[MR] NonMember Charges

[Logan]

the discount, which was not disguised as anything, which was put into law
during our last curia has not yet gone into effect.  the surcharge that the
bod has rightfully instituted goes into effect at the end of the year (jan
1).  obviously we need to change kingdom law to prevent confusion.  there is
not enough time to do that during the current reign and their highnesses
will be dealing with it during theirs.

im not sure why anyone would have a problem with non-members paying a little
bit to defer the costs that the society as a whole incurs due, in part, to
their attendance at events while they contribute nothing.  this only makes
the cost to "play" somewhat even across the boards.  if a person goes to
fewer than 12 events a year they save money, more and they should just buy a
membership.  most organizations require memberships to belong to them and
the sca should be no different.

regards
logan

-----Original Message-----
From: atlantia-admin at atlantia.sca.org
[mailto:atlantia-admin at atlantia.sca.org]On Behalf Of Gorm Of Berra
Sent: Wednesday, August 21, 2002 12:25 PM
To: atlantia at atlantia.sca.org
Subject: [MR] NonMember Charges


I am asking this question not in my capacity as a Herald, but as a private
citizen who chooses to wonder about something...

OKay...so now I hear that not only does Atlantian Kingdom Law mandate a $3
surcharge for Non-SCA members (disguised very thinly as a $3 discount for
membership) but that the BoD has also instituted a tax on those not willing
to
tithe to Milpitas of $3 as well?

So how exactly is this supposed to work?  Take the theoretical example of an
event budgeted as requiring a $10/person site fee to break even.

Since I know that 75% or more of those attending will be SCA members, and I
know that the budget requires $10/head, I therefore must set my site fee at
$13. (Before you say "You're gaming the system", keep in mind that a
potential
autocrat has a fiscal responsibility to his local group to at least attempt
to
break even on event costs, and many site contracts are worded in terms of
cost
per head, regardless of their membership status)

Do I, as the theoretical autocrat, have to publish this fee structure:

Site Fee:  $13
Site Fee for SCA Members:  $10  ($3 Discount per Atlantian Kingdom Law)
Site Fee for Non-SCA Members:  $16 ($3 Non-Member penalty imposed by the
BoD)

That is, to put it mildly, ludicrous, obviously.

But what are the alternatives?  I am required to obey both Atlantian Law and
BoD policy in my event costs, and the way they are worded that is the effect
that would have to be in place.

Alternatively, is Atlantian Law being changed?

And what is the effect on those events that, through fortunate relationships
with their site, do not have to charge a site fee?  Do we still have to
collect $3 per non-member head?

What of "demos" (such as the annual Highland River Melees) which are
published
in the Acorn, thereby making them technically events.  Do they have to tell
those we are hoping to recruit "IF you want to see what we do, I have to get
$3 from you?"

I find it amazing in reading through the most recent financial statements
published in the TI's that the Board's budget is out of balance, but if you
add up all of the assets owned by the subgroups of the SCA, the SCA is
making
money (not necessarily hand over fist, but a positive number is better than
a
negative).  It's just the SCA, Inc. that is losing...

I won't make the obvious point that the decentralized decisionmaking at the
local levelts appears to be succeeding while the overreaching, seen as out
of
touch monolith is failing...it'd be too easy.

Alan MacNeill

(All Gorm knows is that if the ship comes back with more loot than it left
with, the pillaging was successful)
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