams:
>
>	I was privileged to attend the 2011 Convention with my wife. I had
>been a candidate for Director until family circumstances required my
>attention. Attendance was less than encouraging from my observation on
>Friday at the programs ( which were excellent).
>
>	My XYL and I have had no small amount of experience planning and the
>seeing though conventions of 100-300 men and women. As a past Grand Master
>of Cryptic Masons, I participated in every aspect of these events at many
>and varied locations for over a decade. From the planning to implementation
>, it was my responsibility. Any financial loss fell to ME and my committee
>because it was ME that signed the contracts with the hotels
>
>	 I attended the Board of Directors meeting and learned about the
>finances of QCWA directly. 
>
>	I am astounded to see how it is possible to LOSE 21 THOUSAND DOLLARS
>!! Room commitments and meal expenses have minimums with a cut off date that
>determines the cost. The Friday buffet, which I paid for , was $41.00.. It
>was not a $41 meal !! Attendance projections must be made on the examination
>of attendance trends over the past 3-6 years. 
>
>	A cost cutting motion ( presented by a Past President) was passed, I
>believe, to stop reimbursement of elected officers to attend the
>Conventions. 
>
>	Look at the financial statements of the operating account over the
>last 10 years and observe the trend. You will be able to make a reasonable
>forecast based on COLD, HARD NUMBERS ! Printing of the Journal is only one
>part of the equation, the  candidates for Office Manager have salary demands
>and expenses for editorial work to prepare the Journal for printing also
>must be considered.
>
> 	It is time that cost cutting measures be implemented, from the TOP
>-DOWN, just like we have done in our personal lives. That is fiscal
>responsibility. Convention that are losing tens of thousands of dollars need
>to be rethought and re-designed to be a break even event. My dues are paid
>as a life member, but how many members are at the mercy of dues increases to
>meet shortfalls ?? At a loss of $21 THOUSAND DOLLARS, how many times can the
>organization 's treasury remain solvent?? 
>
>	Ask questions and expect answers ! 
>
>Steve  WF2S
>
>	
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Message: 1
>Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:52:14 -0500
>From: VE3JX <ve3jx at sympatico.ca>
>Subject: Re: [QCWA] Associate Membership
>To: "QCWA Reflector" <QCWA at mailman.qth.net>
>Message-ID: <BLU0-SMTP49B55840016F6E6BD99C9D83CB0 at phx.gbl>
>Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
>	reply-type=original
>
>Greetings all,
>
>I have some news that bears on our discussion of the financial health of
>QCWA.
>
>Last week, I was perusing the QCWA website when I noticed that two Director
>positions were marked "vacant".  One further examination, one of the
>vacancies was quickly identified as Tony Hirsch W8RSH.  The listing of the
>Finance Standing Committee also revealed that the Chair was now vacant.
>
>Since we've been talking financial health and methods to improve that of
>QCWA, it was a shock to see the individual involved in overseeing QCWA's
>financial house felt it necessary to resign.  I thought maybe it was health
>concerns that drove him to quit.
>
>I contacted Tony and found his health is okay.  He did go on to tell me why
>he resigned in some detail, and his concerns re: QCWA finances.
>
>One of his laments was that "the QCWA corporate fund asset value has fallen
>from about $200k to $60k".  He felt this was due to inaction in implementing
>needed dues increases in a timely way.  Of interest to us is recent Board
>deliberations with respect to paying a bill which is not rightfully ours.
>
>Apparently, the Rhode Island Convention lost money, to the tune of over
>$21K.  It appears that there were minimum room/nights and food orders not
>met, due to the lower than expected attendance.  By all accounts, the
>Convention was a great time for all that were able to attend.  However, when
>it was all over, it appears that 'Skip' Swenson WB6VVA was stuck with the
>bill for the above amount and paid it out of his own pocket.
>
>What has upset Tony is that the Board of Directors wants to reimburse this
>expense, they feeling that "it would not be a good thing to stick Skip
>Swenson with the $21k shortfall."  Tony feels that it is NOT the
>responsibility of QCWA National to cover this debt.  The members' money
>should not be used arbitrarily in this way, especially since QCWA seems to
>be in a budgetary deficit condition.  (In my view, this would set a
>dangerous precedent where QCWA National becomes responsible for all future
>convention deficits.)
>
>The 2012 Reno Convention contract has him worried as well.  It appears that
>there may be a commitment for too many room/nights in it.
>
>So, now you know the latest.  Personally, I do not get a warm & cozy feeling
>when I see QCWA's top financial advisor "bail out".  (Tony says that he
>continues to be a QCWA member and very interested in QCWA affairs.)
>
>Cheers,
>
>Dave Hayes VE3JX
>QCWA Lifer
>
>
>--------------------------------------------------
>From: "Dave Heil" <k8mn at frontiernet.net>
>Sent: Saturday, November 19, 2011 8:08 PM
>To: "QCWA Reflector" <QCWA at mailman.qth.net>
>Subject: Re: [QCWA] Associate Membership
>
>> Before I became a Novice ham in 1963, I asked my mentor, Andy Timberlake
>> W8MN (SK) of Hinton, West Virginia about the QCWA stickers he stuck on
>> his outgoing QSL cards.  His explanation about the collegiality between
>> old time radio amateurs who had been licensed for more than 25 years
>> intrigued me.  I vowed that I'd become a member *just as soon as I
>> qualified*.  I did so in 1988 while operating as J52US in Guinea-Bissau.
>>  A year or so later when I was down the coast as 9L1US from Sierra
>> Leone, I became a life member of QCWA.  I firmly oppose allowing
>> associate membership.  I don't care if chapters wish to invite
>> non-members as guests to their gatherings but those visitors are not
>> members of QCWA.
>>
>> There is no shortage of potentials members.  We have more license radio
>> amateurs than at any time in the history of amateur radio.  In the
>> meantime, if we to revert to a magazine with matte covers and no color,
>> I can live with that.  Government has to cut costs, American families
>> have had to cut costs.  QCWA can do the same in the interests of
>> preserving the organization.
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Dave Heil K8MN
>> Cameron, WV
>>
>>
>> -----
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>
>
>------------------------------
>
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>End of QCWA Digest, Vol 91, Issue 14
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