Club $$ Sugggestions

[Fishboy42]

It has been suggested that the ETRC use some of its funds for club-related activities/projects/orders, ect. I think this is a great idea and something we have addressed before, but never reached agreement.

One idea could be to do several smaller projects without draining the budjet while at the same time allowing a larger % of membership to participate. Perhaps it would be easier to reach agreement this way as well. We could also partially fund some projects (with participating members paying the balance) to avoid draining the account (the money isn't unlimited after-all )

Some suggestions are posted below (thanks to Randy for starting this list )

Specific suggestions to all of the below would also be welcomed

1) ETRC could pay the shipping costs on a group order.

2) Group field trip for members to an aquarium or other reef-related facility.

3) Fund a frag-swap or to participate in putting-on a swap (chatt. for instance)

4) Club Dipping solution for incoming corals.

5) Purchase of equipment to be used by the entire club (LUX/PAR meters, fish/invert traps, refractometer, microscope, camera etc, etc)

6) Invite a speaker to a meeting.

7) Purchasing a coral or corals for fragging and distribution.

Please continue to add to this list/discussion if you have any suggestions! There have been many more good ones that we have surely left-out.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[EvilMel]

Matt...didn't you start a thread like this a long time ago? Seems like I have seen this before.

I vote for getting the club to pitch in on shipping maybe. But here's the problem with it...if we get an order big enough, it will probably have free shipping. hah hah.

What about buying a coral to frag up?

The problem is that all of our suggestions are fraught will issues. I can name at least one issue with all of the above suggestions. That doesn't mean we shouldn't do any of them. Obviously some of us are wicked irritated about the club not using it's funds a bunch, but I think we should just go forward KNOWING that there could be issues, ya know?

 

[ct_vol]

Melly had a good point in the other thread... The club funds have been used for the group salt orders... Perhaps, besides, paying for the shipping costs, the club funds can be used to front the costs of all group orders, whether dry or live... This would save the person coordinating the order the stress of paying out of pocket...

The "coordinator" would have to obviously keep in touch with the Treasurer, but this would save Paypal costs and make things a little more exact... Just an idea that might make group orders a bit more easy... And if they're easier, they might take place a bit more often...

 

[RevHtree]

OOOH you guys shoud buy a nice HUNK of micromussa. Usually you get a better deal buying bulk. Anyway, frag it and you all get a piece. Then take the left overs and sell it back to the public by the polyp and get some of your money back!

Not only that you could con the noob members out of there piece for a nice big stalk of PULSATING xenia and a leather frag.

 

[RevHtree]

BTW can I join before you buy the micro? :rollface:

 

[EvilMel]

Yeah, that's totally doable. I have a club check card and I could actually place the orders too, if you want. I wouldn't want to coordinate them, but if whoever coordinates them will just take everyone's info, tell me what to order and from where (this should be super easy) then I could place the order no problem. That seems like a really great beginning use of club funds.

Then the board can meet and discuss what else they think the funds should be used for.

 

[Fishboy42]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9675116#post9675116 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EvilMel
Matt...didn't you start a thread like this a long time ago?

I'm hoping this one will "take" ....hope is the last to die...

Another one...Raffle items? Doesn't even need to be anything super-expensive, even a couple of small things raffled-off to those who put their name in a hat...

This follows from the other thread, but for completeness:

The club needs some funding to pay for common-use materials and things like website registration, ETRC membership and "PR" cards, MASNA membership, incidentals, raffle prizes (I think a good way to attract new members!?), etc. Dues are also "used" but not spent on group orders to prevent the organizer from needing to put-up the funding. To "due" away with them is to disband the club IMO and turn it into a few friends who chat reefs once-in-a-while.

If the club wants to grow, dues of some kind will be necessary to cover club expenses, but maybe that's not the goal. What are our goals? That definitely needs to be addressed. Goals need to be agreed-upon and written down before moving on these issues, and I'd like the membership to have a part in it, as I'd rather be pres than King Fishboy...but we get differing opinions and the issues stagnates -- perhaps a BOD meeting is in-order to clarify and find direction

 

[fishdoc11]

All Hail King Fishboy!

Hope everyone got to watch Planet Earth shallow seas...

I like # 3 and #7 (especially if it's a micro)..and possibly # 5 if the funds allow it.

FWIW, Chris

 

[cee]

Chris:

You don't want no micros, they're too addictive! Plus, fragging a wild micro w/o acclimation time is asking for trouble.

 

[fishdoc11]

Oh just one won't hurt...will it:lol:

Good point about the acclimation.

 

[seased]

here are some additional items:
1. help get a group rate on light bulb replacement
2. as mentioned before, get a group rate on salt
3. do a purchase of bulk materials for the DIY Calc/Alk replacement products i.e. Dowflake, Magflake, etc...
4. Order DVD copies of presentations from recent events (Saltwater U, MACNA, etc...) for distro around the club

I'm all for buying a coral and doing a frag demo. One of the things that attracted me to the reef club was the opportunity to acquire coral frags at a reasonable cost. From what I remember, whenever the club did this type of thing in the past, attendance at meetings was higher than normal. Also, this would be a good chance to show members how to dip their newly acquired frag and what to look out for.

