WGA Premium Membership

[JeremyParticipant]

I like Marc’s ideas about special WGA member only coins that have their own icon, can be worn on a necklace, etc. But I don’t like the idea of charging an exorbitant amount for the coins and some how tying them in with a lifetime “premium” membership. My reasons against a lifetime premium membership:

– We have nothing special to offer our premium members other than the coins.
– I don’t like the idea of a lifetime membership… does that mean people never give to the WGA again? Are we supposed to invest the money in some sort of annuity so it is available in perpetuity?
– We really don’t need lots of money for any projects or equipment at the moment.

We will be introducing an online donation system on the WGA site soon (by the end of September for sure… trust me :roll:) that allows people to make voluntary donations to the WGA via PayPal or by sending in a check. This system is meant to supplement (or be a high tech replacement for) the ol’ ammo can donation box we have at events, not raise huge sums of money.

The donation system will include a list of donors to recognize folks that have given to the WGA in the past 12 months (maybe this is an acceptable substitute for recognizing donors instead of giving them a “premium membership”?)… the donor list will also include people who donate “gifts in kind” (goods and services… water, charcoal, etc.) to future WGA events.

In the past, the Board has discussed coming up with 1, 3, and 5 year preliminary budgets… these would outline the expenses that were anticipated in the short, medium, and long term and the funds that would have to be raised to cover the expenses. Some of the things in the long range budget could be “dreams” like purchasing loaner GPS units for training classes. These budgets would hopefully be revised by the Board annually. Sounds like coming up with these budgets would be a good project for the Board to pursue in the next couple months…

[CBMBMember]

@jeremy wrote:

– We really don’t need lots of money for any projects or equipment at the moment.

That’s because the BOD hasn’t taken any of the suggestins made by the WGA body into consideration. At least not publically. There are many ideas flying around the forums about where to spend money. The BOD just hasn’t implemented any of them. But then THEY are the ones who decide what to do, aren’t they?

@jeremy wrote:

We will be introducing an online donation system on the WGA site soon (by the end of September for sure… trust me :roll:) that allows people to make voluntary donations to the WGA via PayPal or by sending in a check. This system is meant to supplement (or be a high tech replacement for) the ol’ ammo can donation box we have at events, not raise huge sums of money.

We do think it’s a good idea to have this system online, but please don’t stop taking the can to the events? Scenario: Someone goes to a WGA event but isn’t a WGA member, has a great time and wants to give a little cash to the association. The ammo box is missing from the table. Where are they going to drop their doantion? I seriously doubt that they will go home, get online, join the WGA and make a PayPal donation to the association.

@jeremy wrote:

The donation system will include a list of donors to recognize folks that have given to the WGA in the past 12 months (maybe this is an acceptable substitute for recognizing donors instead of giving them a “premium membership”?)… the donor list will also include people who donate “gifts in kind” (goods and services… water, charcoal, etc.) to future WGA events.

I have HUGE issue with this!!! No one needs to know who is donating money. They only need to know that it’s being done! The ones dropping the cash, and/or sending the funds via electronic methods will know who they are! Those donating time, goods and /or services at events will know who they are. They shouldn’t need to be “stroked” individually in public. If the BOD wishes to thank them one by one instead of as has been done in the past (“Thanks to all who have helped with hide placement, set-up, tear-down,” etc.), it should send e-mails to those who have helped. In the past this has always been enough. Is the BOD going to cough up some cash to buy little envelopes to sit beside the ammo box so that each person dropping something in can write their name on it? Or should someone donate those too and get their name on the list of donors?

[JeremyParticipant]

@CB&MB wrote:

@jeremy wrote:

We will be introducing an online donation system on the WGA site soon (by the end of September for sure… trust me :roll:) that allows people to make voluntary donations to the WGA via PayPal or by sending in a check. This system is meant to supplement (or be a high tech replacement for) the ol’ ammo can donation box we have at events, not raise huge sums of money.

We do think it’s a good idea to have this system online, but please don’t stop taking the can to the events? Scenario: Someone goes to a WGA event but isn’t a WGA member, has a great time and wants to give a little cash to the association. The ammo box is missing from the table. Where are they going to drop their doantion? I seriously doubt that they will go home, get online, join the WGA and make a PayPal donation to the association.

This was a bad choice of words on my part MB. The online system certainly won’t replace the ammo can donation box… we should always have a way for people to make anonymous cash donations at events. Thanks to the generosity of our members we have always collected enough money via the ammo can at our events to at least cover expenses.

@CB&MB wrote:

@jeremy wrote:

The donation system will include a list of donors to recognize folks that have given to the WGA in the past 12 months (maybe this is an acceptable substitute for recognizing donors instead of giving them a “premium membership”?)… the donor list will also include people who donate “gifts in kind” (goods and services… water, charcoal, etc.) to future WGA events.

I have HUGE issue with this!!! No one needs to know who is donating money. They only need to know that it’s being done! The ones dropping the cash, and/or sending the funds via electronic methods will know who they are! Those donating time, goods and /or services at events will know who they are. They shouldn’t need to be “stroked” individually in public. If the BOD wishes to thank them one by one instead of as has been done in the past (“Thanks to all who have helped with hide placement, set-up, tear-down,” etc.), it should send e-mails to those who have helped. In the past this has always been enough. Is the BOD going to cough up some cash to buy little envelopes to sit beside the ammo box so that each person dropping something in can write their name on it? Or should someone donate those too and get their name on the list of donors?

Not sure what to say about this one. I knew including a list of donors was possibly going to be a contentious issue with the Board (and the membership). There were a couple proposals floated, including having a list with donation levels (listing people by how much they give) and having no donor list at all.

