[deerslayer]

Our Rep, Claude Melbourne, certainly has shown up at my Club, and at many / (most? - I think so) / (all? - well it is a very large zone, with a lot of Clubs, yet he does his best to visit each, once per year).

I suggest that if you do not like the performance of your Zone Director, well then, vote him out! Find out what the job involves and then throw your own hat into the ring to grab this plum off the MAAC tree. As for me, I have just enough of a clue about what may be involved to forgo even the slightest thought of applying for the job. Let alone the time committment - and I am retired!

My Club is trying hard to attract new members, with some reasonable degree of success. We do not expect our Zone Director, or anyone else, to drop in and do the grunt work for us. He has helped us out in a number of areas (his initiation of an annual Zone Fun Fly being just one of them, which has definately attracted interest and members to some Clubs).

As for some of the other comments about the office facilities, who gets raises, etc., why don't you ask your Zone Director (or your Club's President, who may have better contact with the ZD) how our finances are handled?

Do you attend your Zone's AZM? Our Zone's AZM usually is well attended; alas, I hear that this is the exception to the general experience. This is a great time to ask about things that concern you, and to meet the folks who may have the answers or access to further information. Airing gripes in this public forum is unlikely to get better results, and it is very unfair to the perceived targets of such complaints. Please give them a fair chance to explain their actions.

I have been in MAAC for about 25 years. I have seen a number of changes in the MAAC mag, all of them for the better. I have submitted one article during all that time. I wish I had done more - but there is still time to do so. I felt pride in seeing my one contribution show up in the mag! That issue was about as close to being "gold plated" as I ever hope to see. I am sure that YOU felt the same when your article(s) appeared in the magazine.

I worked for almost 40 years within two of these so-called "other businesses" - large multi-national corporations - and watched how some of their great cost-cutting ideas worked out - or not! (I survived and did quite well, but many exceptionally good people did not.). Following just one of their examples, we probably should out-source MAAC's office staff, and perhaps even the Zone Directors to somewhere "over there". Then, let's sit back and reap the resulting benefits.

Whether MAAC owns or leases equipment is of no concern to me - that is a "business decision".

Before you scoff at leasing options, be aware that the commercial airline you may fly on probably does not own the engines hanging out there - they are usually leased, from GE Capital or P&W or elswehere. Often, the airplane fleet itself is leased (Air Canada may be a case in point). That is just one minor example. Office equipment? Most large corporations lease computer equipment, typically for 3 years, rather than own it. "That's a good concept ... Ya right !!!" - well, perhaps it IS a good concept. I do know why it was done in a couple of them - for very good and sound business and technical reasons. I could ask how/why MAAC does things, and I should, before I assume the worst of our VOLUNTEER organization management.

By the way, not too many "normal businesses" have all-Volunteer Directors, and President! And, by the way, MAAC is not a "normal business". It is a non-profit corporation, with its focus on its shareholders, who are also its customers. I think it does rather well at this. When I no longer feel that it is doing a good job, I will stand up and help to get things back on track, by getting more involved and lending my own talents - getting elected Zone Director would be one way to start out, but there is nothing stopping me from doing something else to help out in the meantime. So can anyone else, for that matter. Bitching about everything via an Internet forum is the lazy way out.

Well, that's my 2 cents, and perhaps a bit more,
Gary D.


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Originally Posted by robpreston

My question would be Who is going to get a Raise. the Proposed amount for Staffing has gone up by 10,000 and the and as for Equipment Costs, you would think that they would already have all the equipment that they need, so that should be $0.00, Unless they are leasing the Equipment or renting it.... Hey thats a good concept...Ya right !!! and the Printing /Publishing Fees went up 10,000 as well..does that mean were going to get our next maac magazine with a couple of gold pages in it?
I would have to say that they had better cutting some Staff, like a normal business would if they want to start cutting corners and increase the profit margin. In stead of putting the cost of someones Raise on us...Just a couple of things that run through my mined....

Here is a question you can ask your self.. When was the last time you had a Zone rep come to you Field and just shot the Sh*t with you? and see how things are going with the Club and actually helped out with bringing in new members...

