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Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Did I do something smart?

For once in my life? (Besides marrying Marianne!)

I started working "real jobs" back in 1977, By a "real job", I mean a 40 hour per week, not the kind of work you did as a teen, or a minimum wage type job.  I have to admit, though, the first few jobs I had were not that far above minimum wage! So back in the 1980's, when I started making what you might consider a decent salary at Sinar Bron, where I would remain for the next 22 years, I decided to shell out the $$$ to become an ARRL Life Member.


Even back in 1980's money it was a lot and I had to pay it over a few successive quarters. Sometimes I have wondered whether or not that was a fool hardy choice. I especially came to question my decision when the League decided to jump on the bandwagon for eliminating the Morse Code requirement for obtaining an Amateur Radio license. "Time heals all wounds" and I got over it, I guess. That policy change still lives in the back of my mind, though. There's a "never forget" flag flying in deepest and darkest recesses of my memory with regards to that issue which is near and dear to my heart.

All that aside, I received an e-mail to all ARRL Members that yearly dues are going to go up to $59 a year. That's a significant increase. I know all the ARRL does with regard to lobbying for Amateur Radio and all. I'm good with that - but as I come closer and closer to retirement (sometime within the next 2 to 4 years. I haven't truly decided yet) I have to wonder how I'd be able to justify that on a fixed income, were I still a "Standard Member". 

In addition. it was announced that applications for Life Membership are being suspended for the time being until they can "price the offering to be revenue neutral over its term". I guess that means they feel they're currently losing money on the likes of me. In actuality, they shouldn't. I opted out of getting paper copies of QST a few years ago.  It always seemed that among my local group of Ham Radio friends, I was the last one to receive the latest version of the magazine. So aside from producing digital versions and making them available to me, they don't spend all that much on me. I don't get pins or certificates for 25, 30, 40 or whatever consecutive years of membership like the rest of you do. AND when I changed from N2ELW to W2LJ back in the year 2000, I had to pay for a new Lifetime Membership plaque. It wasn't a freebie - so IMHO there's not too many perks to being a Life Member other than not being bugged about dues.

It will be interesting to see how this affects League membership going forward. I'm certain it will decrease, but by how much will remain to be seen. I think it's pretty much a no-brainer that if membership numbers do decline then that deficit will have to be made up by increasing the prices of books, apparel, and other swag. And you would NOT be able to knock me over with a feather if all of a sudden it was decided that requesting a call sign certificate for Logbook of the World became associated with a fee.

I could be totally wrong on that last one, but time will tell.

Oh, and by the way ........ if you change your call to N2ELW via the Vanity Callsign system ...... do I have a plaque for you !  LOL!

72 de Larry W2LJ
QRP - When you care to send the very least!

3 comments:

  1. Hey Larry, We're eager to see a pic of that N2ELW plaque.

    ReplyDelete
  2. From Mark, WB9CIF

    Larry,

    Your thoughts are valid.

    If you want to know what is going on with the ARRL’s finances you need to read the January 2023 Administration and Finance Committee report. The July report should be out soon if not out already.

    There you will find that the membership has been declining since the outbreak of the COVID virus. Also, pointed out is the ARRL’s investments are not doing well thanks to Mr. Powell increasing interest rates to fight inflation causing the stock market and other investments to decline in value.

    The long and short of it is the ARRL is concerned about their finances. ARRL dues have not increased in 10 years. (I think I have that number correct.) I applaud them in that they are looking at the problem early and trying to get ahead of the decline in their income.

    Some of this is also related to LOTW and the fact it needs a lot of help and is broken and where do they get the money to fix it.

    The ARRL sent out a membership survey asking about dues increases, life membership, LOTW, etc. Did you fill out that survey and give your opinion on dues increases etc.?

    The result of that survey is part of where they made the decision on the dues increase and life membership.

    Have you talked to your director, vice director and section manager? I have talked to all three about this issue and the ARRL is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to providing member services and the revenue stream to support those endeavors.

    I thought I should point these facts out for those who may not be aware how inflation and the COVID virus issue has impacted the ARRL’s finances.



    73,

    Mark, WB9CIF

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dues is a numbers game. They need to guess on the difference of +$10/year vs -$49/year. The math is easy with this change so that for each 5 members that stay on and pay an additional $10/year, they can lose 1 member at $49/year and break even. As long as not more than 1 in 6 members decides not to renew, they increase the amount of money dues brings in.

    I was able to find membership numbers for the end of 2021 which was 158,238. It did not break down annual members vs life members so I'll pretend everyone is an annual member as that makes the numbers the highest. As long as less than 26,373 members don't renew due to the price increase, they will be ahead.

    The above formula is similar for new membership - as long as only 1 out of 6 potential new members decides not join due to price, they break even.

    If someone has more updated membership numbers, the above can be adjusted.

    ReplyDelete