![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
snarkymanFor those of you not in the SCA or those in the SCA, but have been living under a rock for the last 6 months, the SCA, Inc. in Milpitas, CA is planning to impose a Non-Member Service Charge (NMS). The SCA Board of Directors (BoD) have made various excuses about why this is needed now, but most of them just don't wash. Many of us in the SCA see this as a Real Bad Thing (TM) which will lead to all kinds of disastrous results, not the least of which is the blotting out of the sun. Sorry - just making sure you're paying attention.
Anyhow, Carolingian Great Council is discussing this tonight. We will decide how Carolingia will respond to the BoD's grab for cash.
I finally typed and sent my letter to the BoD stating my objections to the NMS. The text of the letter is below.
Greetings.
I feel I must comment on the impending Non-Member Service Charge (NMS). I understand the SCA BoD feels the need to make up for a revenue shortfall. I've heard all the reasoning about membership numbers being flat while expenses increase. However, I still have to ask the following: What has the BoD done to limit SCA, Inc. expenses? I have yet to see a full accounting of SCA, Inc. expenditures. The numbers put out by the BoD are incomplete, at best.
It is my firm opinion that if NMS is put into place, it will be the death of the SCA, inc. The NMS will cannibalize the very population the SCA needs in order to grow. It looks like a good temporary solution, but in the long run, memberships numbers will begin to decline.
Rest assured, even if the SCA, Inc. ceases to exist, Carolingia will continue in one form or another. Our populous will continue to do historical research, hold various practices and guild meetings and even run events, though no longer under the auspices of the SCA.
Another problem I have with the NMS, is that it will create an participant vs audience mentality and this will affect the spirit of volunteer ism. For example, when I attend a the New England Folk Festival, I will do one of two things: If I pay full non-membership event fee, I consider myself a member of the audience. I will not volunteer. However, if I volunteer, I pay the reduced member rate or even attend for free. I will not do both, volunteer and pay the non-membership rate. The NMS will cause the same behavior in the SCA.
Questions:
1) If these revenue enhancing changes are put into place now, what guarantee do we, as members of the SCA, have that the BoD will fix their structural financial problems? What prevents the BoD from doing the same thing again in a few years?
2) Besides revenue enhancement, what has the BoD done to balance the books? What has the BoD done to reduce their expenses? For example, you must admit, the SCA, Inc. HQ in Milpitas is in a fairly high-rent district. Have you considered moving the HQ to somewhere cheaper, like the Midwest?
Thank you for your attention.
Bruce Davis
Medford, MA
ayden@carolingia.org
Paid SCA member since 1992.
Lord Hubert d'Avignon
Quarterly azure and argent, in bend two crescents Or.
aka Lord Ayden Pathfinder
Barony of Carolingia East Kingdom
Autocrat, The Mistletoe Ball (December 1999)
Autocrat, Known World Dance Symposium III (KWDS III - June 2001)
Thrown Weapons Marshal
Carolingian Thrown Weapons List Administrator
Carolingian Thrown Weapons Marshals List Administrator
P.S. I paid for a basic membership this year ($20) because I was unemployed for 4.5 months. I have my canceled check, but never received a membership card.
Anyhow, Carolingian Great Council is discussing this tonight. We will decide how Carolingia will respond to the BoD's grab for cash.
I finally typed and sent my letter to the BoD stating my objections to the NMS. The text of the letter is below.
Greetings.
I feel I must comment on the impending Non-Member Service Charge (NMS). I understand the SCA BoD feels the need to make up for a revenue shortfall. I've heard all the reasoning about membership numbers being flat while expenses increase. However, I still have to ask the following: What has the BoD done to limit SCA, Inc. expenses? I have yet to see a full accounting of SCA, Inc. expenditures. The numbers put out by the BoD are incomplete, at best.
It is my firm opinion that if NMS is put into place, it will be the death of the SCA, inc. The NMS will cannibalize the very population the SCA needs in order to grow. It looks like a good temporary solution, but in the long run, memberships numbers will begin to decline.
Rest assured, even if the SCA, Inc. ceases to exist, Carolingia will continue in one form or another. Our populous will continue to do historical research, hold various practices and guild meetings and even run events, though no longer under the auspices of the SCA.
Another problem I have with the NMS, is that it will create an participant vs audience mentality and this will affect the spirit of volunteer ism. For example, when I attend a the New England Folk Festival, I will do one of two things: If I pay full non-membership event fee, I consider myself a member of the audience. I will not volunteer. However, if I volunteer, I pay the reduced member rate or even attend for free. I will not do both, volunteer and pay the non-membership rate. The NMS will cause the same behavior in the SCA.
Questions:
1) If these revenue enhancing changes are put into place now, what guarantee do we, as members of the SCA, have that the BoD will fix their structural financial problems? What prevents the BoD from doing the same thing again in a few years?
2) Besides revenue enhancement, what has the BoD done to balance the books? What has the BoD done to reduce their expenses? For example, you must admit, the SCA, Inc. HQ in Milpitas is in a fairly high-rent district. Have you considered moving the HQ to somewhere cheaper, like the Midwest?
Thank you for your attention.
Bruce Davis
Medford, MA
ayden@carolingia.org
Paid SCA member since 1992.
Lord Hubert d'Avignon
Quarterly azure and argent, in bend two crescents Or.
aka Lord Ayden Pathfinder
Barony of Carolingia East Kingdom
Autocrat, The Mistletoe Ball (December 1999)
Autocrat, Known World Dance Symposium III (KWDS III - June 2001)
Thrown Weapons Marshal
Carolingian Thrown Weapons List Administrator
Carolingian Thrown Weapons Marshals List Administrator
P.S. I paid for a basic membership this year ($20) because I was unemployed for 4.5 months. I have my canceled check, but never received a membership card.