Also, several other topics/issues were documented in the meeting notes back in August 2006. See the ETRC site for a link.

 

[zmazza]

Randy, lol xenia.... I really like option #1 if the shipping isn't covered under any free promotions... Including dry goods orders...

#2 sounds very informative and educational and a great time at that.

#5 sounds like a wonderful idea. That way if someone's equipment broke, or someone needed to borrow one for something like a one time LUX check or something they would have it. The club could also use the camera to take pictures of meetings and demonstrations...

The coral idea sounds like a good idea. Kudos to whoever can tackle that one. The acclimation, keeping it alive, growing it. Doesn't sound like a bad idea selling it back to the public, though.

Just a thought... we could always have annual or bi-annual club raffles or drawings. Use the club funds to buy good pieces of equipment, fish, or coral and then raffle them away or do door prizes or something at 1 or 2 meetings a year. With the raffle, at least the club is getting some money back and someone is getting a great deal on equipment, fish, and coral.

 

[ct_vol]

We could have a club Kegger... lol $5 a cup for non members... We might even make money... I volunteer Mel to host...

 

[cee]

We did co-sponsor the last Chattanooga frag swap or one prior, I don't recall now. Between raffles, fragging demos, etc., both clubs brought in more than enough money to cover costs plus put a few bills into the general treasury. #5 and #7 seem the only viable, popular, net cost activities, but #7 is going to be difficult to make a selection which everybody a) desires and b) can keep alive. Just my $0.02 and glad I don't have to make the difficult decision.

Dave

 

[ct_vol]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9684510#post9684510 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cee
#7 is going to be difficult to make a selection which everybody a) desires and b) can keep alive. Just my $0.02 and glad I don't have to make the difficult decision.

Dave

Yeah, not to mention, who is going to quarantine and take care of it, before fragging... I mean, its one thing to get a coral in thats mine and lose it, but its a whole other to lose the "group's" coral... I remember when Larry got that acro in and half of it RTN'ed... These things happen and we all understand that, but I wouldn't want to be responsible...

 

[EvilMel]

I'll host the club kegger. Not a problem. Can we get a keg of cider too? Snakebites all around?

 

[ct_vol]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9685172#post9685172 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EvilMel
I'll host the club kegger. Not a problem. Can we get a keg of cider too? Snakebites all around?

You're the treasurer... So yeah, it shouldn't be a problem... lol

 

[Runner]

Coral fragging would be a great idea -- but get two (one soft and one hard). Every member who shows up for that fragging meeting would get one or the other. This would be a good idea for the meeting (in June, I suppose) where everybody has to pay dues.

Purchase of club gear like LUX/PAR meters, fish traps, and perhaps a few choice library books (like Delbeek and Sprung's 3-volume set) would be a good idea, too.

 

[ZombieFlesh]

I would be down for a club kegger, I could talk to the roomie and see if he would mind if I hosted, I have a pretty decent sized house and a nice back yard.

 

[ironman2]

Sorry to pry cause I know this is club buissness! We have been having the same issues for along time trying to decide how to use our club funds. and as some have said every idea has a pitfall. We have made a few of the ideas work this year. We bought a nice par meter, which was a decent investment. it is something that we felt every hobbiest from newbie to expert could take advantage of to keep tract of there light bulbs life span. so far after 6 months it has been used maybe twice. but there are several people who are wanting to use it soon, so it could be considered a good expense. the hardest part we found was buying something that everyone could find a benefit for. several club members would love to buy a coral and frag it up for everyone to take a piece. but the other half of us are very picky what goes in our tanks so there is no way to please everyone. as of yet we have avoided that idea.
We setup an account with Dr. foster and live aquaria which gives us a discount if the order exceeds a minimum amount. so the club offered to do a group order of dry and live goods, with a 10% discount and free shipping at the clubs expense. that went fairly well, aside from a few people whos orders fell through at the last minute. but it did work.
another thing we have used money for is the frag swap, and this year we will be using more. the good thing about the swap is if your carefull and plan it good you will make your money back and then some. we hosted last years swap by ourselves on basically no budget and ended up making some decent money. but we did see the potential to invest some money and we could have made even more money.
another idea was a club library. the idea seemed good, but who was gonna keep the books, and what was the punishment when the book didnt return or was damaged. how did people get the books, and when did they have to drop them off. plus most people now adays go to the internet if they want to know something. now I for one love books about this stuff, and have a huge library already, but thats just cause im not computer literate! We did purchase the macna DVD set for the club. it was like $150. when we got it we were very disapointed. they were just cheap copies and very poorly put together. it really was a joke for the price. so we sent them back. so if you did try and buy some dvds do some research and make sure they arnt junk.

Anyway again sorry to but in, but I thought it might help some of your thought processes.
Bryan