September, 2002, State Membership Newsletter:
Tough times require tough measures...
I have no idea where I first heard that, probably from my grandfather who survived the depression years. He knew the value of a penny and what was a good bargain and what was worth risking.
What does this have to do with membership?
As I was calling Aerie Secretaries around the state, one of the things I ask them is what it cost to sign up a new member. I was astonished! In many clubs their dues were over $25 and the sign up fee (initiation fee) was $15 or so, for a total of $40 or more!!!!!!!!
Everyone agrees that we need to sign up young people to make the Eagles go. Yet how many young men have over $40 to gamble? Have we forgotten what it is like to be a young man? Do you remember when you signed up?
It was a gamble.
Every young man when approached to join the Eagles or any other organization looks at it as a gamble. Will he like it or not? If you get stopped for a cover charge to enter a place, and you really don’t know what is inside and you don’t know if you will have a good time. If the cover charge is $5 you might risk it, if it is $15 you won’t take the risk...
The same thing is true with joining any organization, including the Eagles!
So what is your point?
Drop the initiation fees for a young man, you have nothing to lose!
Let’s say you make a motion at your next meeting to drop the initiation fee when you sign up an Eagle. The first reaction might be: “ That is against the constitution and/or the by-laws!”
This may not be the case! The constitution does state that you need to send in an initiation fee, but does not spell out how it is collected. The by-laws do specify what your Aerie dues will be, but they may or may not spell out what must be charged for an initiation fee, you will have to check this out.
What you need to do is analyze what it costs to sign up and keep a member.
For example:
If your dues are $25 per year, sign up new members for just $25!
You won’t be out any money. Here is why:
When you sign up a new member your secretary must send in $8 to Nationals to get him on the rolls. He then must pay $3 twice a year per capita tax to nationals* and $0.75 twice per year to the State for per capita tax. Then if you send out a bulletin, lets round that off to 40 cents per month for $4.80 per year. If your secretary gets paid 50 cents per member per month there is another $6 per year. All total it looks like this:
initial fee to Nationals = $8.00
per capita tax to Nationals = $6.00*
per capita tax to State = $1.50
Newsletter = $4.80
secretary fees = $6.00
total = $26.30
*The National per capita tax was increased to $3 at the last National Convention in Kansas City
As you can see your Aerie has lost nothing by signing this man up if he never walked into your club.
Now before you raise your Aerie dues because they are less than $25, keep in mind that the $8 initiation fee to Nationals is a one time payment! So each year after that, it costs only $18.30 to maintain a member on your rolls.
BUT! If he does come in, spends money, brings in new friends, gets interested, signs up new friends, thinks about running for office, the financial and fraternal benefits of this new member are endless!
It is a numbers game. If you are only signing up 1/3 your quota, chances are you are missing that Albert Einstein of the future. If your club is signing up its quota, then I guarantee you your club is doing fine.
Dues were never met to make enough money to make any organization or Aerie exist! Dues should only cover the fundamental costs it takes to keep a member on the rolls. It is activities within the club and “butts on the bar stools” that should drive the finances of your club.
Think about it.
Give it a try for 3 months. Put an age limit on it if you want.
You might be surprised!
Ed Kinzer and Bruce Nielsen
Co-Member