AMCA Membership fees to increase to $40 in July

[T. Cotten]

I believe they pay their dues Tom. Do you believe they graciously hand over the table rent,camping, tee shirt sales and a portion of the race gate?

I'm not in the "know", Rob,

But camping fees go to the grounds, the races appear to be a separate promotion, and the rest is what you expect a club to do, in order to hold a banquet with a speaker, provide security, etc.

Years ago I swore I'd never join another club. Suddenly I belong to two.

.....Cotten

[larry]

I got the $20 figure from page six of the current issue.

[AFJ]

Current dues are $30. $20 is for the magazine, leaving $10 to run the organization. When dues are increased in July, $20 will go to run the organization. Did the cost of doing business go up by 100% ?

While that may have been the case years ago, looking at the 2013 financial figures on the AMCA website it looks like in 2013, the last year of the quarterly magazine, the cost of publishing and mailing those 4 issues was just over $24. Say $6 per issue. Now there are 6 issues per year so if they each cost the same to produce and mail as previously that cost alone is going to be around $36. Leaving even less to run the other parts of the AMCA.

AFJ

[larry]

Current dues are $30. $20 is for the magazine, leaving $10 to run the organization. When dues are increased in July, $20 will go to run the organization. Did the cost of doing business go up by 100% ?

[rwm]

Rob!

The Meet of All Meets was "lost" for the AMCA no doubt.
But most of the Chapter members still pay their dues, probably.






Like I do.


....Cotten

I believe they pay their dues Tom. Do you believe they graciously hand over the table rent,camping, tee shirt sales and a portion of the race gate?

[T. Cotten]

How many members in the amca? what is the bottom line loss with the departure of the davenport meet? Why increase magazine printings if a financial crisis was looming? I know most will say it's only $10.00. but it's also 33%. At some point people say that's it.

Rob!

The Meet of All Meets was "lost" for the AMCA no doubt.
But most of the Chapter members still pay their dues, probably.






Like I do.


....Cotten

[rwm]

How many members in the amca? what is the bottom line loss with the departure of the davenport meet? Why increase magazine printings if a financial crisis was looming? I know most will say it's only $10.00. but it's also 33%. At some point people say that's it.

[Keith Kizer]

Please note no disrespect intended here Keith,... I noticed Richard showed you how to answer a question of a negative nature with only positive comments.

Second problem was the great success of the AMCA recruiting program, Paraphrasing here Bill Woods reports 80% retention rate for magazine last two years, and Richard sees an upwards curve with the program. Since all members receive the magazine that means we are losing 20 % of our members per year. My experience with the membership of the Cherokee Chapter when I started our reach out program with Steve Klein and other members the first one we signed up had # 20688, this week our last new member had 27098, a loss of 6,300 members while membership is still 10,500. We have over 16,500 on face book. Not all must be current members.

I am only pointing out here that using only positive words, ignores discussing the problems in a professional manner to solve challenges, not problems? Shelby

Shelby, to tackle the first point, No offense taken, but Richard did not have to teach me anything about diplomacy, I learned that the hard way, through 30 years of being in business. I despise political correctness, but diplomacy is a tool of the trade.

In regards to the membership numbers, I do need to explain how the numbers work. Your calculations are basing the number of AMCA members solely on the AMCA Member Number. The member number has absolutely nothing to do with the number of members. This number is arbitrarily assigned by Cornerstone's system when someone joins the AMCA. It is no longer a sequential number as it was in the past. Furthermore, even people who simply REQUEST an AMCA membership application, get assigned an AMCA member number, even if they haven’t joined yet (or ever join).

There are a number of existing AMCA members who join as “new” members on the web site rather than renewing their existing membership. When Cornerstone hears about this happening, they cancel the new number and transfer funds to the old existing membership. This also artificially bumps up the member number.

Again, no one should use the AMCA member number as an indicator of the number of AMCA members.

[fillibuster]

I think Rob knows this well enough, Keith, but he's also right about some too.
Can't get your paws greasy on the keyboard, and sometimes it takes that to help a guy, or sell a part.
The grandkid wants to show my peers he can ride, wants to see their smile, and he wants to hear the noise. ... the NOISE! hey, that's something the digital age has not reproduced for us, and I doubt it will soon. Gotta have that noise at the meet! rooster tails too. races.
When do we get our drag races??!! Waaa!

[Keith Kizer]

.... Also by doing away with these advents ... skype can be used for judging ...
Print media is dead. ... I'm willing to bet you the magazine is all ready in digital format. It's probably sent to the printer by email. So why not email it to me and others all on the same day. This solves the problem of not everybody getting the want adds while an item is still for sale. digital magazines will help with the younger crowd we keep trying to land.
...swap meets. If we have none nobody will complain about them moving ...
.

Geez Rob, things are not as bleak as you say. First I want to comment on Facebook. Of the nearly 17,000 FB members many of those are overseas third world country people from areas where motorcycles are the main form of transportation. They ride and love old bikes and this is what draws them to our site. But, most of them are not membership candidates.

Doing away with meets and the magazine are simply not the answer. One of the big draw to the meets is being around friends and other like-minded individuals who share your interest. And, it is still a great place to find the perfect illusive part for your motorcycle or a customers. If AMCA did away with National events, swap meets would not stop, they would just keep going, but the common thread of consistency with AMCA members, promotions, judging, etc. would be lost and eventually the events could die. And, no you can't judge a bike via camera phone. Besides, what fun would that be.

In regards to the magazine, you do have a few correct thoughts in the digital version. No, we don't have it but we easily could, and this is a subject in other areas of the forum that I have openly discussed giving the benefit of everyone getting it at the same time. Yet, going fully digital is a long way off, if not decades. People want their glossy coffee table magazine. I doubt we would even offer a digital only membership because that would force the death of the printed magazine and we are just not ready for that. Maybe the next generation, but not us.