Thats just my two cents

Rob

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Randy Brown

sounds abit out of budget.. tent?

Naaa, too hot, gotta have AC Maybe car? Gas might be a bit pricey though running 24 hrs a day.

[Keith Morison]

If anyone gets the chance to sit in on the board meetings during the AGM weekend (where ever it is held) do so. You'll gain a new level of respect for the association and the 'job' the directors are doing. (Job in quotes because, afterall, it is a volunteer gig)

[Randy Brown]

you could run for president and say your on a buisness trip lol

or even better..get that poor Farmer to pay for the motel

Originally Posted by can773

Naaa, too hot, gotta have AC Maybe car? Gas might be a bit pricey though running 24 hrs a day.

[Sharpy01]

optics, smobtics.

Been through all this before, got the t-shirt (and ugly hat) and all the glory that goes with the directors job.

Question really is: "Do I trust the majority of the current directors and executive?"

Answer; "Yes"

The reality is, MAAC is not a busines.

It is a service that doesn't really generate any income worth noting. It relies on membership dues and in times of "recession", one of the first places people cut back is on things like hobby fluff, making things more difficult for an association such as MAAC.

Wisely, the board was trying to implement a contingency fund equal to one year's operating costs, but insurance increases and rising expenditures since the last increase and a stagnant membership and fee drives us in a predictable direction ...... living paycheck to paycheck (so to speak).

..... likely leaves us one ugly accident away from no insurance and the death of the organization.

Bottom line is there is more to it than a few general lines in a financial statement. Good advice to get informed. I've been out of the loop for some time so I can't directly answer your specific questions, but board members can.

Cheers

Originally Posted by reo

O.K., Marc, a question for you then.....if the numbers are as they are stated indicating about a 14% increase in expenditures year over year with about a (14% ?)increase in dues being considered, does this make sense to you from a business standpoint during these times of recession and low inflation?

The numbers ($75 and $10) aren't large, but the optics are questionable when you look at the percentages...Ron

[4*60]

Originally Posted by Hughes500E

Do keep in mind that you are discussing a PROPOSED budget for 2010, it has yet to be examined in great detail and the increase is simply a recommendation at this time!

When will it be examined in great detail? (not trying to be smart, trying to understand) The AGM is too late for that examination.

Well. Seriously. Help us out. I'm asking my zone guy the question then. Can you find out what the proposed increases are in detail for us?

If you can, thank you.
I am a member that likes to know ahead of time what will transpire at an annual meeting and I like good solid questions like that. It's not about trust it's about letting your zone director know what you wish to be done so they can represent you. They are our representatives and should be always open to input and should also be providing as much information as they possibly can. I realize they are volunteers but we do have office staf to help somewhat.
Anyone who thinks a 14% increase today, proposed or otherwise, is not worth looking at, doesn't have my vote.
PS: No mag yet here.
PPS: I always appreciate the job volunteers do, but that doesn't mean I don't ask questions.

[Zathis]

Originally Posted by retiredVTT

the other is "special projects" with a figure of $40,478.00 which was not present in 2008.

Just speculating here, but thinking back, this special project may have been the legal costs involved in club field retention in Quebec.

Kerry

[Applehoney]

All this from an original note of a possible increase of $10 in the membership ... a whole ten dollars ... sheesh!

Less than 20 cents a week. How much was your coffee at Timmy's this morning?

[Hughes500E]

Hi Dennis,
I'm going to have my morning coffee and I will be sending you an email addressing your concerns

[Keith Morison]

Originally Posted by Applehoney

All this from an original note of a possible increase of $10 in the membership ... a whole ten dollars ... sheesh!

Less than 20 cents a week. How much was your coffee at Timmy's this morning?

The reality is that questioning a $10 increase is not only the right of the member but it also shows a reasonably healthy interest in the association. I doubt that any director will simply blow off any concerns with the 'it's just $10' argument.

Over the years I have seen the board agonize and argue over line items that amounted to as little as 2-3% of the whole budget.

I am certain that everyone on the board would encourage thoughtful questions and words of concern over the proposed budget or increase. There seems to be a belief here that the board is trying to 'sneak one by' the membership. This isn't the case at all.