[QCWA] Fw: QCWA's Future & 12 Issues Of Digital Journal

[Bob Roske]

Forwarded for VE6AFO

Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2012 13:38:16 -0700
To: QCWA Bulletin Service
From: ve6afo at cia.com
Subject: QCWA's Future & 12 Issues Of Digital Journal

Greetings To All On The QCWA Reflector!

Especially to those who have taken the time to make thoughtful comments on this subject;

Dale Svetanoff, WA9ENA
John Peters, K1ER
Bob Roske, NØUF
Jeff, WA6FWI
Howard, W1HO
Tom Childers, N5GE
Dick Newsome, W0HXL
John, K1ER
Marv, K2VHW
Don, W7WLL

As they say, the buck has to stop somewhere, and that is usually with the President.

My reply is addressed to everyone who have made various comments on the subject of QCWA's future well being, and the hardship of not being able to receive a printed quarterly QCWA Journal in the future. Right here and now - I ask that each and every member please understand why the Board needed to make these decisions going forward. Yes - we do know the Board's decision would not sit well with everyone, however, the choices were few, unless some rich QCWA uncle were willing to donate a great deal of money!

I have been following the thread(s) re the QCWA Journal going from a quarterly "printed and mailed out to members" version, to 12 issues a year of a digital Journal only. I believe the future is bright for going digital, though I too like a hard copy in my hands while sitting in the easy chair. I think we will all need to learn to adapt, and we will!

There was mention of one organization going digital only...well I am a Life Member of ARRL and RAC, our equivalent Canadian National Assoication, and RAC just announced that they will be going 100% digital, unless you join/renew as a "Maple Leaf" member, which will cost $100.00 each year. In Canada, regular membership in RAC is $50.00 per year, plus 5% tax.  And, this is for a 'digital only', 6 issues per year magazine. As and aside, I wonder how long it will be before ARRL eliminates the printed version?

The digital Journal will be available on the QCWA "Members Only" web site. For all those who have provided QCWA with an e-mail address, you have all been sent a temporary password to sign into the "Members Only" portion of the web site. Please do sign in and find out the new things that have been set up for you the member. The Chapter Officers even have access to more information to help their chapter grow and prosper. If we do not have your e-mail address, then please provide it to the new (effective November 15th), QCWA Executive Administrator at <ExecAdmin at qcwa.org>.

I won't repeat what already has been said by Director Ken Simpson, W8EK, Vice-President Larry McCalvy, WA9JMO, Secretary Vic Culver, W4VIC, Past President Bob Roske, N0UF and General Manager Jim LaPorta, N1CC. Thank you Jim for some numbers, which puts a better perspective on where QCWA membership stands today. What each have stated on the Reflectors, I do concur, and these are the hard facts, whether we like it or not.

I don't want to bore you with membership dues history, but for those who care to study it, I have pasted it below my message. If you follow, you can see that QCWA membership has been too low for too many years, this in order to keep up with inflation and the huge cost increases in printing and mailing the Journal. For us Life Members, who joined when they were young, we are getting a real bargain! This includes me, who joined in 1989 as a Life Member (# 22655).

For those who are not aware - QCWA has been running a huge deficit budget for many years. The past Board relied on too many good years in the stock market (where our corporate account funds are invested), and kept using these funds to bring the budget into balance. To start with, this is not good business, and when the markets took a big hit in 2008, we never fully recovered on the investment side of things. We found our corporate account had almost but vanished! We knew, as told to us by our CPA back in the Spring of 2012, if we did not do something in the way of cutting our costs and or further increasing our revenues, QCWA would not be able to continue for much longer than another year. I will end here....

Also, I want to point out what GM Jim LaPorta, N1CC, has so wisely pointed out to the QCWA Board. Since the printed version will be gone, and if chapters so decide to print and mail for their non-computer members, we need to remember one thing. Below is a direct quote from GM Jim LaPorta to the Board;

""As long as QCWA, Incorporated is not MAILING the Journal AND using the non-profit postage, you will be able to take some advertisements that are prohibited by USPS for our category.  I do suspect that QCWA, having made the decision to not PRINT, needs to instruct Chapters that if they choose to print the Journal that they must not use Media Mail or Non Profit mail, because content, such as Travel and Insurance will then be allowed. and we can't make two different eJournal editions monthly going forward from a practical standpoint  We still have to conform to IRS 501c(3) rules for advertising.""

