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Grex > Coop8 > #140: Memberships for volunteers? | |
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ajax
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Memberships for volunteers?
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Nov 13 05:06 UTC 1996 |
STeve suggested the idea of rewarding volunteer service with memberships.
That was in item 130, about board nominations, so I'm entering this item to
discuss just the memberships for service proposal. STeve's post:
>#115 of 115: by STeve Andre' (steve) on Tue, Nov 12, 1996 (18:38):
> I think Grex is big enough now, that we could afford some non-money
> paying members: an exchange for putting up fliers all over town might
> be good for a month or two. Since we've not done it lately, because
> we're all too busy, maybe we should look at this issue again more
> closely.
> At one point in Grex's life, we couldn't afford that. I think
> now, we could to a limited extent.
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| 17 responses total. |
albaugh
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response 1 of 17:
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Nov 13 05:47 UTC 1996 |
Hmmm... Pay the volunteers cheep, say $6/hour. One hour a month would be
compensated with 1 month's "free" membership. 10 hours of volunteer work
would be worth a year's membership?
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remmers
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response 2 of 17:
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Nov 13 13:19 UTC 1996 |
Bad idea. It would make the decision of who is entitled to vote
in elections a subjective one.
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chelsea
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response 3 of 17:
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Nov 13 14:03 UTC 1996 |
Such a policy could (almost certainly would) result in our
needing more cash and an increase in membership dues.
I'd much rather see our dues kept super cheap, and $5 a month
is super cheap, and have almost everyone *able* to
be a member.
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steve
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response 4 of 17:
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Nov 13 14:48 UTC 1996 |
But what about those who can't? Our prices are such that nearly
everyone can join. But nearly everyone isn't the same thing as
everyone.
I can see problems with this, such as a flood of people trying
to squeeze by under this form of membership. We'd have to watch that,
I know.
There are people who really can't afford it. A couple students
I know come to mind immediately.
Given that there are things publicity wise that could be done,
that haven't because people are busy, might it not be a good idea
to see if we might be able to use some help?
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robh
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response 5 of 17:
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Nov 13 14:56 UTC 1996 |
Re 1 - On our budget, even as little as $6 an hour would clean
us out quickly, unless we really limited people to an hour a
week or such. (And even then, it would add up slowly.)
The pagan group I'm in, at the national level, is considering
having a sort of "pledge drive" for people who want compassionate
(i.e. free) memberships. The national newsletter would include
a notice saying "These four people want compassionate memberships,
if you'd like to help send a few dollars to us to cover the costs."
We haven't started doing this yet, so I have no idea if it would
work here, but it's a thought.
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ajax
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response 6 of 17:
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Nov 13 17:22 UTC 1996 |
STeve, I don't think the lack of posting flyers is entirely a lack
of time. If I agreed with its purpose, I'd post some myself. Without
an intent to expand phone lines to meet demand, however, I don't think
it's particularly helpful to Grex.
As for practically everybody vs. everybody being able to buy a
membership, you've suggested in the past that a person in Ann Arbor
can walk around and collect enough pop cans in an afternoon to get a
membership. Some Ann Arborites are unable to do even that, but they're
likely the same people who can't walk around posting flyers, so that
still wouldn't make memberships available to everybody.
If your concern is addressing poverty cases, I think the approach
RobH suggests is better. If the beneficiaries are able and willing
to do something for Grex, fine; if not, fine. As it stands, 15% of
our current members, who are able to pay, would no longer need to.
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rcurl
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response 7 of 17:
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Nov 13 18:40 UTC 1996 |
Paying volunteers is a "can of worms". Are they "employees"? Watch out!
If, however, others want to donate memberships, and users can apply for
them, that's another matter - though a matter of deciding who is eligible
and who is not. Let's see- - we would have to check that none of these
hardship cases went to the movies, owned a car, or maybe had a computer
(there is a money sink, if anything is!).
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steve
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response 8 of 17:
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Nov 13 22:38 UTC 1996 |
Yeah, I've been thinking about this all afternoon. I can see
enoughproblems with this to make it an entire bucket of the little
wiggly things.
So while I think it would bea nice idea, I don't think we should
do it.
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mta
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response 9 of 17:
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Nov 13 22:52 UTC 1996 |
I do think the idea of a "compassionate membership" drive might be nmice --
but it should certainly be member /user sponsored and driven.
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tsty
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response 10 of 17:
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Nov 14 08:08 UTC 1996 |
my understanding is that anyone can donate for anyone else's membership
since membership is the only 'paid' entity.
as for compensating workers ....big can of worms, Vbig can. the limit
that i could comprehend inside the grexian framwork would be $1/yr per
staff pern. and that seems to go over a boundary of some sort.
however, it is within the borg's scope to create and fund 'scholarships.'
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dang
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response 11 of 17:
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Nov 14 15:48 UTC 1996 |
Possibly, but how would you decide who get's the scholarships? I think the
whole thing would be way too much trouble, and would cause no end of friction
and bad feelings. Hell, I didn't go to Eastern Michigan University, because
they failed to offer me a scholarship that I really should have gotten. Their
loss. I personally think that official grex scholarships or compensation for
help is a very bad idea, and could lead to many many problems. We have had
in the past, and probably will in the future, donated memberships, and I have
no problem with that. If someone wants to buy someone else a membership,
that's between them. Let them decide who gets it, or do it on a first come
first served basis. Don't have Grex board or staff decide, because that would
cause too many problems.
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rcurl
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response 12 of 17:
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Nov 14 22:44 UTC 1996 |
Also, what would be the purpose of the "scholarship"? To buy a vote?
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albaugh
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response 13 of 17:
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Nov 15 04:59 UTC 1996 |
I should clarify my #1: I never intended to "pay" volunteers with actual
dollars. My thought was to credit them with $6/hour of "Grex membership
coupons" up to a max of $60 per year. The only thing they could do with said
coupons would be to apply 'em toward Grex membership. Or you could make it
$3/hour. Or you could forget I ever brought it up... :-)
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srw
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response 14 of 17:
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Nov 15 06:37 UTC 1996 |
Membership is so inexpensive, and we need membership funds so badly, that I
don't think I could support STeve's or Kevin's proposal. I like the idea RobH
described, of allowing people to petition for compassionate memberships. It
might benefit Grex by pushing up (slightly) the total membership count.
It seems very Grexian, too.
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janc
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response 15 of 17:
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Nov 15 14:27 UTC 1996 |
I think we must currently have at least 15 members who also do a lot of
volunteer work, so this would cost us something like $900 a year, except
that most of those people would donate anyway.
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arthurp
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response 16 of 17:
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Nov 17 22:05 UTC 1996 |
I don't like the pay idea either. I have considered several times donating
a membership for people. I am getting to a position that I may be able to
afford such action. But I think the board should stay out of it. I'll decide
who I (meaning my money) donate a membership to.
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davel
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response 17 of 17:
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Nov 18 11:58 UTC 1996 |
What Charles just said.
(I was once the recipient of such a donation. I didn't even know I was a
member until I protested that as a non-member I didn't need reminders to vote
in the board election.)
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