What do you think of dues

[xroads]

Just wondering what everyone thought. Does the amount of dues affect your decision on membership?

[mwood]

Yeah, I want higher taxes too, and can you raise gas prices while you are at it?

[xroads]

Ya, I dont think Exxon making 48Billion a year in profit is quite enough. I just wondered what everyone's thoughts were since it seems to be an issue lately.

[Philby]

I just recently joined (paid my dues anyway) after lurking for 18 months or so.

The amount of the dues was not the issue - rather I didn't actually have a tank (and wasn't that close to setting one up) and so I didn't see the benefit in being in a club to talk about my tank when I didn't actually have a tank...and so probably wouldn't participate in many of the meetings.

Now I see that was somewhat silly because I could have learned many things from attending the meetings, hearing the speakers and touring other people's tanks...and I learned a great deal just browsing this forum and the GIRS website.

I will say that I didn't post too often because while this forum is open to the public - there are enough other forums on RC and elsewhere that if I wanted help w/o paying I could get advice there - so I did/do see this forum as a "priviledge" of membership to GIRS.

I wouldn't mind if the dues were higher - especially if the extra money had a specific purpose. Such as bringing in an extra speaker, giving gas cards to the board to alleviate some of the cost of traveling to meetings, using it to rent a location for monthly meetings so that everyone would know where/when the meetings are.

Another kinda off the wall idea would be to use the money (and member donations?) to set up a frag tank that was owned by the club (and maybe overseen by a new board member, or be the duty of one of the existing positions). This would be a potential source of revenue for the club, or even used to allow the club access to rare/expensive corals that members wouldn't have the ability to own by themselves (ie buy a frag for $200, let it sit in the frag tank until it can be fragged into the 6 pieces of the members who put up the initial investment, leaving a frag for future customers).

This is maybe not a very valid idea cause I know many members have frag tanks and use them as a small revenue source so it could be stepping on some toes...but I think it would be cool for GIRS to be able to travel to neighboring clubs frag swaps for the purposes of buying and selling, and it would be a great place for new members to get frags if they're not comfortable buying from individuals, or no one has any frags ready to sell when they want to buy...

Also it would be cool if it was portable enough to bring to the meetings, as potential members could actually see a tank setup (albeit a frag tank not a show tank) and that would help them get that much more obsessed and willing to join and be involved in the club. Heck maybe eventually new members get a free frag with paid dues??

Anyway, back on topic (isn't it funny that OT stands for OFF topic, even though its also the abbreviation for ON topic??) I voted for $30 due - but only if there was a specific purpose for the extra money that was a new idea I supported.

[xroads]

I had thought of the idea of a club frag tank too but was afraid to bring it up. I think there is a table top tank that has been sold about 10 times. If something like that would ever come up for sale it would be a cool idea. Have to see if it is something the masses would like or would step on too many toes.

I would love to see an extra speaker, or big name Calfo. I dont know if we could ever afford him or not but would be cool.

I guess we should also stress that you dont have to have a tank to be a reefer.

[bgreenlee]

I like the idea of a community frag tank. I really like the way that the group in Phoenix does their (actually I just arrived into Phoenix about an hour ago). They have different members that have a lot of experience raise the frags in their tanks. that way the frags are split up in multiple places, both to split the burden of caring for them, but to also make sure that if a tank crashes all is not lost. I am in the process still of building my fish room in the basement. The room behind the tank will be 8'x17' and will have a couple grow out tanks, which I am more then willing to donate some space in. I am sure that others would do the same.

[js_bass]

I also like the idea of the community tank. I have not yet joined because GIRS, because i dont know when the year starts over. Also the $20 dollar fee is not the reason. IF anything i think that is rather low. As an unjoined member of GIRS, I would rather pay more money and recieve more for it, wether it through another speaker or another event were fellow reefers can get together to share imformation and further each others tank. Point being 20 bucks is not that much cash for a great membership

[got2lb]

I voted for $30, a little increase is necessary to help offset costs of everything else in this country going up in price.

Not really sure how the "club" frag tank would work out. It's a good idea on paper but in reality there's a lot political crap that would probably end up coming about because of it.

