It would seem that this is part of the trade-offs of putting more money into a new headquarters. It is ironic that one of the arguments used in favor of a new Huntsville headquarters was that we might loose staff if it were moved, and now we are talking about reducing office staff.... However, I strongly believe, for various reasons outlined below, it is critical that we retain a printed News at least as an option for members and institutional supporters.
** The interest of many people is first attracted by seeing a magazine or journal on a rack, picking it up and perusing it. Few people would do this (without prior involvement) just scrolling through a list of online subscriptions at a library, nor will friends of members ask "OH, can I see what online journals you have?" No. But they commonly pick up my News, their attention arrested by the attractive picture on the cover. ** At least with older members, I believe at least some of us LIKE sitting down with a hard-copy journal or News and not in front of a screen. ** Reducing the visability of the society now by eliminating hard-copy News would be like a failing restaurant cutting quality of food to stay afloat. We all know what happens then - progressive cuts in staff and quality lead to an irreversible downwards spiral, to which there is only one end. There is only one long-term solution to this and that is a concerted membership drive. This is especially clear when one examines the demographics of our membership, which year by year is greyer and slower. Attracting people to a failing society will be harder and harder if we choose to continue to restrict what we offer. Might I suggest: ** Every grotto set a goal of concertedly attracting 10% new members in the next year and 20% over the next five years. This could be promoted by having more of a concerted public outreach program where members with good stories and slide shows give more frequent talks to local non-cave groups (outing clubs, scouting groups, schools, Audubon Societies, junior chambers of commerce, etc) ** Have grotto members (especially Fellows and Life Members) donate a few dollars each year so that every grotto might award one or more first-years NSS memberships to a new, promising attendee (unrelated to grotto members). After being a member for a year it might be easier to convince new people to maintain membership on their own. ** Offer a trial membership (student membership?) with reduced dues with the first several months of hardcopy News and subsequent online subscription. I strongly believe it is easier to maintain members than to attract them initially. ** Allow new members to designate one person who was especially instrumental in bringing them in, and give a one year membership discount to that person. Multiple new members could result in an especially good recruiter getting their own fees waived entirely. ** Encourage more donations (of* goods or services*), more attendance and more vigorous bidding at the auctions, with some percent of the money raised pledged to the publication efforts of the society. One way to do that might be to give donors of items for the auction X percent of the hammer price, or a gift card for Y % good for gift memberships or goods at the NSS store (with X < Y: for example X = 25%, Y = 50%). The success of auctions depends on getting better things, more competitive bidders and more bidders. A more successful auction might also benefit from a page in the News before the convention describing some of the premier items and donors, and a page afterward covering some of the highlights, and successful bidders. We are at a critical juncture for the Society: we are poorer because of recent committments at a time when membership growth has been stagnant and the society is greying. However, if we offer less to members, we will find it harder and harder to keep up, and will be forced into more cuts making it ever harder to attrct new members. This MUST BE ADDRESSED NOW! If we wait ten years with continued failing recruitment, there will be fewer, older members and it will be increasingly difficult to meet commitments and recruitment goals. There's a line from Danny Devito in Other People's Money, where he says something to the effect that there is one sure way of going down the tubes- to get a bigger and bigger share of a shrinking market. I hope the Society doesn't follow this course. Michael Queen 13805 On Wed, Mar 20, 2013 at 6:53 AM, Artisan Caver <blandev...@comcast.net>wrote: > I agree with Dave Bunnell, that having the NSS News with an electronic > option is a good thing. It could save the NSS some funds on publication > costs. I don't believe that going totally electronic is best, because I > collect them for the Sandia Grotto, and I look forward to seeing a hard > copy come in the mail. Since I became a Life Member, I started to collect > the NSS News. These copies have become part of my 'Caving Library'. I will > also contact the President and every other BOG member on this issue and > voice my opinion. > > Blake N. Jordan > Sandia Grotto Chairman > > Sent from my iPad > > On Mar 19, 2013, at 9:41 PM, "Ray Keeler" <rckee...@cox.net> wrote: > > hmmm. The BOG meeting is this weekend. It might be a good time to > contact your Director. > > Ray > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Daniel Hewitt <faceof...@yahoo.com> > *To:* nssw...@yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Tuesday, March 19, 2013 10:16 AM > *Subject:* Re: [NSSwest] BOG proposal to end the printed News > > > > If the NSS news is stopped than I won't pay my dues anymore. Simple as > that! > > *From:* Dave Bunnell <davebunn...@comcast.net> > *To:* nssw...@yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Tuesday, March 19, 2013 8:32 AM > *Subject:* [NSSwest] BOG proposal to end the printed News > ** > > Hey folks,****Would you believe no one in the NSS even consulted me > before coming up with this proposal to stop the print versions of the News? > I just found out about it recently, I'll be attending the meeting to > present the case that most members like their printed News. I do think we > should offer an electronic version but it should be an option, and if > enough people go for that we will save some money there, but shouldn't > force it on people.