In the end, it was decided that a simple list would give well deserved recognition without turning the donation system into some sort of competition or unnecessarily forcing people to make a donation when they really did not want to. But if others have opinions on the donor list, don’t hesitate to speak up… nothing is set in stone yet.

With the online system there will be a way for people to mark their donation as anonymous, so they are not put into the donor list. But if they want to be publicly listed (or “stroked”), there is that option too.

My personal opinion is that most people want to be recognized for their contributions. I see the individual members as “sponsors” of our events and other activities. If a business were to provide money or goods to the WGA, they would almost certainly demand public recognition, an ad or link on our site, etc… so why not give the same to our individual donors if they so desire?

[CBMBMember]

Sadly, I think that you’re right in the thought that our membership body likes to be recognized and/or stroked. There are so many of us who have donated so much time, energy, supplies, money in the past and have just been happy in the knowledge that we did it. It just seems silly to me that everyone can’t be like that. No matter the intention in starting the listing, to me, it’s a lot like you’re going to be adding a “donor” stats page to all the rest of the stats already listed here. It’s bad enough that everyone has to look at who’s running around grabbing caches all the time, now we have to look at who’s making donations too.

Over and over again in this sport we’ve heard one thing, and in May we saw it on a coin…we already believed it to be true, but have recently taken it on as our Team Motto: “The only numbers that matter are the number of friends you make!” The rest just doesn’t count!

I still think a simple “Thanks to all who have donated” is enough!
MB

[Coastiegirl04Member]

Why not when someone makes a donation, Have the option of wanting them to be known or not.. that they made the donation..

[EnergySaverMember]

Humor = On

The answer … for those donating $50 or more, your “Account” page gets an option that allows you to hide the list of donations, so that you don’t accidentially view it.

Humor = Off

My one “vote” would be cast for not showing a list of donors. To me the value of listing donors to orgnizations, is to provide promotion/advertisement to BUSINESSES supporting an organization … what benefit does an INDIVIDUAL gain except a bit of excessive pride.

[GrouseTalesParticipant]

I personally don’t care to have a “premium membership” for our organization. I don’t think the WGA can offer anything to make it worth the money.

I’d prefer that all members are equal, and those who want to have coins can help organize mintings. We made a nice profit off last year’s coin minting and I would like that to continue. Those who love coins can help support the WGA buy purchasing them. Those who don’t understand coins can support the WGA by dropping a donation in ammo can, or on-line donation system.

I think all our members are already “premium members” 😀

[Cache_boppin_BunnyFuFuParticipant]

I can see and sympathize with both sides of the fence. I understand MB’s concerns whole heartedly.

Then again, I know there are many people who are proud of the fact that they can help out and wouldn’t mind being recognized.

Organizations of all sizes and types “Recognize” donating members. It is, unfortunately, each persons prospective on how they see that recognition, and THAT we can’t change. Some see it as bragging, some see it as an interest of who’s doing what, some see it as a personal challenge to be able to do the same.

I, personally, see the “Recognitions” as an interest and a challenge, though my monetary funds probably couldn’t keep up with some people.

Heck.. I donated an extra Magellan cable last year to the WGA (no big whoop!!)…all “I” care about in that is that it can maybe help some Newbie who was unable to download to their Magellan at home because maybe they don’t have a home computer and do it from the library or work, or they have not learned yet. OR maybe I didn’t have time to download to my own and I forgot my cord at home….LOL THAT has happened.

So… whatever choice the board has on the matter I can respect that.

[hogrodMember]

@grousetales wrote:

I personally don’t care to have a “premium membership” for our organization. I don’t think the WGA can offer anything to make it worth the money.

I’d prefer that all members are equal, and those who want to have coins can help organize mintings. We made a nice profit off last year’s coin minting and I would like that to continue. Those who love coins can help support the WGA buy purchasing them. Those who don’t understand coins can support the WGA by dropping a donation in ammo can, or on-line donation system.

I think all our members are already “premium members” 😀

I agree that it’s better to have all members be equal, and I have no problem donating or buying coin to show my support.
I would however support a premium member ship if it includes a driver or gas money for caching, lunch money, and batteries for my gpsr.

[Mama FishcacherMember]

@CB&MB wrote:

in May we saw it on a coin…we already believed it to be true, but have recently taken it on as our Team Motto: “The only numbers that matter are the number of friends you make!” The rest just doesn’t count!
MB

I really like that quote! 🙂

~MF

[Cache_boppin_BunnyFuFuParticipant]

@Mama Fishcacher wrote:

@CB&MB wrote:

in May we saw it on a coin…we already believed it to be true, but have recently taken it on as our Team Motto: “The only numbers that matter are the number of friends you make!” The rest just doesn’t count!
MB

I really like that quote! 🙂

~MF

Hey I missed that one.. I like that statement too! And… I have made some very nice, sincere friends in this sport.

[Commander BobMember]

@Mama Fishcacher wrote:

@CB&MB wrote:

in May we saw it on a coin…we already believed it to be true, but have recently taken it on as our Team Motto: “The only numbers that matter are the number of friends you make!” The rest just doesn’t count!
MB

I really like that quote! 🙂

~MF

Feel free to steal it and use it as you see fit. We did! 😆

~CB

[LightningBugs MumParticipant]

The coin in question (FYI):

[PaulParticipant]

I see no reason to have “Premium Memberships.” If the bank account is getting low and there is an expense it would be proper to have some sort of fundraiser. We don’t need to have a ton of money just sitting around.

[Author]

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