Thanks Jim for this.

73,

Ken Oelke, VE6AFO
QCWA President

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DUES HISTORY
Date            Dues                                                            Effective Date
1947            $10/3 years                                                     1 January 1947
1965            Life Membership - $25 Life
1971            Life Membership  - $35 Life                                     1 July 1971
1975            Life Membership - $50 Life                                      1 April 1975
1976            Dues changed to 36 months rather than 3 calendar years7 October 1976
1977            Dues $14/3 years                                                1 January 1977
1977            Life Membership  - $70 Life                                     1 April 1977
1978            International Dues - $10/3 years non-subscribing                21 September 1978
1980            Dues - $19/3 years                                              1 January 1980 
$15/2 years 
$9/1 year 
1980            Life Membership - $80 Life                                      1 January 1980
1983            Dues $25/3 years                                                1 January 1983 
$20/2 years 
$12/1 year 
Family Membership - $10/3 years 
Life Membership - $125 Life 
1986            International Dues - $10/3 years                                1 January 1986 
International Life - $50 Life - No pubs 
International Life - Time Pay - $60 Life  3 payments 
1989 International Dues - $25/3 years                   1 March 1989 
International Life - $125 Life - Limited pubs           1 March 1989 
1991            U.S. Dues - $30/3 years                                 1 January 1991 
$25/2 years 
$15/1 year 
U.S. Family Member - $12/3 years 
U.S. Family Life - $90/Life of either one - no pubs 
U.S. Family Life Time pay - $105/Life - 3 payments 
1993 U.S. Dues - $35/3 years                            1 October 1993 
U.S. Dues Life - $225 Life 
1993            International, no publications - $25/3 years            1 October 1993 
International Family - $12/3 years 
International Life, no publications - $50 Life 
International Life Family - $40 
Publications Available 
1994            Canadian - $25/3 years no publications                  1 December 1994 
Canadian Life, no publications - $60 
Canadian Life with publications - $335 
Canadian Life Family - $40 
Publications available - $14/3 years 
1995            U.S. Life - $300                                                1 June 1995
1996            U.S. Dues - $20/1 year                                  1 April 1996 
$35/2 years 
$50/3 years 
1999            Canadian Publications - $25                             1 July 1999

International Dues History
9/21/78 - Dues changed to permit non-subscribing membership for overseas members

1979 - $10 for 3 years "with the exception of publications" for members "living off the North American Continent, in an area not listed in the latest National Zip Code Directory.
(Bylaws II, 1 - 1979 Directory)

9/01/84 - Two geographical classifications established - U.S. and International.  Canadians are now
International.  (Director's Guide - Section 7, Membership)

1/01/86 - $10 for 3 years - with exception of receiving regular publications.  (Same as U.S. Family
Membership.)

5/31/92 - Dues are no longer specified but the Bylaws states ".the current dues are published in
the QCWA Journal."  (Bylaws, Article II, Section 1)

10/1/93 - 3 year dues, no publications - $25.  Family dues - $12.
Life dues, no publications - $60.  Family Life - $40

12/1/94 - Canadian 3 year dues $25; Family dues $12, no publications.
Life dues, no publications - $60; Family Life - $40.
Canadian Life, with publications, $335

7/01/99 - Canadian Publication raised to $25 per year

Life Membership History
3/16/85 - Life Membership fees shall be based on 15 times the lowest current annual dues
3/16/85 - $85 Life Membership ($95 time payment)
1/01/86 - $50 Life Membership without publications ($60 time payment)
3/01/89 - $125 Life Membership - including limited publications
6/01/95 - $300 Life Membership
1/01/11 - 20 times annual rate