An idea for paying dues

Adam D. Miller:

Anyone can pay their dues in installments -- just put it (the whole amount) on your credit card and pay it off as quickly or as slowly as you like. (Get a NCRA affinity credit card through Marsh, and help NCRA with some non-dues income while you're at it.)

  or do as Candis suggested and put $21/month in a dedicated bank account (or your regular account but earmarked for dues, or a tin can in the kitchen), earn interest (even if it isn't very much) for the year, and then pay it in October.  NCRA doesn't have to carry anything or do any extra (costly) work.  The bill isn't paid at holiday time.  I agree that $250 feels like a lot of money - much more than $21/mon - but I think it is in line with other professional organizations and my understanding is court reporters make good money on the whole.  I also think that the ENGATE litigation more than compensated many reporters for dues all by itself for years to come.

  I know several professional organizations give a break to first year members and fees go up for the next 2-5 years.  I don't know if NCRA does that.  I assume it may mean the oldsters may have to pay a very little more to cover the cost of a break to new people.  Probably in their interest to bring people in though.

  I just wrote a whole paragraph about what I see are bigger obstacles to gaining and maintaining membership, and then thought this was a thread on the dues issue so I have deleted it.  But if we are getting into WHY dues are important (declining membership among the reasons) I don't think dues is the biggest issue, at least for me it wouldn't be.
 

 I hate to say this, but I think suggesting that anyone put the balance on a credit card and pay it off when they can is suggesting members be fiscally irresponsible.  That's just unsound advice, IMHO, and part of the reason why the economy is in the bad shape it is in today. 

Laura, NCRA does have a graduated payment plan for first and second-year reporters.   I think those dues just went up to $150 for the first year out of school and......I don't remember what for the second year, but it is less than the $250.

 Laura,

I talked with someone the other day that is no longer a member.  I asked why.  The answer was that the income is limited.  They don't fit into any category.  They can't get the retired status because they take one or two jobs a month to help supplement their income.  It could be we need a reduced rate for over 65 that are still working.  Most of those will be retired by that age or just working part-time.  That could keep adding to the time where they would show they were in NCRA 30 years and then they would get free membership.  I think the retirees could be used to great advantage in the association.  Some of them would love to be of help.  They could help get members, update e-mails, telephone numbers, etc.  I noticed we have a lot of retired members and they could be of tremendous help on projects such as this and feel they are still a part of the association.   When members retire that don't have a hobby, they feel lost.  I have a friend that always offers to help TCRA when they have a convention in her city, need calling done or any of those things that busy reporters don't have time to do.  She loves doing it, too.  How about the Veteran's Project?  Could they help there?

The retirees could have a name lgiven that would designate them as someone special and recognition could be given for those that spent the most time or made the most calls or whatever.l  The jobs probably need to be aimed at something where they don't have to write shorthand any longer.  Usually retirees are looking for something new to do.   With the babyboomers coming forward, they could be of help in different ways.  Keep them interested.  After all, many of these devoted the best years of their lives to this profession.  Their life isn't over and neither should their service be.

Just a thought.  Put your thinking hat on on that one.

Great idea, Shirley!  We could have an emeritus team or unit devoted to special projects.  And with budgetary pressures on the staff, I'm sure the possibilities are unlimited as to how their service could be employed.

I'm sure Bill Parsons would love to volunteer.

Have you looked in the back of your Sourcebook and seen how many are retired?  There is a wealth of unused talent there.  Some still own firms even though they are not reporting and they could have their firms do this if they did not wish to.  I really don't know all the things NCRA needs done.  I know when I used to be a fundraiser for the Foundation that we had retired members calling for NCRF donations.  Of course not all would do a good job but a lot probably would.  They would need to have recognition in some way, of course -- certificates, name in the magazine or the website.  Dr. DeBakey who tried the artificial heart back in the 60s just died at 99.  He stayed busy and was a productive member of society.  So he had 34 years after people thought he should have hung it up.  I think he was working until near the end of his life.

Mark belongs to that ASAE.  I wonder if any other associations are using retired members to help them out.  They might not cut costs as much as if they could help keep databases updated and get new members by calling or e-mailing, that would really be a plus.

All these, of course, are just ideas and would have to be carefully reviewed as to the pros and cons.

w