Remember, at the end of the day, its all about the bikes and the comradely of those we share them with. Facebook will never replace that. I for one am not ready for a virtual motorcycle. I prefer to ride the real thing.

[rwm]

Let's all hope you are joking.

no joke bob. look at the cost savings. insurance for swap meets must be through the roof. Also by doing away with these advents there will be no expense for board members travel. All board meeting can be done by skype. If you want your bike judged list it on ebay with a crazy high price. skype can be used for judging also. walk you camera around the bike.
Print media is dead. Cost of paper and ink are to much these days. toss in shipping cost and delays. I'm willing to bet you the magazine is all ready in digital format. It's probably sent to the printer by email. So why not email it to me and others all on the same day. This solves the problem of not everybody getting the want adds while an item is still for sale. digital magazines will help with the younger crowd we keep trying to land. They all have kindles, smart phone or ipads. The magazine can be right in their back pocket. Not having the hard copy of a magazine will help when it is time to downsize your home. There will be nothing to get rid of and you'll be able to keep all those years still on you iphone.
Back to the swap meets. If we have none nobody will complain about them moving or where they are held.Plus this week at Rhinebeck everything i wanted had been on ebay the week or so before.just now it was twice as much at the meet. Thought i'd never say things are cheaper on ebay but they are for me. Here is one that is starting to brew into anger Denton. fun time great people sounds like they are getting #$%@&'d.
If the amca hires me to cut cost i'll get everybody a $10.00 rebate. Now to face book it's free. we can sound like teenage girls instead of quilting old ladies.
Keep the oil dripping on the road Rob....

[BigLakeBob]

Let's all hope you are joking.

With 16,500 face book user it looks like life has become a digital world. Lets do away with the troublesome swap meets and hard copy magazine. So much will be saved money wise by sending it to digital subscribers and more will be reached.

[rwm]

With 16,500 face book user it looks like life has become a digital world. Lets do away with the troublesome swap meets and hard copy magazine. So much will be saved money wise by sending it to digital subscribers and more will be reached.

[shelbyinparadise]

I thought I should chime in on a couple of comments.

Please note no disrespect intended here Keith, Richard assigned you to look into multiple problems, I noticed Richard showed you how to answer a question of a negative nature with only positive comments. First Problem From National Board Minutes, Lack of parking at smaller Venue from year one. Answer:
"Regarding the parking issue at the New Smyrna location, with the increase in popularity of this meet, attendee parking has increased. The Chapter and the Board addressed the problem associated with increased parking needs and space limitations within the venue. The problem was addressed to the extent possible." Shrinking from 5 days the first year for chapter members, to now a two day event, a smaller crowd needs more space, and with judging moved to Saturday from Sunday, more trucks and trailers are showing up for the unloading of bikes making it difficult for Vendor sales. Only Richard brought up the Rain 3 of 4 years, not me, but the tractor pulls were mentioned on forum

Second problem was the great success of the AMCA recruiting program, Paraphrasing here Bill Woods reports 80% retention rate for magazine last two years, and Richard sees an upwards curve with the program. Since all members receive the magazine that means we are losing 20 % of our members per year. My experience with the membership of the Cherokee Chapter when I started our reach out program with Steve Klein and other members the first one we signed up had # 20688, this week our last new member had 27098, a loss of 6,300 members while membership is still 10,500. We have over 16,500 on face book. Not all must be current members.

I am only pointing out here that using only positive words, ignores discussing the problems in a professional manner to solve challenges, not problems? Shelby

[jwl]

I thought I should chime in on a couple of comments.

Drew - FYI, You started in 1990.

JWI - To date, I have received a single application from anyone who would like to be included in October's board elections. Also, you mentioned $10 x 10,000 members was to pay for the ED. Does that mean they were supposed to pay me $100,000 salary? Maybe I should go back and renegotiate, I'm well short of that figure.

Rich O - On the subject of the ED pay, I can assure you the increase in dues had nothing to do with that. By the AMCA hiring me also greatly reduced fees paid to outside contractors to conduct business. The AMCA long ago surpassed the all volunteer boards ability to keep up with the needs of so many chapters and members. When a club grows to this size it takes full-time help to sustain it or to grow it. I can attest to the fact that I put in no less than 60 hours a week not counting National weekends. With an organization this size there are constant maintenance issues to deal with and fix in addition to constant communication with registration, magazine, website, merchandise, judging staff, contractors, and/or volunteers. Then there is communicating as needed with chapter Presidents, newsletter editors, in a plethora of subjects including National meet needs, insurance, future planning, newsletters, etc.

Back to the dues increase, I would challenge anyone to come up with a national company, club or organization that has not had an increase if fees in a dozen years. As you all know the cost of doing anything has increase on an annual basis, let alone a decade. In my humble opinion the dues increase should have come at the same time the club increased the magazine from four to six issues. The magazine is the main communication device to the membership and one of the primary benefits to membership. Trust me, we are not making money on the magazine. It holds it own, but on paper it is not a profit center for the club. It is a vital necessity but not here for the purpose of lining anyone's pocket.

On the offer to subsidize for those who cannot afford the increase. Great idea and thank you. I'll jump on that bandwagon and pay for 10 people's increase too. With that, maybe we should create a fund just for that purpose. I doubt that many would publicly come on this forum and admit they need the help, but we can all agree, some just do. This could be something we create and have Cornerstone hold the funds and distribute on an as-needed basis with complete confidentiality for those who ask for it.

Keith, Did I say anything about ED's pay?? My memory is going south in a hurry but I don't think I made a comment on that order. John Lindemann