Another idea may be to setup a tank in say a hospital or museum or something like that. There's been plenty of tanks for sale on here lately and I'm sure we could all donate some stuff to it. Then we can hang a huge sign on it saying if you're interested in setting up a SW tank please check out www.girs. etc..... you get the idea.

Or possibly donating the extra cash to emporium so they can get there stuff together and get a decent sw store in the area!!!

[js_bass]

Yah, that is very good idea. Market GiRS while still having something we all contribute too. Also it would be nice to somehow so other people (that are not into saltwater) that a saltwater tank isnt as hard to set up as everyone thinks. until they get into testing there water. Although we wont tell them that

[KnoxvilleIa]

nope, dues are just fine. I would pay more tho.

[bgreenlee]

Originally posted by got2lb


Not really sure how the "club" frag tank would work out. It's a good idea on paper but in reality there's a lot political crap that would probably end up coming about because of it.

You know we deal well with all things political, how dare you.

[Atticus]

sweet my post from earlier did not show up here... Wonder which thread it ended up in...

I just stated that I think the single club frag tank would be too political. Examples being the fight over who cares for it and why something died... I like the Pheonix idea where the club buys a few rare corals, busts them in 3 nice sized pieces and sends them to a few member's tanks. Then these corals are fragged for the coral auction and the funds raised go to buy more corals to repeat the process. The corals selected do not necissarily have to be rare and softies could easily be included to entice newer members.

[Bullet]

I really do not think that money should be an issue with the club. There should be plenty of money in the bank for club to bring in a speaker and to finish out the year with a bang to excite new members to join next year. With membership dues, frag auctions, raffles,and other fund raisers the club should always be able to fund speakers and to cover expenses for meetings. I think it makes more sense to keep the dues as low as possible to encourage greater membership....since $20 seems to be an issue for some people. Heck....we had people go to meetings and events for years without ever becoming members. I know when I was involved I could always get a fellow member to donate something to raffle off or to help out so the club did not have to use their bankroll. Long story short...there should be better ways get money to fund the club than to raise dues.

[bgreenlee]

Originally posted by Atticus
sweet my post from earlier did not show up here... Wonder which thread it ended up in...

I just stated that I think the single club frag tank would be too political. Examples being the fight over who cares for it and why something died... I like the Pheonix idea where the club buys a few rare corals, busts them in 3 nice sized pieces and sends them to a few member's tanks. Then these corals are fragged for the coral auction and the funds raised go to buy more corals to repeat the process. The corals selected do not necissarily have to be rare and softies could easily be included to entice newer members.

Travis, the FRAG group is the one I was talking about. I know they have some nice corals in their program out here. The big difference is that they have coral swaps and auctions on a very regular basis.

Honestly though some of us do have some nice corals and the idea of fragging some of them off to insure our own tanks is worth it to me at least.

I know someone who needs some purple montipora here coming up in the future and its available because two people had the sense to split a colony up.

[Atticus]

IF (notice the big if) this coral deal was to get approved there would need to be solid rules set to ensure no bickering. An example would be that the individual could not frag the coral for their own personal use until after the first frags were sold at auction. Then it could be written that once that rule is fullfilled the coral becomes the property of the member that cared for it and they can do as they see fit. That way there is a clear understanding of what the club requires and what the members can expect. No grey area for confusion... Just an idea.

[Coralfreak]

I am going to have to go with Bob on this one. There are a ton of ways to raise money, dues are only a small part of that.

I do like the idea of the club buying some corals and creating multiple frags for members. Not sure if you really need to grow them out though. Simple bring in some colonies and frag them up. Either way, that sounds like a good idea.

[bgreenlee]

Originally posted by Bullet
I really do not think that money should be an issue with the club. There should be plenty of money in the bank for club to bring in a speaker and to finish out the year with a bang to excite new members to join next year. With membership dues, frag auctions, raffles,and other fund raisers the club should always be able to fund speakers and to cover expenses for meetings. I think it makes more sense to keep the dues as low as possible to encourage greater membership....since $20 seems to be an issue for some people. Heck....we had people go to meetings and events for years without ever becoming members. I know when I was involved I could always get a fellow member to donate something to raffle off or to help out so the club did not have to use their bankroll. Long story short...there should be better ways get money to fund the club than to raise dues.

