| Volume 41 Issue 1 | September 2001 |
| Volume 41 Issue 1 | September 2001 |
Text of a message to the NMRA Dues Increase Hotline:
Ref: NMRA National Dues Increase
As I see it, the main problem with the dues increase, and in fact with the dues structure in general, is that all of the dues collected go to support the national organization, and to programs administered on the national level. However, the part of the NMRA that most members participate in, are the activities at the local division level, and my understanding is that none of the money collected at the national level ever filters down to the local level.
I really do not have much interest in the national convention, or the MMR achievement program, or the various national merchandise programs, and these three items seem to get a disproportionate amount of attention and funding. A relatively small percentage of the overall membership attends any single instance of a national (or regional) convention, and to me, the MMR achievement program largely amounts to a competitive activity (and I get enough of that from other sources), as much of the achievement criteria equates to winning contests at conventions. Also, all three of these programs involve substantial additional costs to the members who chose to participate in them.
Years ago, the NMRA Bulletin delivered much more value. I have several issues that predate my membership, and there is a wealth of good construction and layout ideas in them. In today's Bulletin, if you were to remove the product reviews, which are redundant to those found in the commercial hobby magazines, the non-NMRA advertising, and the NMRA advertising (for various self-serving NMRA fund raisers and the national convention), there is not much left, maybe 3 or 4 articles per issue. Most of these usually don't really interest me, although I do kind of enjoy "Open Loads", and similar construction articles.
On the other hand, the library research program seems to be a worthwhile program, I've heard good things about it, although I've never actually used it myself. Certainly the NMRA Recommended Practices program is worthwhile. Note that while these programs are administered at the national level, they are distinguished by the fact that these two items benefit the individual members in their individual pursuit of the hobby, whether they participate in, or care about, the other national activities or not. I believe there is also no additional incremental cost to any member for these two programs, either.
I've been in the hobby since 1974 and a member of the NMRA since 1983. My oldest son, who is now a senior in college has been a member for a good part of this time as well. We are now looking at combined annual membership fees of $90, payable to the national organization, so that we can be privileged to attend the programs put on, and funded by, our local division. I can't see how any kind of reasonable analysis of dollars expended, versus benefits received, could justify this expenditure.
From my perspective, I would have no problem paying dues directly to the local division to support the costs that are incurred by the local operation for local publications, programs, and the like. Since local membership is not currently an option at this point in time, the only way that I will be going forward with my (our) NMRA membership is when a dues structure is presented where most of the amount collected goes towards funding the local programs in which we, and most other members, primarily participate. Presumably, this would be considerably less than the $45 per member that we are looking at now, and I would also perceive that it would provide more value for the cost incurred.
I suppose the only way this might happen is if my local division were to secede from the national organization. I believe this is an initiative which clearly stands on its own obvious merit, and would have my full support, and undivided attention.
Steve Hood, Div 3, MCR
shood1008@cs.com
© 2001 Division 3, MCR, NMRA