****Dave****On 3/13/2013 10:07 PM, Bill Frantz wrote:** > > > This meeting should be a particularly interesting one. The NSS > is facing a serious budget tightening and this is the meeting > when the board must approve a new budget. The budget proposed by > the executive committee[1] includes only three printed issues of > the NSS news with the rest being electronic[2], and a reduction > of staff at the office. > > There is a board election coming up, so come see how the board > members address the budget issues. A number of board members > will be represented by proxies, so come see if you would like to > have any of the people acting as proxies run for a full board > seat sometime in the future. > > Cheers - Bill > > [1] The NSS budget process has the five officers (the executive > committee) propose a budget which must be approved by the board > -- the officers plus the 12 elected directors. > > [2] Life members and NSS News subscribers will continue to get > printed copies of all issues. > > On 3/6/13 at 7:16 PM, > mailto:peri%40frantzfamily.us<peri%40frantzfamily.us>(Peri > Frantz) wrote: > > >The NSS BOG (Board of Governors) will hold it's spring meeting > >Saturday, March 23. This will be the first time the BOG has > >met in California since the 2003 Convention in Porterville. > >All Western Cavers are encouraged to participate. Even if you > >can't attend the meeting, try to make the Friday Night > >Gathering, the Saturday Party, or the Sunday San Andreas Fault > >Field Trip. > > > >See http://www.sfbcgrotto.org/bog2013.html for details and registration. > >Why attend? This is your best chance to meet and talk to the > >Directors you get to vote for every Spring. They run the > >Society, and want to hear your ideas and opinions. That's why > >they move the meeting around the country. > >Why register? The meeting is free. There will be a small > >charge for the Gathering and Party to cover costs, which you > >can pay when you get here. SFBC is providing housing and > >transportation for BOG Members, and will cover their costs for > >the Gathering and Party, however, in order to assure we have > >enough food we need to know who else intends to show up. > >Registering will give us a headcount. > >Hope we see lot of you here, > >Peri Frantz > >NSS Director & Meeting Organizer > > ---------------------------------------------------------- > Bill Frantz | I don't have high-speed | Periwinkle > (408)356-8506 | internet. I have DSL. | 16345 > Englewood Ave > http://www.pwpconsult.com/ | | Los Gatos, > CA 95032 > > ** > **** > > __._,_.___ > Reply via web > post<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NSSwest/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJxZm1ob2FtBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzNjM2MjM2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTEyNTQwNQRtc2dJZAMzOTk2BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3JwbHkEc3RpbWUDMTM2MzcxNTU4OQ--?act=reply&messageNum=3996> > Reply > to sender > <faceof...@yahoo.com?subject=Re%3A%20%5BNSSwest%5D%20BOG%20proposal%20to%20end%20the%20printed%20News> > Reply > to group > <nssw...@yahoogroups.com?subject=Re%3A%20%5BNSSwest%5D%20BOG%20proposal%20to%20end%20the%20printed%20News> > Start > a New > Topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NSSwest/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJmY2VtajV2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzNjM2MjM2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTEyNTQwNQRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNudHBjBHN0aW1lAzEzNjM3MTU1ODk-> > Messages > in this > topic<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NSSwest/message/3970;_ylc=X3oDMTM1bWwyN2NtBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzNjM2MjM2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTEyNTQwNQRtc2dJZAMzOTk2BHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3Z0cGMEc3RpbWUDMTM2MzcxNTU4OQR0cGNJZAMzOTcw>(13) > Recent Activity: > > - New > Members<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NSSwest/members;_ylc=X3oDMTJnNWd1dTFtBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzNjM2MjM2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTEyNTQwNQRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2bWJycwRzdGltZQMxMzYzNzE1NTg5?o=6> > 1 > > Visit Your > Group<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NSSwest;_ylc=X3oDMTJmZGd2bzhxBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzEzNjM2MjM2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTEyNTQwNQRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzEzNjM3MTU1ODk-> > ------------------------------------------------------ > > Coming Events: > > March 22-23-24, 2013 > NSS Board of Governors Meeting > Hosted by San Francisco Bay Chapter > Menlo Park - All cavers welcome! > Info: www.sfbcgrotto.org/bog2013.html > > April 27-28, 2013 > Orientation to Cave Rescue > Sequoia-Kings Canyon Natl. Parks > Contact Roger Mortimer for details > > May 17-18-19, 2013 > Speleo-Ed Seminar - Millerton Lakes, Prather, CA > Hosted by Stanislaus Grotto > > June 1-8, 2013 > National Cave Rescue Commission, Western Region > Week-long Training, Level 1 only > Lava Beds National Monument > > July 21-28, 2013 > 16th International Congress of Speleology > Brno, Czech Republic > www.speleo2013.com > > August 5-9, 2013 > NSS National Convention - Shippensburg, PA > www.nss2013.com > > August 30-September 2, 2013 > Northwestern and Western Regional Weekend > Trailhead Bed and Breakfast. Trout Lake, Washington > Hosted by Willamette Valley Grotto > > May 16-24, 2014 > National Cave Rescue Commission > Week-long training > Colorado > > July, 2016 > 75th Anniversary - National Speleological Society > NSS Annual Convention - Ely, Nevada! > www.facebook.com/nss75th > Twitter: @nss75th > > [image: Yahoo! > Groups]<http://groups.yahoo.com/;_ylc=X3oDMTJlaDRjc200BF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzEzNjM2MjM2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTEyNTQwNQRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTM2MzcxNTU4OQ--> > Switch to: > Text-Only<nsswest-traditio...@yahoogroups.com?subject=Change+Delivery+Format:+Traditional>, > Daily Digest<nsswest-dig...@yahoogroups.com?subject=Email+Delivery:+Digest>• > Unsubscribe <nsswest-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms > of Use <http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/> • Send us Feedback > <ygroupsnotificati...@yahoogroups.com?subject=Feedback+on+the+redesigned+individual+mail+v1> > . > > __,_._,___ > > _______________________________________________ > SWR mailing list > s...@caver.net > http://lists.caver.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/swr > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided free as a courtesy of CAVERNET > > > _______________________________________________ > SWR mailing list > s...@caver.net > http://lists.caver.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/swr > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided free as a courtesy of CAVERNET >
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