Whose this yaahoo?

Bob how are things in South Dakota?

[Atticus]

Originally posted by bgreenlee
I know someone who needs some purple montipora here coming up in the future and its available because two people had the sense to split a colony up.

This quote has me grinning ear to ear... My tank still has not recovered from that halide issue and I just don't have the funds to do anything about it. I would be very appreciative of you to "help a brotha out."

For those not in the loop we are talking about a coral that both of us bought together and split incase something happened as this was the sweetest purple monti either of us had seen and we wanted to make sure it survived. Well unfortunaly I had a 250 halide burnout and fry everything coral related under it including this montipora and every sps I owned. The light even killed shrooms and LPS. This all happened about 2 weeks after Billy picked up his half of the coral. If it was not for our fore sight that coral would be lost.

This same idea saved a baby blue acropora from my friend here in Davenport that started me in SPS. His colony died, but because he had insured his corals by giving me frags of his favorites. I was able to replace his lost coral and his tank never skipped a beat. I wish there was more of that in our club, but with the price of this hobby I know it is hard to validate freebies, until you are the one looking to salvage your tank due to a deep sand bed crash, equipment failure, power failure, or any of the other numerous freak things that we cannot predict.

[xroads]

Man I love this idea. After the swap why dont we throw around some ideas, set some rules & go with it. It seems to be a pretty popular idea.

[leeweber85]

I would pay $50....but I don't know if new members would. If the club is sitting well on funds, I would just assume to keep it at $20.


I like the frag ideas....let's do it!

[jdreefer]

Originally posted by got2lb
I

Another idea may be to setup a tank in say a hospital or museum or something like that. There's been plenty of tanks for sale on here lately and I'm sure we could all donate some stuff to it. Then we can hang a huge sign on it saying if you're interested in setting up a SW tank please check out www.girs. etc..... you get the idea.

Just wanted to make sure this did not go unnoticed. You get a tank set up at a hospital or zoo or something like that and I will join GIRS (and you can probably get me to donate stuff and time too). Having spent a LOT of time in Blank and in UofI Children's hospital over the last year, there is definately an opportunity there. And I would think the free advertising, interest in saltwater fish, and goodwill (not to mention the joy you would bring to kids) would more than make up for it. Heck, there is already a reef tank on one of the floors in Iowa City that is just screaming to be fixed up. It looks like Hung might maintain it but there is almost nothing in it. Obviously, there are some practical issues that would need to be figured out as far as routine cleaning, top-offs, etc. Even the Blank Park Zoo looks like it could use another reef tank somewhere. That might be another opportunity to get your name out there.

[Double-J]

I'll tell ya what.. I have a pretty big Green slimer and some other corals I would donate to the club... Probably would donate 20-30 frags.

I was thinking that when someone pays dues they get a free frag This way it sort of offsets the $20 membership and it's a nice welcome gift. I think this should only apply to people who have never joined the club in the past to entice new members.

The only thing I ask is that I can give the corals to someone, I have a busy schedule and wouldn't want to deal with handing out frags on a regular basis.

I don't do much for the club on the political side so this would be my way of contributing.

If it sounds like a good idea to everyone, I could give them to somone before the frag auction, since I won't be going.

[js_bass]

I live across the street from the u of i hospital and i could help maintain it, if something were to ever go up there. Let me know

[rc1214b]

I think the dues are fine as is..

I would think that a club frag tank could create problems if guidlines were not laid out well. Most of the serious reefers in the area have a fairly good stock list anyway, but if there was a must have piece that someone wanted to frag out as a re-seed I'm sure they would find many suitable homes to take it.

Maybe the club could go in on a basic or more exotic coral depending on the reefers experience and give it to a new member as a sort of welcome package. If not livestock maybe we could come up with something else to welcome them into the club.

[rc1214b]

JJ read my mind